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IOL hopes the mobile site will create a new level of interactivity with its global audience. |
CAIRO — IslamOnline.net, one of the world's leading Islamic portals, has released a mobile-friendly edition of the website to give its global audience access to its wealth of materials through their hand-held devices at all times and wherever they are.
"This is one of the major breakthroughs for IslamOnline.net in 2009," says Mr. Kamal Badr, the editor-in-chief of IOL English website.
"Our aim is to catch the train of modern technology."
According to surveys, the number of people surfing the internet from their hand-held mobile devices is at an ever increasing rate.
The proliferation of web-enabled mobiles and G3 services has helped spark the idea for creating the IOL mobile version.
"The world is moving towards greater mobility with regards to its information technology," notes Mr. Tamer El-Maghraby, managing editor of IOL Health and Science Section.
"As more mobile phones become net-activated, we want to make sure that our audience can access IslamOnline.net from any such device."
Maghraby asserts that having a mobile version of IslamOnline.net does not mean creating a stripped down version of the website.
"In the new mobile website, people can find all of the content they have come to rely upon specially customized for their mobile screens."
The IOL mobile version can be accessed through the url www.islamonline.net.
Launched in 1999, IslamOnline.net is widely considered as the world's leading Islamic portal with more than 2000 writers and correspondents, Muslims and non-Muslims, counselors and scholars contributing.
Balance
Creating the mobile-tailored edition, IOL was keen to strike the right balance between look and optimization.
"We have thought a lot about how to balance between a great look for the mobile site and keeping it simple and easy to download over cell phone networks," says Maghraby.
"A lot of the design standards we have come to take for granted in the PC world have not been set yet with regards to mobile phones.
"So we hope we have struck the right balance for our audience in the coming period."
However, Maghraby makes it clear that the version is still a beta release, so not everything the audience finds on the original desktop version can be found in the mobile one.
"We hope that within the coming months all the pieces will come into place and we’ll be able to provide the full set of features we want our site visitors to enjoy."
He notes that the mobile version will include exiting new features, including the "Capture that Photo" feature which allows the audience to send photos captured by their phones directly to the IOL team.
"We hope it will create a new level of interactivity between us and our audience," says Maghraby.
Another special feature is the "Listen on the Go" which will allow those surfing the mobile edition to listen to audio files, including Friday prayers sermons from across the globe.
"We are hoping this opens a new venue of accessibility for our audience," says Badr, the editor-in-chief.
"But we need your ideas and contributions to make it even better."
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