gannett Co., Inc., publisher of 91 daily newspapers in the US and over 400 regional papers in the UK has announced a minority investment in mobile search company 4INFO, as well as entering into a marketing and distribution agreement.

Â"Mobile search is rapidly becoming a logical choice for consumers who want to have instant access to the information they need, whenever they need it,Â" said Jack Williams, president of Gannett Digital. Â"4INFO is the leader in mobile search and has developed a powerful technology platform that delivers instant, accurate results to users while keeping the experience intuitive and rewarding. Our investment and marketing arrangement is an excellent way to extend GannettÂ's multi-platform approach to providing content to our customers.Â"

Â"GannettÂ's range of operations and access to customers aligns nicely with our mission as 4INFO becomes the first, best choice for people seeking personalized, affordable and relevant information on their cell phones,Â" said Pankaj Shah, CEO of 4INFO. Â"Bringing aboard a strategic partner with the heft of Gannett, as well as its national distribution capability, is a fabulous step for us. Constant touch with consumers via Gannett, and the resulting huge mobile audience, means high value for advertisers and other partners.Â"

The investment comes after 4INFO trialled their mobile search service in USA TODAY in October 2005.

4INFO's search service allows customers in the US to send a search request to the company's 5 digit shortcode, with the result being sent back as a free SMS. The cross-marketing agreement will see promotion of 4INFO's mobile real-time information services in relevant sections within USA TODAY.