BERNAMA LAUNCHES "MOBILE NEWSROOM" VIA BLACKBERRY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) -- Bernama, the Malaysian National News
Agency, Wednesday launched its "Mobile Newsroom", a real-time, online news
service which can be subscribed via the Blackberry smartphone.

Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who launched the service in
Parliament lobby, described the move as timely in line with the latest changes
in technology.

"Bernama is the strongest, biggest and the best news agencies in the
country.

"I want to congratulate Bernama for having achieved a new era of
sophistication and for keeping abreast of changes," he told reporters after
launching the service Wednesday.

He added that all the while, Bernama had been depending on newspapers as
outlets for its news service.

"But now Bernama has its own ways of channeling news -- through its online
portal, television news channel and the latest, through the Blackberry service,"
he said.

Ahmad Shabery also spoke of the need to create an informed society in this
era of information technology.

"The technology is already there but do the people realise that knowledge is
power and information is power, and that those who control information, also
control the world?

"We must realise this and strive to embrace technology," he said.

Meanwhile, Bernama Editor-in-Chief Yong Soo Heong said that the service
would enable members of the public to subscribe not only to Bernama news but
also to Reuters news.

"Through an association with Reuters, Bernama Mobile Newsroom is able to
provide domestic news as well as international news to subscribers," he said.

Yong said that the service was launched in Parliament house to promote the
service among members of Parliament who were busy with their daily schedules.

"These legislators are extremely busy and we think that this service will be
useful to them... they can catch the news even while attending Parliament
sitting," he said.

Those who already own a Blackberry, would be able to subscribe to the
service with a monthly subscription fee of between RM100 and RM350 depending on
the category and the package provided.

Those who do not own a Blackberry will be only need to pay a monthly
subscription fee of RM350 for a two-year contract, with Bernama supplying the
gadget.

Yong said that with the latest offering, Bernama Mobile Newsroom subscribers
would be on par with editors of media organisations in terms of the time and
content that they receive each minute from Bernama.

More information can be obtained via http://www.bernamamobile.com.

-- BERNAMA