Bango has revealed that it is powering a new service that turns the mobile phone into a personal on the go library. Bangos billing and digital fingerprint technologies have enabled Macmillan Publishing Solutions (MPS)  to create The Global Reader, which gives consumers access to books, articles, newspapers and other print content on their mobile phones easily and inexpensively.
Bango says it expects the service to shift the publishing world, as it offers a new distribution channel and provides a direct link with consumers, via the mobile web. Bango technology enables consumers on any mobile network, anywhere in the world, to browse content on the Global Reader and make purchases via their phone bill, by credit card, or PayPal.
MPS worked with Bango partner Fli Digital, which developed a custom content management system, mobile specific user-interface intended for WAP, and integrated it all with Bangos identification and payment services specifically for the Global Reader mobile experience. The ability to authenticate users means consumers can assemble a library of free and paid-for books. Additionally, given that some content is lengthy, the mobile site has a bookmark feature, which allows the reader to save their spot online for each of their books.
We never envisioned people would want to read War and Peace on their phones, says Bob Kasher, one of the developers and originators of The Global Reader. What we responded to was the idea that millions of people have mobile phones in their pockets.
Those people, Kasher says, may want to read a couple of chapters of a book while travelling or commuting, instead of lugging the entire printed copy with them. He adds that Bangos understanding of the world of mobile networks was critical to the development of the service. Bango helped us make the process of selling and buying books over the mobile web simple and fun, says Kasher.