FT pioneers browser-based news app for tablets

GLOBAL – LONDON, UK, JUNE 2011 – The Financial Times (FT) has today launched a new, faster and automatically updating app available directly through a web browser. The FT is the first major news publisher to launch an app of this type, which will allow readers to access its award-winning journalism easily and quickly across a broad range of tablet and smartphone devices. As part of the launch, the new FT Web App will provide free access to FT content during launch week. 

 

The FT Web App, built using HTML5 technology, features continual and automatic content downloads and improvements. It ensures that FT customers can access FT content anytime, anywhere, on a PC and multiple devices, with one login and one subscription payment. 

 

“This is our best app yet, and it is an important step in our strategy of providing multi-channel access to our global journalism quickly and simply,” said John Ridding, CEO of the Financial Times. “The FT Web App offers our customers flexibility and freedom of choice with access to our global journalism anytime, anywhere, with a single login or subscription. In a world of increasingly digital complexity we want to keep our service simple, easy to use and efficient to offer our customers the best possible experience of FT journalism.” 

 

The FT Web App allows reading offline, web browser access, all access registration, automatic updates – instant product improvements with no need to download new versions of the app, rich media content for smartphones and new content from FT blogs for tablets. 

 

Further updates in the pipeline include the inclusion of more world class FT content, including more columnists, FT Blogs, Special Reports and illustrative graphics; and a new ‘Clippings’ service which will allow users to read articles later, either on their tablet or on their desktop PC once they get to work. 

 

The new FT Web App has initially been optimized for the iPad and iPhone, but will also be adapted across growing number of other tablets. These include Android-based devices such as the Samsung Galaxy range and Motorola Xoom, as well devices such as the BlackBerry PlayBook. 

 

The Financial Times model allows users to access ten free articles a month, across any device, after a free registration. A subscription is needed to access more than ten articles a month.