Christie's Launches New iPhone Application Allowing Optimized Access to Website

Christie’s, announces the availability of a new mobile application that extends the company’s online experience to a global audience of Apple mobile device users. Beginning July 15, Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users can enjoy optimized mobile access to Christie’s online features, including previews of all sales and lots, real-time sales results, and more. This free application will be made available to the one million plus unique visitors to Christies.com each month via http://www.christies.com/on-the-go/iphone, the company’s Facebook and Twitter audiences, and to visitors of the iTunes App Store.

Michael O’Neal, director of Digital Media at Christie’s comments: “The Christie’s app ensures our existing and potential buyers are always in touch and informed of our latest offerings, no matter where they may be. New advancements in mobile devices now allow for a very rich visual experience perfectly suited to viewing Christie’s broad array of offerings, including fine art, jewels, decorative objects, furniture, and fine and rare wines.

As our global audience grows increasingly reliant on mobile communication devices, Christie’s is leading the way as the first international fine art auction house to launch a mobile access strategy, so that our clients may select the communications medium best suited to their needs at any given moment. The Christie’s app ensures that our clients continue to enjoy the enhanced online services they’ve become accustomed to with Christies.com, as well as take advantage of new custom features that leverage the revolutionary unique features and functions of the iPhone and iPod Touch.”

The Christie’s App was developed in partnership with Kargo, a leading independent mobile media and technology partner that specializes in producing breakthrough entertainment and information applications. With the Christie’s app, buyers and sellers around the world can:

Browse any Christie’s auction, anywhere in the world: Search by Category, Location, or Area of Interest, so you can easily find items of interest while on the road, or with a client.

Get Real-time Auction Results: Even if you are not in the saleroom, you can still track sale results in real-time. The app receives results direct from the saleroom and refreshes the tally as each sale progresses, so that users have the latest news at their fingertips, as soon as the hammer falls.

View Sale Catalogues and Lot Details: Always have the latest sale catalogue at their fingertips, with flip-through access and detailed information about every individual lot in each sale, including dimensions, estimates, provenance, and detailed catalogue notes.

Zoom-In on Lots of Interest: Use the high-quality display and innovative Multi-Touch user interface of iPhone and iPod Touch to make viewing Christie’s catalogues easy. Users can zoom in and inspect any lot in detail, and rotate and re orient an image to best fit their screen.

Email A Lot to a Friend: See an item that is perfect for a client or a friend? Users can select any lot and instantly send a link to it by email, along with a personal note.

Find A Salesroom: When traveling, it’s easy to locate any of our 10 salesrooms around the globe with location-aware functionality and Google map links.

Submit Images for Appraisal: Interested in selling an item? The iPhone camera function makes it easy to take a picture of an object and submit it to our auction specialists for appraisal. Buyers and sellers alike can use the app to view all 80 collecting categories that Christie’s represents, including fine and decorative arts and design, jewelery, antiquities, furniture, books, watches, wine, musical instruments, and more.

Download Wallpaper Images: Make an artistic statement by downloading iconic images of fine arts, jewelery, collectibles, wine and more from Christie’s image library to use as their wallpaper.

As the first step in Christie’s broader mobile access strategy, the new app is an example of the company’s continuing commitment to leveraging best-in-class digital technologies to enrich the client experience. In addition to its mobile offering, Christie’s remains the only international fine art auction house to offer online bidding capability via Christie’s LIVE™, a real-time multi-media bidding application. In 2008, Christie’s LIVE™ generated $82 million in online sales and direct underbidding. Online sale registrations per sale grew 138% in 2008 and the percent share of all lots sold through remote bidding channels grew 33%.

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