Mobile identification and billing services firm Bango said that it's powering a new service from Macmillan Publishing Solutions that turns the mobile phone into a "personal on the go library."

Dubbed the Global Reader, the service lets consumers read book chapters, newspaper stories, magazine articles and more right on their phones. Bango provides the back-end technology that lets users on any mobile network browse available content and make secure purchases. According to TMCnet, Macmillan is offering the service to other publishers looking for a new distribution channel that provides direct interaction with customers.

"We never envisioned people would want to read 'War and Peace' on their phones," Bob Kasher, one of the developers The Global Reader, said regarding the service. "What we responded to was the idea that millions of people have mobile phones in their pockets."