mobilePeople Drives Truvo Search Solution

Truvo, a local search and advertising publisher operating across six countries, has launched a downloadable Java search service for mobile users in Belgium, based on mobilePeople's ‘liquid’ platform. Truvo, formerly called World Directories, says it is the first international directory publisher to add multiple content sources in a searchable format next to its own yellow and white pages listings.
Truvo’s searchable content includes yellow pages (Pages d’Or); white pages (Pages Blanches); full news content from hln.be; weather from Meteo; a mobile web search; and  ringtones and wallpapers. The integration of different content sources will increase traffic in Truvo’s mobile portal and ensure the stickiness of the service with users, the company says.
The Truvo Mobile platform will undertake a search across all data sources and return results by each content source. Then, using a drop-down menu, the user can also select to search per source. Users can save results to their phonebooks, call a business directly and contact a company, by sending an email directly from the results. The solution is available in both French and Dutch and utilises a single search box approach.
The liquid MAP solution provides the option to display the results of businesses or people on a fully realised map, which also allows zooming and panning. Additionally, users can click on a point of interest to receive additional information in a pop-up menu. The user can then highlight an entire street and view information on it by clicking through. MobilePeople utilises Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG), considered superior to other map technologies that allow less traffic cost for the user.
“Truvo strives to provide the best and most relevant information to our users and as such we have provided them with the ability to search across a wide range of content, including yellow and white pages, news, weather, ringtones, wallpapers as well as Wikipedia,” says Roeland De Meulemeester, Group Manager Online for Truvo Corporate. “This partnership means our customers will receive an unrivalled mobile search experience.”
Last month, Truvo launched the Java client-based mobile search solution with mobilePeople in Belgium. Further country launches in Portugal and the Republic of Ireland are scheduled for the coming months.

T-Mobile Offers Zi Download

Zi Corporation, which specialises in mobile discovery and advertising solutions, has revealed that its ‘Qix’ solution will be offered as a download version to T-Mobile customers in the UK. Qix will be available on selected handsets on the T-Mobile network, with immediate effect.
Qix is a mobile discovery solution that allows users to access the mobile handset’s full range of features, both on- and off-device, simply and intuitively. Qix was initially integrated onto the N70 handset on the T-Mobile network in the UK last year. This new expansion phase will see this product made available to more T-Mobile users.
“By providing a download capability, Zi has enabled T-Mobile to provide the latest version of Qix software both to new handsets and to a larger volume of existing handsets already in use,” says Steve Buck, Head of Products for T-Mobile UK.
The downloadable version is available to T-Mobile UK subscribers with Nokia models N95, N73, 6120c and E51. Subscribers can download the software directly from T-Mobile’s Web'n'Walk HomePage.  

Searching Questions Answered

Local Search will become a key application for over 30% of mobile phone users by 2013. That’s the conclusion of a new report just published by Juniper Research. The report, ‘Mobile Search & Discovery: Opportunities & Markets, 2008-2013’, assesses the current and future potential of mobile search applications and services, forecasting mobile search and associated mobile advertising and data revenues across eight key geographical regions until 2013.
The 190-page study analyses major players in the sector, providing a qualitative detailed outlook from key executives in the industry, including strategies from market leading companies such as Google and Yahoo! In addition, the report explains the changes that are underway in the mobile search market, with the emergence of off-portal and on-device search, exploring the key drivers for the growth of mobile advertising.
The report defines five categories of mobile search; general web search; on-device search; local search; on-portal content search; and off-portal content search, with forecasts for each category, including users, number of searches, cost-per-clickthrough and total number of searches that are ad-supported. It also concentrates on how these developments, along with ad-supported revenues within mobile search, are likely to impact upon the growth of the mobile advertising sector.
The report looks at the current and future size of the mobile search market, and at the key drivers for mobile search adoption. It examines the strategies of Google and Yahoo! within the mobile environment, and considers which regions are likely to see the highest uptake of mobile search. It also looks at how much data revenue mobile operators will generate through search services, and at the impact the deployment of 3G services will have upon mobile search.
The report costs £1,490 for a single-user PDF or hardback copy; £1,990 for a multi-user licence; or £2,990 for an enterprise-wide licence.
You can get more information here.  And a free Whitepaper here.

Flirtomatic Hands Mobile Search Brief to LBi Netrank

Online and mobile flirting site Flirtomatic has appointed SEO (Search Engine Optimnisation) and online brand specialist LBi Netrank to help develop its mobile marketing strategy by ensuring the site performs well in mobile search. Flirtomatic is LBi Netrank’s first mobile search client.
LBi Netrank will initially undertake an audit of Flirtomatic’s web and WAP (wap.flirtomatic.com) sites to identify which areas of the site need to be adapted to improve its positioning within mobile search rankings and to increase the volume and quality of mobile search traffic. The majority of users are already visiting the site through their mobile devices; the audit is designed to help Flirtomatic further cement its position as the leading mobile flirting site.
Alongside the audit, LBi Netrank will offer Flirtomatic ongoing mobile search consultancy and campaign management to help the company keep up to speed with any changes to mobile standards and the search engines’ mobile strategies. 
As the mobile Internet market starts to mature, LBi Netrank believes there will be a concerted shift towards a ‘one web’ philosophy, as brands realise the need to service as many access channels as possible with one service, in order to drive cost efficiencies. Brands need to be aware of these changing standards in order to increase their reach in the digital landscape, the company says.
“We have been overwhelmed with the popularity of the Flirtomatic site on mobile, and already have over 300,000 mobile members,” says Flirtomatic CEO, Mark Cuurtis. “ Page views last month were 115m. With added mobile search effectiveness we are sure that the site will continue to grow and attract further users. LBi Netrank has demonstrated significant innovation and expertise in the ideas they have proposed. We’re looking forward to working with their team and taking our user numbers to the next level.”
Lucy Allen, Managing Director at LBi Netrank adds:
Mobile search is going to get very big in 2008 as handsets, ad targeting and people’s confidence in mobile internet grows. There are big opportunities for brands like Flirtomatic to jump in and dominate their competitive space, and we are excited to be part of that process.”

Report Examines Mobile Search Prospects

Juniper Research has released its report, ‘Mobile Search & Discovery: Opportunities & Markets, 2008-2013’ which looks at the prospects for mobile search applications and services; forecasting mobile search and associated mobile advertising and data revenues across eight key geographical regions up until 2013.
The 190-page study analyses more than 15 major players, providing a qualitative detailed outlook from key executives in the industry, including strategies from market leading companies such as Google and Yahoo! In addition, the report examines the changes that are underway in the mobile search market, with the emergence of off-portal and on-device search, exploring the key drivers for the growth of mobile advertising.
The report defines five categories of mobile search, including general web search; on-device search; local search; on-portal content search; and off-portal content search. Market development forecasts for each category include number of users, number of searches, cost-per-click-through and total number of searches that are ad-supported. It further concentrates on how these developments, along with ad-supported revenues within mobile search, are likely to impact upon the growth of the mobile advertising sector.
The report examines the current and future size of the mobile search market; the key drivers for mobile search adoption; the strategies of Google and Yahoo! within the mobile environment; the major players in mobile search; and the regions in which mobile search usage is likely to be highest.
The report costs £1,490 for a hardback copy; £1,990 for a multi-user licence; or £2,990 for an enterprise-wide licence.
You can get more details here. And a free Whitepaper here.

V-ENABLE Gets the buzzd

V-ENABLE, which offers local mobile search and directory assistance services, has announced a strategic partnership with buzzd, an emerging location-based mobile entertainment service that provides real-time information for bars, clubs events and restaurants.
The partnership will combine V-ENABLE's popular mobile local search services with content from buzzd's unique mix of user generated content (UGC), and all the best listings from CitySearch, Flavorpill and Time Out Magazine, among others.
Currently, V-ENABLE's popular Mobile411 search application is available on carriers such as MetroPCS, and Alltel. The Mobile411 app gives mobile searchers all the best in local listings, whether it's residential, category or location-based directions/map searches.
“What's so natural about this partnership is that both V-ENABLE and buzzd serve consumers on the go who are looking for something local,” says V-ENABLE Executive VP and CMO, Craig Hagopian.
Earlier this week, V-ENABLE announced the launch of its Web Services API, which the company says is the first stage of an expansion into new off-deck local search services. buzzd will be using the Web Services API in addition to specific and strategic content arrangements with V-ENABLE to allow users to benefit from the best of both services.

CTIA: Yahoo! Unveils oneSearch 2.0

Yahoo! has unveiled Yahoo! oneSearch 2.0, a new version of its mobile search service,  and previewed plans to open up mobile search results to publishers and developers across the Internet. The announcement was made by Marco Boerries, Executive Vice President of Yahoo! Connected Life, in a keynote speech at CTIA.
By enabling publishers to integrate relevant content into the Yahoo! oneSearch results, the company says, it is more likely that consumers will be able to find exactly what they’re looking for. Opening up Yahoo! oneSearch will turn web search results into answers as the usefulness of the results will increase as more actual content is returned, as opposed to traditional web links. It will also unlock the power of the semantic web, as the results integrate more helpful content. Finally, it will provide more relevant content, by providing richer information.
As an example, Yahoo! says that  whereas today’s search results for “Italian restaurants” include information such as addresses and phone numbers, open results could also include information from restaurant booking companies displaying the number of available reservations.Yahoo! says that Open search results are expected to debut with initial partners in Q2 2008.
Another new feature of oneSearch 2.0 is Search Assist. Yahoo! says that this will offer faster and easier input, reducing the time it takes to enter in your search query. This will be achieved through predictive text completion. As the user begins to type, Search Assist will surface the most common search queries in real time that match the letters submitted so far. As soon as the user sees a query that matches what they were typing, they can select it and the results are returned. For instance, a consumer searching for information about “Hillary Clinton” can just type “hil” and search assist will instantly suggest “Hillary Clinton” along with “Perez Hilton,” ”Hillary Duff” and the other most common search terms containing those letters.
Search Assist will also offer contextual recommendations. For example, as the user types in “Apple,” Search Assist may recommend links such as Apple iPhone, Apple iPod, or Apple stock price. At launch, Search Assist is available for the iPhone. Yahoo! says the facility is expected to become available on additional AJAX-compatible devices over the coming months. 
Additionally, Yahoo! is partnering with speech-recognition company vlingo to deliver a voice-enabled version of Yahoo! oneSearch, in which the search query is spoken, rather than typed. Yahoo! notes that whereas most mobile voice recognition systems are specific to vertical categories such as local listings, Yahoo! oneSearch with Voice lets consumers perform “wide open” searches, returning relevant results for practically every kind of query. The system will adapt to each user’s voice the more they use it. It will also allow multi-modal input, enabling the user to switch between speaking and typing at any time.
Yahoo! oneSearch with Voice is available now for select Blackberry devices, including the 8800 series, Curve, and Pearl, in the US. It can be downloaded from the handset at http://m.yahoo.com/voice. Yahoo! says the solution is expected to support additional devices and become available internationally during the coming months.
Finally, Yahoo! has also announced plans for an idle screen search service that makes it easier to search on your phone by integrating the search box into the main screen. The idle screen will give users one-click access to Yahoo! oneSearch and the Internet, without the need to open the phone’s browser. This idle screen solution is expected to roll out in Q2 2008.

Local News

Local Matters, a US-based media technology solutions provider, and local mobile search and advertising company mobilePeople, have entered into a Share Purchase Agreement, under the terms of which Local Matters will acquire all of the outstanding capital stock of mobilePeople in exchange for a combination of cash and Local Matters stock. The combined company will provide directory publishers, media publishers and directory assistance providers with media technology solutions that connect consumers and advertisers across digital channels including the Internet, wireless and voice.
There are now more than 3 billion mobile users globally, and local search ranks among the top content categories that consumers use on their mobiles. Publishers are increasingly extending into Internet and mobile to capture users and local advertisers.
“We chose mobilePeople because we believe they have the best technology to create a mobile distribution presence for publishers,” says Local Matters CEO Perry Evans. “Its expertise, its track record and its innovation cycles set them apart from the many other companies in this space. Our aim now is to be the preferred one-stop shop for directory publishers and directory assistance providers for outsourced media technology solutions online, on wireless and on voice.”
The two companies formed a business partnership in 2006 and have several joint initiatives in progress. The closing of the transaction is subject to additional closing conditions and is currently expected to close in the second quarter of 2008.

Juniper Analyses Mobile Search Prospects

Juniper Research has released its report, ‘Search & Discovery: Opportunities & Markets, 2008-2013’.  The report assesses the current and future potential of mobile search applications and services, forecasting mobile search and associated mobile advertising and data revenues across eight key geographical regions until 2013.
The 190-page study analyses over 15 major players, providing a qualitative detailed outlook from key executives in the industry, including strategies from market-leading companies such as Google and Yahoo! In addition, the report explains the changes that are underway in the mobile search market, with the emergence of off-portal and on-device search, exploring the key drivers for the growth of mobile advertising.
The report defines five categories of mobile search, including general web search; on-device search; local search; on-portal content search; and off-portal content search. Market development forecasts are split into these five search strategies, and include users, number of searches, cost-per-clickthrough and total number of searches that are ad supported. It further concentrates on how these developments, along with ad-supported revenues within mobile search, are likely to impact upon the growth of the mobile advertising sector.
The report examined the current and future size of the mobile search market; the key drivers for mobile search adoption; the strategies being adopted by Google and Yahoo! within the mobile environment; who the major players in mobile search are; in which regions mobile search usage is likely to be highest; and how much data revenue mobile operators can expect to generate through search services.
The report costs £1,490 for a single-user PDF or hardback copy; £1,990 for a multi-user licence; or £2,990 for an enterprise-wide licence.
You can get more details here. A brochure here. And a free Whitepaper here.

mobilePeople Announces iPhone Support

Mobile search company mobilePeople has revealed that its award-winning liquid mobile search platform now supports the iPhone, extending new monetisation opportunities for directory publishers and directory assistance companies. The news follows Apple’s announcement that the majority of mobile Internet usage in the US is conducted on the iPhone and Google’s announcement that it monitors multiple searches from the iPhone, compared to other mobile handsets.
mobilePeople provides a user interface that’s optimised for the iPhone’s Safari browser to search Yellow Pages, White Pages and other content published using the liquid platform. Functionality includes a click-to-call option; the facility to get directions to a desired address; to save any business search to contacts; to send results to a friend; and to see results on a map.
The mapping experience on the iPhone Safari browser is superior to other browser-based map solutions, says mobilePeople’s since liquid allows the user to interact with the map. Raster maps, in combination with layering technology, allow for user touch interaction.
The local search experience on the iPhone is now fast and cheap. The search itself requires less data traffic, which means lower costs for the user. Thanks to JAX technology, which exchanges small packets of data with the server, it is no longer necessary to reload entire mobile pages at all times. 
“The fact that so many US mobile users are using their iPhones to surf the web is a wake-up call to directory publishers who haven’t yet got to grips with the handset’s monetisation opportunities,” says mobilePeople CEO and Co-founder, Jens Andersen. “With liquid now available on the iPhone, this is too good an opportunity to miss. The web is an integral part of the iPhone experience; mobilePeople is committed to ensuring that great local search functionality is a part of that iPhone experience.”
mobilePeople says it is also set to introduce a client-based mobile local search solution for the iPhone based on Apple’s recently-announced iPhone SDK. The company notes that its mobile search solution has the largest footprint across all handsets, platforms and operating systems. liquid is platform-agnostic and supported on Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, iPhone, imode, mobile carrier-specific markup languages, and Brew. In addition, liquid runs on the majority of the most popular makes of handset.

Wayfinder Launches in Chile

Wayfinder has launched its award-winning navigation services in Chile through the mobile operator, Movistar. The move marks Wayfinder’s first entry into the South American market.
“Movistar Chile is a great partner to work with now that we are entering the South American market,” says Wayfinder CEO, Magnus Nillson. “We think this is the starting point for a long and fruitful partnership, and thanks to it, Chilean users will be able to enjoy the best mobile navigation service offered.”
Movistar Chile is launching Wayfinder Navigator and its additional location services offering to its entire customer base in Chile. The Wayfinder Navigation service in Chile is based on digital maps from Dmapas.
“It’s in our strategy to offer the best available services to our customers, and for GPS-navigation services we chose Wayfinder when introducing mobile navigation,” says Movistar Products and Services Manager, José Miguel Torres. “It’s the best service in its field and Wayfinder has proven to be an excellent partner for us, not least counting Wayfinder’s long term partnership with Telefónica in Europe.” 
Wayfinder Navigator combines the best of GPS navigation with the convenience and functionality of a mobile phone. The user is guided from A to B with voice, graphical and map turn-by-turn directions. In addition to the navigation and positioning service, it features a wide range of features and extras, including traffic information, weather reports, information on selected local services and locations of particular interest, and Power Search functionality, for which a patent has been applied for.

Half-price Forum Entry for Mobile Marketing Readers

Wireless World Forum’s latest event takes place on Friday 28 January, and we have secured a half-price ticket offer for readers of Mobile Marketing Magazine who want to attend.
The event, ‘Mobile Search & Advertising Forum 2008’, takes place at the Thistle Charing Cross Hotel in London, and looks at the future prospects for mobile search and mobile advertising. Speakers include Hugh Griffiths, Head of Mobile at MSN, David Thacker, Group Product Manager at Google, Andy Smith, Head of Business Development Europe at AdMob, and Xavier Perret, VP, Digital Advertising at Orange, plus many more.
The event will look at the role of search in mobile advertising’s future; innovations in mobile search; how to make money from mobile search and advertising; and how to incorporate mapping services in mobile search marketing campaigns.
The event costs £995, but until 21 January, you can attend for half price (£497.50). Just call 020 7386 3635 and quote ‘Mobile Marketing Magazine Reader Offer’ to claim your discount.

JuiceCaster Launches Mobile Video Search

Juice Wireless, which specialises in mobile social networking, has launched Mobile Video Search (MVS), which it says is the first search application for accessing user-posted videos on wireless devices. MVS forms part of Juice Wireless’s core mobile social network, JuiceCaster, which launched in December 2006, comes in free and paid-for versions. JuiceCaster has almost 60,000 users and, the company says, is growing at the rate of 20,000 users per month. 
A free service, MVS lets anyone with a video-capable mobile instantly watch desired videos on-demand by texting keywords to the shortcode 84462. The search tool then immediately sends a reply with links to the requested content. MVS works on over 95% of video-capable phones, ranging from high-end devices such as the iPhone, Blackberry, Treo and Windows Mobile devices to mass market phones such as the Motorola Razr family of handsets.
This gives individuals worldwide instant access to informative, entertaining, commercial or personal JuiceCaster videos, delivered directly to their cell phones. Business owners, college students, garage bands, travellers and aspiring artists can quickly and easily mobilize and share their content by creating a free JuiceCaster account, uploading videos and tagging them with search keywords, the company says.
“MVS is the next revolution in mobile search, combining the immediacy of wireless environments, the power of video and the value of search into one, easy-to-use solution," says Juice Wireless CEO, Nick Desai. “MVS now enables anyone, from consumers to big-brand names to share, influence, educate and make others laugh, all through tagging their mobile content with simple keywords and making it available to anyone with a video-capable mobile device to see."
In addition to enabling users to communicate with each other effortlessly, regardless of their location, MVS also forms a connector between mobile devices and social networks, such as MySpace and Facebook. Immediately after  a consumer posts a video from the phone using JuiceCaster, viewers can see the content and comments across multiple social networking sites, as well as on mobile phones powered by any wireless operator.
JuiceCaster offers a free WAP version, which is available by sending the word JOIN in an SMS to 84462. In addition, the subscription-based, downloadable BREW and Java versions of the solution are available on select local and international wireless operators.

V-ENABLE Releases Mobile Voice Search Results

Research carried out by US Mobile411 (voice search) provider V-ENABLE shows that holiday shopping directory assistance searches for retail businesses tend to be mostly for big-name retail multiples. Other popular retail searches were pharmacies, electronics stores and gaming businesses. Following retail chains, restaurants and gas stations were popular search categories. The research data offers a window into Americans’ shopping habits, particularly during the holiday shopping season.
Data was gathered between 23 November and 7 December from millions of searches conducted by customers of several V-ENABLE partners, including major national carriers such as Alltel and MetroPCS. The top five retail business searches in major metropolitan areas including Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco and Dallas were Wal-Mart, Target, Game Stop, Best Buy and Walgreens.
V-ENABLE’s intuitive mobile voice search solution brings up over 14 million business and over 140 million residential listings, as well as detailed maps, nearby points of interest, driving directions and, in early 2008, GPS integration. This information can then be saved or sent to a friend, and at any time, the user can speak to a live operator for additional assistance. While 411 is an age-old business that hasn’t seen much innovation for decades, new services like V-ENABLE’s Mobile411 create a text and voice-activated visual 411 experience that can prove invaluable to harried holiday shoppers.
“There’s an assumption that everyone knows where their local Wal-Mart is – it’s interesting to see so many searches for major chain store locations from our customers,” says Craig Hagopian, V-ENABLE Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Holiday shopping season can be hectic and stressful. Spontaneous mobile services like V-ENABLE's make it convenient and easy to find businesses both big and small as you’re out checking off your gift lists.”
The V-ENABLE mobile voice search interface software is a client-server solution, available on a variety of platforms including BREW, JAVA, Symbian, Windows Mobile, WAP, and xHTML. V-ENABLE technology have been deployed on ALLTEL, Leap Communications (Cricket Wireless), U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.

mobilePeople Launches liquid MAPs

mobilePeople, which specialises in local mobile search and advertising solutions for directory publishers, has announced the launch of its mobile map solution, liquid MAPs, which has been developed especially for the needs of directory publishers, directory enquiry services and media companies. The application differs from many other mobile maps currently on the market, the company says, in that it utilises Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG) embedded in a Java environment. This means that mobile interactive maps are now finally available to the mass market, as Java runs on the vast majority of handsets currently in use. It also means a faster and better defined map for the consumer, while there are enhanced opportunities for monetisation, thanks to integrated advertising, for the publisher.
mobilePeople notes that the tiled raster map solutions used by Google and Yahoo are based on data-rich map image formats, constructed on the server and downloaded to the handset, resulting in a considerable amount of data traffic. As liquid MAPs are constructed directly within the handset with only meta-information (geometric descriptions) being sent to the handset, there is 10 times less data traffic each time the map application is used. This is especially beneficial for those users who do not have a flat-rate mobile data plan.
Additionally, panning and zooming with liquid MAPs is 10 times faster than with tiled raster maps. This is due to the fact that the map information held in the phone covers a larger area than what the user actually sees on the screen. When panning or zooming, no additional information needs to be downloaded from the server.
liquid MAPs comes as a stand-alone mobile map Java application, or it can be integrated in mobilePeople’s white label liquid mobile local search solution. liquid MAPS can also integrate aerial and satellite images within its SVG technology.
Users can search results for businesses and people and can view them on a fully realised map. Other search options include address search, reverse number search, vicinity search and directions, including walking and driving routes. liquid MAPS also has enhanced user functionality. For example, a mobile user can fully interact with the maps, bringing up detailed information on screen by clicking on objects such as roads, parks or buildings. In addition, the text is scaled to fit the actual map view, so there is no blurring of names when a user zooms in to a site of interest. 
There is even the opportunity for audio ads within the application. The audio ad is displayed as a sound icon on the map. When the user scrolls over it, a jingle is played. An advertiser can be automatically highlighted with a call-out symbol on the map. When the user clicks on it they would be immediately directed to the advertiser’s mobile landing page.
"Our SVG based mobile map solution is the most innovative mobile map technology for the mass market available today," says mobilePeople CEO Jens Andersen. "The recent launch with Truvo in the Netherlands (formally World Directories) and further launches soon to be announced clearly mark a trend towards SVG maps. Google and Yahoo maps are first generation mobile maps. Other vector based map solutions are limited to Symbian phones only. The fact that we integrate our maps in a Java environment means that our offering is truly mobile mass market. It has a high user appeal and integrated local advertising products. The opportunities for monetisation for directory publishers are almost boundless."

Medio and mInfo in Chinese Tie-up

Mobile search companies Medio Systems, based in Seattle, and Shanghai-based mInfo, have jointly announced a long-term strategic partnership. Under the agreement, Medio and mInfo will work together on both technical and business levels to develop a flexible mobile search, advertising and content delivery platform for the Chinese market. The companies say the partnership will combine the technical and operational strengths of both companies to deliver unsurpassed value for Chinese operators, advertisers and over 520 million mobile subscribers in the world's fastest growing market.
The strategic agreement will help both companies to extend their reach into new markets. Medio's exclusive focus on mobile has, it says, helped it become the leading white-label provider of mobile search in North America and Europe, delivering content recommendations and search advertising solutions for mobile operators including Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile USA, T-Mobile International and Telus Mobility.
mInfo, which is exclusively focused on the Chinese mobile arena, has deployed mobile search services designed from the ground up to meet the needs of Chinese mobile subscribers. mInfo is the only mobile search company to offer natural-language mobile search in both Chinese and English via SMS, WAP and instant messaging. Its services are accessible through every Chinese operator, including China Mobile, China Unicom, China Netcom and China Telecom.
“In China, there are four times as many mobile phone users as Internet users,” says mInfo CEO, Alvin Wang Graylin. “Very soon, when people on the street talk about search, they will mean mobile search. Search advertising will fuel the mobile Internet just as it has on the Web.
“With a combined mobile search platform that fuses both companies' technical and operational strengths, our joint offering will offer unmatched value to operators, consumers and advertisers. This partnership between two market leaders is truly a win-win situation.”
Graylin adds that mInfo's strength in messaging-based search and operational experience in the world's largest mobile market, together with Medio's rich mobile Internet search technology and international deployment experience, make for a complementary relationship that will give both parties an edge in their respective markets.
While natural language queries are seldom used in searches by Western subscribers, this is not the case in China. In the Chinese market, most subscribers have never used a PC or typed keywords into a search box, but they all use SMS and are comfortable phrasing mobile search queries the way they would ask a friend. By returning direct answers to search queries instead of links, and by personalising recommendations and advertising for each user, mobile subscribers using the mInfo/Medio search solution in China will find a simple-to-use experience and highly relevant results when and where they need them, the companies say.
The combined Medio/mInfo solution delivers the information or content the subscribers need within seconds. The combined search platform will also benefit mobile operators, enabling them to generate enhanced revenues from advertisers through highly targeted advertising that leverages consumer behavioural data.
“In the context of today's fast-growing mobile data market, Medio and mInfo will deliver a mobile search and advertising platform to enable Chinese mobile operators to establish an important new revenue channel and create a path for  advertisers to reach the largest consumer market in the world with highly relevant messages," says Medio CEO Brian Lent. “With a best-in-class consumer search and advertising offering that delivers a seamless, navigationally and graphically rich mobile experience optimized specifically for the mobile phone and the Chinese marketplace, this partnership will enhance discovery of mobile content for subscribers, while also delivering long-term benefit to operators."

CBS Hands Mobile Search Task to Medio

In what the companies claims is a US industry first, CBS Mobile has teamed up with Medio Systems, which provides mobile search and advertising solutions, to add search capabilities and search-enabled advertising opportunities to its CBS Mobile websites. The partnership marks a significant milestone for both companies in driving a standard for delivering easy-to-access mobile content to a growing mobile Internet audience, which is projected by eMarketer to exceed 750 million users worldwide by 2010. 
Under the agreement, Medio Systems will provide CBS Mobile users with the ability to easily search and navigate content on CBS Sports Mobile (wap.cbssports.com), CBS Mobile News (wap.cbsnews.com), and CW Mobile (wap.cwtv.com) mobile websites. The partnership also expands the wide-ranging menu of advertising options CBS mobile can offer its clients.
“Medio's search is truly mobile-centric in concept and design," says Cyriac Roeding, Executive Vice President of CBS Mobile. “When users search their favourite sports team on their cellphone, they want a very different search result than they would online. For instance, on their small screen, they might want a quick snapshot of the latest scores, injuries, news and gossip about the club.  This is the kind of experience we will be providing within CBS Sports Mobile with Medio Search. We are committed to joining forces with best-in-breed partners to ensure the user experience is second to none."
Medio Search is implemented on CBS Mobile sites via an easy-to-use search box. Search results will pull relevant information from CBS site content, as well as from the entire mobile web. Relevant ads will appear adjacent to the search results. They will be based on the user's own search terms, thus will be highly targeted. Clicks on ads surrounding CBS content translate into revenue for CBS Mobile. Also, content from CBS Mobile will be added to the Medio Mobile Web index, which includes content from all of Medio's partner sites.
The CBS announcement marks the official launch of Medio Mobile Search for Publishers, an ad-supported search solution that is built and optimized for the mobile experience. Through Medio, marketers can reach and target audiences across all of Medio's partner sites. This, says Medio, makes Medio MobileNow one of the largest aggregated mobile search advertising networks in the US.
“CBS has great insight into mobile consumption from their audience, and clear vision for extending brand loyalty beyond its outdoor, television and online media entities,” says Medio Systems CEO, Brian Lent. “We're excited to partner with CBS on creating a standard for what consumers should expect from a mobile experience. Medio understands the nuances of a mobile experience, and how it's drastically different than performing a search on a PC. Not only do users want quick access to answers or content in the fewest number of clicks, they also want relevant content that is optimized for their phone's screen. We look forward to delivering this to the CBS Mobile audience."

mobilePeople Searches in New Zealand

New Zealand directory publisher Yellow Pages Group is to launch a WAP2.0 mobile search service in conjunction with mobilePeople and Local Matters.
The mobile offering will be based on mobilePeople’s ‘liquid’ platform, and will enable New Zealanders using the Vodafone live! mobile service to benefit from a wealth of local information accessible on their mobile phones, through directory search. Yellow Pages Group’s solution will be browser-based and will integrate seamlessly into Vodafone live! It will combine directory listings from Yellow, a local map application and give directions to a chosen destination.
“The rapid adoption of mobile search has created a huge opportunity for directory publishers in New Zealand to monetize through mobile search-based advertising strategies,” says mobilepeople CEO and Co-founder Jens Andersen.
For Yellow Pages Group, Marketing Director Blair Glubb says the mobile service will complement the company’s existing range of find-it services for businesses which already cover the print, voice (directory assistance) and online channels.
“Significantly, this development will provide businesses with a way to connect with Vodafone live! customers who want to find-it while they’re on the go,” says Glubb. “We chose to work with Local Matters and mobilePeople as the companies are clearly the best of breed suppliers, and our culture, experience and vision marry up well. This is a big step for us and will help us realise our goal of being New Zealand’s number one find-it resource.”
The solution will be integrated with the Local Matters-powered local search engine, to deliver an integrated online and mobile solution for Yellow Pages Group. Local Matters Perry Evans says:
“We’re excited to see the extended usage into mobile services in cooperation with mobilePeople. Multi-modal implementations are becoming increasingly important, and we are pleased to see Yellow Pages Group take a leadership position in this arena.”

Truvo Launches Java Search Service

Truvo, the largest publisher of directories in The Netherlands, has launched a downloadable Java search service for mobile users based on mobilePeople’s ‘liquid’ platform. Truvo, formally called World Directories, headquartered in the US, is the first international directory publisher to make a number of different content sources searchable besides its own yellow pages (Goulden Gids) and white pages (Nationale Telefongids).
Truvo’s searchable content includes yellow pages, white pages, news from De Telegraaf (in RSS feed format), weather, ringtones, and wallpapers with fully integrated billing and WAP sites. Of particular interest is the direct link to Wikipedia, providing an invaluable search and information resource on the move. The integration of different content sources increases traffic in Truvo’s mobile portal and ensures the stickiness of the service with users.
The solution utilises a single search box approach. When users type in a search term mobilePeople undertakes a search across all data sources and returns results by category. Then using a drop down menu, the user can also select to search by category. Furthermore, users can save results to their phonebook, call a business directly and contact a company by sending an email directly out of the search results.
The liquid Map solution provides the option to display the results of businesses or people on a fully realised map which can be zoomed and panned. mobilePeople utilises Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG), which it says is superior to other map technologies, as the map is handled inside the phone. It is also faster and incurs less traffic cost for the user. Additionally, users can click on a point of interest and they will receive additional information in a pop-up menu. The user can then highlight an entire street and view information on it just by clicking through.
“The Dutch mobile user is very discerning and therefore Truvo strives to provide the best and most relevant information to our users,” says Truvo NL Group Manager Online, Roeland De Meulemeester. “With mobilePeople we have ensured that Truvo is the first directory provider to enable users to search third-party pages, to provide an unrivalled information experience.”
Jens Andersen, CEO and Co-founder of mobilePeople adds:
“mobilePeople is delighted to be working with such an innovative directory as Truvo. Dutch mobile users have been crying out for access to sites such as Wikipedia, and now they have the tools at their fingertips.”
Truvo launched its browser-based mobile search solution with mobilePeople in May. The launch of the Java client in The Netherlands is set to be followed by further country launches in Portugal, Belgium and the Republic of Ireland in the coming months.

Yahoo! Wins O2 Search Task

O2 UK has revealed that Yahoo! oneSearch will be the main search engine on its O2 Active portal, reaching over 15.8 million O2 customers across over 240 handset types.
The deal is part of a group-wide Telefonica partnership that aims to make it easier for customers to search and find relevant results on their mobile devices. The service has been redesigned to present customers with detailed results directly to the first-listed web page, removing the need to search through a sea of links to find the answer they want.
Yahoo!’s oneSearch mobile search product gives consumers access to news, web images, financial information, weather conditions, Flickr photos and web and mobile websites, as well as making it easy to navigate to other websites. It also opens up a new revenue stream to both O2 and Yahoo! through sponsored search advertising.
“Working with the best partners in the marketplace is a crucial element of our strategy,” says O2 UK Chief executive, Matthew Key. “Yahoo! is a fantastic brand, and our relationship will allow us to provide an enhanced customer experience for our customers.”
Marco Boerries, Executive Vice-president of Yahoo!’s Connected Life Division, adds:
“Yahoo!’s new partnership with O2 furthers our leadership in mobile and demonstrates our commitment to working with partners to enhance the Internet experience for customers on their mobile phone. Together, we can grow usage of mobile Internet services and create new revenue streams through sponsored search advertising.”
O2 UK recently announced three new "unlimited" data tariffs (subject to fair usage policy), which launch today, for customers who want to make the most of Internet services on their O2 phone.

JumpTap Makes European Debut with Telefónica

Mobile search and advertising company JumpTap has revealed that that it has launched services on Telefónica, the first operator in Spain to bring a complete search and advertising solution to the mobile screen.
JumpTap has deployed a comprehensive mobile search and advertising solution for Telefónica, serving contextual banner ads on the home page and throughout the content verticals on the operator’s ‘Movistar emoción’ portal, as well as delivering sponsored search links within the Games, Images and Music channels. 
In the first months of working together, JumpTap’s search and advertising solution twice sold out Telefónica’s entire display advertising inventory, which the company says is a first for any mobile operator. Sony Ericsson, Warner Music, Gameloft, Vivendi Games Mobile, Coca-Cola, Buongiorno, Terra, Barclays Bank, PrisaCom and BMW are among the first advertisers to launch mobile campaigns on the portal.
“It was essential we deployed a search and advertising solution that would enhance the user experience without being intrusive,” says Susana Rodriguez, Director of Online and M-Commerce at Telefónica. “The mobile screen is too small to make mistakes. The JumpTap solution seamlessly integrated into the Movistar emoción platform and delivers search results with highly relevant sponsored links associated to the search, along with high impact, contextual advertisements throughout the portal.”
Although mobile advertising is still in its infancy, says Rodriguez, major brands are already recognising the huge potential offered by this new medium.
“Advertisers are recognising that no other channel comes close in terms of combining audience reach with the ability to interact on a personal level with targeted subscribers, as well as having the results associated with their campaigns in an online way,” she says.
Telefonica is Spain’s largest mobile operator in market and every month, the Movistar emoción receives over 4 million hits. As the majority of Telefónica’s handsets are WAP-enabled, the number of mobile searchers and browsers is expected to rise dramatically over the coming years. Jupiter Research predicts by 2011, that over $13 billion will be spent on mobile advertising annually.
“We are delighted that a globally recognised regional market leader is taking such a big leap forward with new technology the way Telefónica has done,” says ,” says JumpTap President and CEO, Dan Olschwang. “It demonstrates a tremendous commitment to the future of mobile marketing. This move will undoubtedly be commercially beneficial for advertisers who now have access to a new, young demographic on the most interactive and personal medium we have seen to-date.”
JumpTap’s solutions are already deployed by numerous operators worldwide, but Telefónica represents JumpTap’s first commercial deployment in Europe, and is a clear indication, the company says, that the mobile search and advertising industry, which is currently more advanced in the US, is rapidly becoming a reality in Europe.

You Know it Makes AdSense

Google has announced the launch of AdSense for Mobile, a programme that contextually targets ads to mobile website content. Google says AdSense for Mobile is part of its ongoing effort to develop new ways for users to find the information they need anytime and anywhere. 
AdSense for Mobile also gives AdSense publishing partners the ability to earn revenue from their mobile websites through the targeted placement of mobile text ads. The programme will enable advertisers to connect with the growing number of mobile publishers, ultimately providing users with an enhanced mobile experience that helps them find what they are looking for more quickly and efficiently whilst they are on the go.
“With AdSense for Mobile, the reach of the Google content network is extended to the mobile platform,” says Google UK Senior Product Marketing Manager, Sean Cornwell. “AdSense for Mobile provides a valuable way to connect mobile users with the right ad at the right time as they seek information on the go, whilst offering publishers another way to increase their revenues".
Google says that AdSense for Mobile is intended for AdSense partners who have created websites specifically for mobile browsers, and who want to monetise their mobile content via contextual advertising. Like Google's other AdSense products, mobile text ads run on an auction model. The system automatically reviews the content of publishers' mobile websites and delivers text ads that are relevant to the websites' audience and content. Publishers earn money whenever mobile users click on the ads.
AdSense for Mobile is available in the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Ireland, and the Netherlands. More information here.

Medio Powers t-zones Mobile Search

Medio Systems has announced that T-Mobile International has selected its mobile search technology to drive the launch of a new mobile search service to its European t-zones customers. The t-zones mobile content search solution, which will be available to all T-Mobile’s t-zones customers in five European countries, has already been deployed in the UK, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. The service will be rolled out in the Czech Republic later this month. Mobile advertising is also included in the service as part of the agreement, and is expected to roll out internationally before the end of the year.   
Medio says that t-zones mobile search has been designed to overcome the physical constraints of the mobile screen by providing a simple, click-saving experience which returns relevant answers instead of links. Optimised to provide the best search experience possible on all handsets, the new t-zones mobile search allows customers to conduct searches for many types of information and mobile content from a single, easy-to-use search box on the t-zones portal.
The sophisticated analytics behind the t-zones mobile search solution provides subscribers with highly relevant answers and recommendations, says Medio. These cover multiple content types across a constantly evolving set of content areas, including music downloads, games, pictures, videos, news and information, and the mobile web.
“The mobile web is poised for swift expansion and growth as the popularity of online search shifts to the handset,” says Medio Systems CEO, Brian Lent. “The ability to search intuitively on a mobile handset effectively changes the nature of search for the consumer forever, and opens up a new era of access to time-relevant or location-centric information for use in daily life. Using our search solution, T-Mobile’s t-zones customers across Europe will be able to access a range of content types when and where they need it most. This signals the start of a trend that will eventually see mobile overtaking online as the preferred and most used search option.”
Ingo Schneider, VP Mobile Internet for T-Mobile adds:
“T-Mobile is very pleased to have Medio as a partner for mobile content search. Mobile Search plays an ever-increasing role in our customer’s use of the mobile web, particularly to drive the relevance and use of our large catalogue of mobile content offered on our t-zones portal.”
T-Mobile is planning to support mobile advertising in form of sponsored links based on Medio’s mobile search advertising solution that is connected to the open advertising market place. Medio’s mobile advertising solution is based on the same analytics that drive the answers on the search platform. In addition, t-zones mobile content search will also learn individual subscriber preferences around recurrent search themes as a way to further simplify the mobile search experience and add value to the end user.

m-Spatial Index Reveals Mobile Search Trends

Mobile phone users played it safe in a wet early summer, as rain-shy consumers made fewer searches for places of interest to spend the day out. Compared to the same time last year, m-Spatial's Q2 Mobile Local Search Index 2007 highlights a decrease in searches made for history and culture (down 16%), scenic places (down 37%) and sports grounds and stadiums (down 32%). Conversely, searches for travel agents increased by 137% as people sought hotter climes.
The m-spatial Q2 Mobile Local Search Index 2007 charts local searches made on mobile phones in the second quarter of 2007. The Mobile Local Search Index highlights consumer trends, and when compared with the results from 12 months ago, shows interesting movements in brand popularity over the last year. In the Q2 Mobile Local Search Index 2006, for example, McDonalds was the third most popular search result brand, behind Pizza Hut and Tesco, yet the backlash against unhealthy eating over the last twelve months has seen McDonalds drop out of the top 10, with 61% fewer searches for the brand taking place.
“The results for Q2 show how unpredictable weather affects what people are looking for, and the poor start to the summer resulted in a substantial increase in people looking for foreign holidays, and a significant drop in people looking to spend days out in the UK” says m-spatial CEO, Andy Walker. “We’re also seeing how the media affects search and subsequent spending behaviour. Healthy eating campaigns may have forced McDonalds to change their menu, yet fewer people are looking for the nearest Big Mac when compared to other fast-food offerings.”
Another key trend highlighted by the index is the amount of searches made for cinemas, with Odeon, Cineworld and Vue all now established in the top 10 search result brands, when 12 months ago not one was listed. Originally, it was thought that this was a seasonal variation, but it now appears to reflect wider consumer trends and the effect of other promotions connected with m-spatial white label mobile local search partners.
The m-spatial Mobile Local Search Index launched in April 2006, and provides quarterly results on what mobile users are searching for. m-spatial specialises in converged local search, connecting consumers to local businesses and information via mobile phones and personal navigation devices. The company provides its products via a white label ASP delivery model to mobile network operators, directory providers and personal navigation providers. Its customers include Orange, Vodafone, O2 and Seat PagineGialle, the Italian directory provider.

Google Comes to 3

Mobile network 3 UK is to offer Google Search and Google Maps on the Planet 3 mobile portal from today. Google Search will be integrated into the Planet 3 mobile Internet offering, while the Google Maps application will be offered as a download via the 3 portal. 
The deal sees Google join Yahoo! as a search provider on Planet 3. Google comes onto the 3 UK portal as an X-Series partner, having been announced as a launch member of the X-Series global programme in November last year, and after launching in several other 3 markets.   
When a user selects Google as their search provider, their preference is recorded and the next time they use Planet 3, they will automatically be directed to Google Search. The Google Maps application will be available to compatible handsets as a download accessible through the Planet 3 Services grid, as well as being pre-installed on a majority of new handsets that are able to run the application.
“We are delighted to be able to give our customers a richer mobile Internet experience through adding these innovative Google products to our service today” says 3 UK Marketing Director John Penberthy-Smith. “Our objective is to make sure that our customers have an experience which gets closer and closer to the one you would expect when using your home PC, but on your mobile device, wherever you are. We’re not about forcing people to use a particular service or brand – we aim to let you choose which one you prefer.”

Point and Search

GeoVector Corporation, which specialises in pointing-based search solutions, and CyberMap Japan Corp., owner of mapping services company Mapion, have announced the launch of version 2.0 of the Mapion Pointing Application, called ‘Mapion Pointing Appli’, for mobile phones in Japan. This upgrade transforms Mapion’s existing GeoVector pointing mobile search service into a fully commercial application, available to over 2 million phones.
Mapion Pointing Application enables consumers to easily find and launch rich content by pointing and clicking mobile phones at retailers, restaurants, historical sites or any of Mapion’s 700,000 Points of Interest (POIs) across Japan. The service combines Mapion’s POI data with GeoVector’s pointing-based technology and spatial search engine, providing, the companies say, the world’s first truly personal local search service.
The new release builds upon the success of Version 1.0, with user feedback contributing to improved functionality and ease of use. New capabilities include user-driven opt-in advertising, sponsored categories and preferred placement.
“These upgrades greatly improve our mobile local search capabilities, giving users the information they need, wherever they need it most,” says GeoVector President, John Ellenby. “Users and advertisers can now connect based on the user’s interests, without the exchange of any personal information. Soon people will pick up any GeoVector capable mobile device and merely point it at something to access a wide variety of rich content. While a computer and mouse help you to surf the world wide web, GeoVector enables you to Surf the ‘Whole Wide World’ just by pointing your mobile phone."
The service was initially launched over the KDDI network in January 2006, and is now available for download with Sony Ericsson models W32S, W41S, W44S and W51S, the Kyocera W41K, the Casio W42CA, and, from July, the Sony Ericsson W52S.
“Mapion is always searching for pioneering technologies to improve our user experience" says Takehiko Murata, President of CyberMap Corp. GeoVector’s exciting technology allows us to bring users an experience available nowhere else in the world, giving us a significant advantage over our competitors.”