Sprint Nextel Introduces GPS-Based Local Search Service

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Sprint Nextel Introduces GPS-Based Local Search Service

7:00 am on March 28, 2006 | Category: Telecom Services, Mobile Devices

Sprint Nextel announced yesterday that it plans to offer a new local directory service for mobile phones that provides users with information like driving directions and movie times.

The new “Find It” service combines GPS technology with directory information from InfoSpace, allowing users to pinpoint nearby businesses and locations without needing to know an address or zip code. It will be offered at a cost of $2.99 per month.

Although all US carriers are required to embed global positioning functionality in their phones for emergency purposes, most have had trouble with mainstream commercialization of the technology. Many analysts have an optimistic view of this new local directory service, due to its low cost, mainstream appeal, and availability to about 70% of Sprint Nextel’s subscribers.

“For most mainstream consumers I don’t think they’ve had the option to have an application like this before,” says M:Metrics analyst, Mark Donovan, citing the fact that location services are a lot more convenient and easy-to-use when combined with GPS locating technology.

The analyst believes that this service is more useful than free offerings like Google Local, as this one is designed specifically for mobile phones, and is thus easier to use.

“What’s very elegant about what they’ve done is they’ve made it possible for me to search a wide range of information using just my thumb and a single button on the phone,” commented Donovan, noting that when a user searches for the closest movie theater, details about nearby restaurants and ATMs are also shown.

As for additional sources of revenue, Sprint Nextel and InfoSpace have both expressed interest in the possibility of launching a mobile advertising program. Although businesses, would not be charged for a basic listing in the InfoSpace directory, it is possible that special feature ads could be sold specially on the mobile service.

If the “Find It” service becomes popular among Sprint Nextel customers, there is a good chance it will be extended to other wireless networks in the future. The deal between InfoSpace and Sprint is non-exclusive, and InfoSpace has reportedly started talks with a number of other carriers for possible extension of the new service.