This just shows that phone manufacturers AND service providers want to provide useful consumer applications. I have been saying what a great service this and how much I use it.
You're witnessing the killer app for mobile marketing taking shape. Great job guys.
"For more info" is replaced by "4INFO".
From CommsDesign Nokia adds mobile search to cell phones
Nokia has added 4INFO Inc.’s mobile search service in the United States, the company said Tuesday. The service is free; 4INFO's revenue comes from advertising.
So Nokia will embed a free service application on their phones, in hopes of generating revenues from advertising? The 4INFO guys must have "painted" a pretty picture of how lucrative this will be.
Check out their site and set your own alerts
Customers with a Nokia handset can now download the application to query millions of U.S. local directory listings, real-time sports scores, player statistics, local weather forecasts, and detailed movie show times and reviews through 4INFO’s free plug-in.
"We have more than 15 million Yellow Page listings in the United States. The user puts in an area code to identify local listings, for example, and that is how we know what listings to send back," Thet explained.
There will be a 4INFO search/info box on the phone. Instead of sending a text message, just type keyword and go.
The Nokia Mobile Search Application is available for download for all Nokia Series 60 cellular phones and will come embedded on phones from carriers beginning in the first quarter of 2006.
Want to know how they create the killer app for mobile?
4INFO starts to sell keywords to advertisers that they can use in ANY for of advertising. The Absolut ad has "4INFFO Keyword ABSOLUT" at the bottom where just typing ABSOLUT into the search box takes you to wherever ABSOLUT wants you to go. Every magazine ad, TV commercial, billboard will now have a physical world hyperlink.
4INFO keywords will become physical world hyperlinks.
"But Scott, there are no barriers to entry with this". I know, there aren't any barriers to entry with search either. There's a company that offers info for consumers and ads for advertisers and they seem to be doing pretty good.
Say goodbye to SMS shortcodes when you have a "mobile info portal" on your phone.
Here's what I think happens.
4INFO starts to become the dominant player in mobile marketing, they start to generate a crapload of revenues by selling mobile keywords. Google realizes they are missing out on billions of future revenues and buys 4INFO out for $100-200m. Google adopts this "mobile keyword" concept and find ANOTHER way to keep advertisers coming back for more.
While other mobile marketing companies are offering free ringones, 4INFO has made it a point to offer INFO, not search. In doing so, they gained acceptance and now have Nokia and service providers at their door.
Great job guys, it's nice to see people and a company that "gets it" and can sell it too.
9 comments:
Be curious to see if Paperclick is added at the same time. My guess is yes
Your first paragraph says it all,
"PROVIDE USEFUL CONSUMER
APPLICATIONS"
I especially like the animation of two hands clapping.
To your NEOMITE posters, it seems NEOM is more interested in "PAINT"
than the consumer "killer" application. I can't help but wonder if they have heard the sound of "ONE HAND CLAPPING". I haven't. And,don't give me that "quite period" routine.
Nothing happens until somebody sells something. 4INFO has the marketing salesmanship. For that matter so does SCANBUY.
Your last two segments, "HOW TO CREATE A KILLER APP" and "WHAT I THINK", is a bell ringing wake up call. And NEOM only heards the "dings" not the "rings".
Rainbows are nothing more that "PAINTED PRISMS", there is no "pot of gold" and they do not have the staying power of USEFUL COMSUMER APPLICATIONS.
Keep up the "pithy" blogging.
"Say goodbye to SMS shortcodes when you have a "mobile info portal" on your phone."
IS THIS RIGHT? WHEN WILL ALL MOBILE PHONE USERS GET WIRELESS WEB ACCESS AND USE IT AS ALTERNATIVE TO PRE-EXISTING SMS?
Yes, short codes will be history.
They are good for now, until theres a main portal that can direct mobile users to the targeted path.
You dont go to Google for web, Flicker for images, and MSN for news.
If I was FOXTV wouldn't it be easier just to type FOXTV than remembering 36988?
Anonymous
I am guessing you dont beieve in Santa either. Must be a very black world out there thru your eyes.
Sorry for your loss
No disrespect to 4info team. Congrats on your gr8 work. But before letting this gentelman, jumping to all conclusion, (and I seriously can't leave the stuff) let me put some importnat things here.
Author said "Google realizes they are missing out on billions of future revenues and buys 4INFO out for $100-200m".
First and foremost, google can start selling map points any day, anytime, they can start selling, every activity through internet.
2) I need to do research in this, but infospace portal for Cingular, T-Mobile offers everything these guys offer. They are also free of cost and come default by carrier installation (not from phone company, as market is controlled by carrier and not phone company).
3) I am not sure how new Nokia search goes with carriers but even if they are able to put it there, do u know there are 6 search sites which Nokia currently employs. I will add 4 info in that list. So it get backs again to same factor, consumer getting bored and not using all the stuff. (e.g. how many times, u use differnt search box for your firefox plug in other than google.)Give me a simple search box and i will do whatever needed, be smart to sense it.
4) Why only 4info will make the money by selling keywords where there is more opportunity for medio or other partners to make that money (they come upper in order, i guess).
One of the points i missed is that 4info is international so is nokia search, so even if on international turf, they make some noise, the point of them being last option in order is making them far less appealing.
About your short code prediction, people still use sms here, and not that much IM or any other service which is related to mobile internet.
Plz make sensible predictions, u r doing great job with blog information, stop making such predictions.
Hey PP - great blog. What is your relationship with Neomedia? Do you own stock today? Are you paid for blogging? Do you just refer business their way?.
Hey last anonymous - what's your agenda here. Vangorilla did not mention Neom in his blog because I believe he is throwing out ideas and not endorsing individual stocks. When you cut right through this - are you short Neom? Is that what really bothers you. I see no justification for your questions since Neom was not mentioned directly (and if it is mentioned in a blog, it is rarely and with many other companies and competitors). Sending you back to Raging Bull. Poof.
You must have been worked hard on this info. Thanks for sharing with us.
Regards,
6tar Cellular
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