16 September 2004

On the Beach and Want to Check your Email? Find your Nearest Hotspot with New Mobile Location-Based Directory

Multimap and Mobile Commerce launch location-based SMS ‘Storefinder’ service

Mobile Commerce and Multimap, Europe’s leading online mapping provider, today announced that they are partnering to deliver an innovative new mobile location-based SMS ‘Storefinder’ service. Mobile ‘Storefinder’ services, enabled by Mobile Commerce, are available to the 700-plus businesses with an online presence currently using Multimap’s mapping services. Storefinder operates across all four of the UK’s leading mobile networks so that Multimap’s clients can extend their relationship with customers into the mobile arena. The first customer to sign up for the new service is Totalhotspots.com, the popular online Wi-Fi hotspots directory, which uses the service to build on its already established online presence. The company uses a combination of web and mobile services in order to deliver the first pan-European Wi-Fi hotspot directory.

To find their nearest service via their mobile phones, users send a keyword, for example ‘hotspot,’ to a common short code number, 84140. Information relating to the nearest store, including the relevant address and telephone details, will be sent to the user. Companies will also be able to tailor the shortcode if they wish to differentiate themselves from other storefinder customers. The use of automated location removes the need for users to supply location information when using the service. Mobile Commerce has developed and will host the application, integrating location data from UK network operators, and content from Multimap’s clients.

Mobile Commerce receives location data from the network in the form of map co-ordinates and uses proprietary search and indexing technology to ensure the user receives the most relevant information to match their request.

"Our customers’ lives are becoming increasingly mobile and it is not always possible to use the internet while on the move. It is important to us that our services adapt to reflect changing lifestyles and remain highly accessible to our users," said Mike Housley, CEO, totalhotspots.com. "We are extremely excited about this new service offering as, no matter where they are, people have access to their mobile, and so, thanks to this new service, will always be able to find their nearest Wi-Fi hotspot, by simply sending a text. We have seen an impressive awareness and usage of our web site since we launched earlier this year, and we fully expect this success to be replicated in a mobile context as consumers become aware of the offering."

"We are pleased to be working with Mobile Commerce to offer our client base this immensely valuable marketing and sales tool. Our customers see brand loyalty and footfall to their outlets increase significantly following the implementation of Storefinder to their web sites. Multi-channel marketing is increasingly popular, and we expect this new, complementary service to be attractive to many of our customers," commented, Jeff Kelisky, CEO, Multimap.

"Location-based services allow brands like totalhotspots.com to provide services that their customers really value. At a time when traditional marketing and advertising schemes are making little impact in driving customer awareness, a service such as ‘Storefinder’ provides both big and small brands with a valuable avenue by which they can set themselves apart from the competition," commented Steve Page, CEO, Mobile Commerce.

About Multimap.com

Multimap.com is Europe’s leading provider of mapping and location-based services. The company delivers more online maps, point-to-point driving directions and geo-spatial ("where’s my nearest?") searches to more companies than any other supplier in Europe. All services are offered on WAP, PDA, kiosk, and interactive TV platforms and in multiple languages.

The public web site www.multimap.com provides a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of Europe, USA, Canada and Australia; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; weather forecasts; links to location information; and services such as hotel, restaurant and entertainment booking. The public site attracts over 7.3 million unique users, registers more than 140 million page impressions every month, and is one of the top 10 most visited web sites in the UK. Multimap recently came 27th in The Sunday Times’ Tech Track 100 league table of fastest-growing companies.

About Mobile Commerce

Mobile Commerce, founded in 1999, acts as a mobile content aggregator and distributor, enabling companies to deliver content to mobile users. This is possible through Mobile Commerce’s best of breed mobile content delivery platform.

Mobile Commerce is also the UK's leading provider of location-based services. Mobile Commerce works with content partners, brands and network operators to develop mobile services that are rich in content and, if relevant, location aware.

Mobile Commerce supplies mobile content and location-based products to the customers of leading wireless network operators/portals (including Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile online and Orange), brands, media owners, content owners and any organisation seeking to provide value-added information to their customers and employees.

Services are network and handset independent and can be accessed via voice, WAP, SMS, MMS & 3G. The company uses a range of tools to identify the caller's location and then employs extensive databases, sophisticated search mechanisms and state-of-the-art mapping technology to provide accurate and relevant information about services available in the caller's current or intended location.

Services are network and handset independent and can be accessed via voice, WAP, SMS, MMS & 3G. The company uses a range of tools to identify the caller's location and then employs extensive databases, sophisticated search mechanisms and state-of-the-art mapping technology to provide accurate and relevant information about services available in the caller's current or intended location.

Mobile Commerce’s products are ideal for those companies wishing to deliver products to the mobile market in a timely manner. Partners can either work with Mobile Commerce directly in order to develop tailored technology solutions or utilise Mobile Commerce’s application programming interface (API) in order to develop their own application.

About Totalhotspots

Totalhotspots.com is the first online Wi-Fi hotspots directory to offer an accurate, independent, listing of public places where people on the move can access the Internet throughout the whole of the UK and beyond. In addition, Total Hotspots provides a range of added value services for Wi-Fi service providers and Wi-Fi enabled retail chains. These include own branded Wi-Fi search tools and a range of Wi-Fi site promotional services designed to boost usage. For further information visit http://www.totalhotspots.com

Total Hotspots Ltd, 112 Warren House, Warwick Road, Kensington, London, W14 8TW, Tel: 020 7788 7810, Email: info@totalhotspots.com