|
Newsletters
|
|
|
|
|
Wireless Developer Network - Daily News
Visit the WirelessDevNet Symbian DevZone
Today's News |
Yesterday's News |
Submit News |
News-"wireless" Top Stories! |
Around-The-Web
| Wireless DevZones!
Vodafone Multimedia Selects MapInfo for Location-based Wireless Services
URL(s): www.mapinfo.com
TROY, N.Y., April 11, 2001--MapInfo Corporation (Nasdaq: MAPS) today announced
that Vodafone Multimedia, a subsidiary of Vodafone UK, has selected MapInfo's `best of breed' location-based
software and data for a new service they have developed for Vizzavi, Vodafone's consumer portal of choice. Vizzavi
Find & Seek enables WAP customers in England, Scotland and Wales to locate and identify a broad range of
information about restaurants, shops, banks and other retail services.
"Vizzavi Find & Seek is a prime example of using a customer's current location to provide value-added services in
order to strengthen relations with customers and accelerate profitability," said Mark Cattini, president and CEO,
MapInfo. "Customer expectation of content and delivery from mobile Internet products such as mobile phones and
PDAs is increasing and the key to success is to ensure that the functionality is relevant to the user while on the `go'.
MapInfo's proven expertise in delivering location-based solutions has been instrumental in helping Vodafone Multimedia
to develop this service."
Vivazzi Find & Seek is designed to help make subscribers' lives easier. Whether away visiting friends or travelling
with work, they will have access to a host of relevant local information wherever they are, simply and quickly.
The information is made available to users through partnerships with Blockbuster, BP, Barclays Bank, Comet,
Superdrug, Whitbread and Woolworths. Details on more things to see and do are provided by Scoot, the UK's leading
business directory with more than 2 million business listings. Scoot provides a host of additional local information
including museums, amusement parks, theaters, sports centers and local taxi services.
Cattini concludes, "With an explosion in the use of mobile technology delivering both voice and text messages,
location-based services are becoming essential customer services and therefore critical to attracting and retaining
customers and increasing operator profitability."
MapInfo recently introduced miAware(TM), a complete platform for the development and delivery of value-added
location-based services for mobile users. miAware offers a flexible and scalable XML environment for the creation of
customized, unique location services for the mobile Internet. miAware is comprised of MapInfo's core Internet
technologies including MapInfo(R) MapXtreme(R) Java(TM) Technology Edition, MapInfo(R) MapMarker J Server,
MapInfo(R) MapXtend(TM) and MapInfo(R) Routing J Server.
Vodafone Multimedia is well placed to take the lead in the multimedia arena. By developing workplace applications,
entertainment, video and information services as well as mobile commerce solutions, Vodafone will add value to
customer's mobile communications helping them to exploit the world of opportunities that will be available to them
through their mobile device.
Vodafone Multimedia is part of Vodafone UK Limited, the UK's most popular mobile phone network with more than
11.66 million customers. Vodafone Group Plc is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company, with interests
in 30 countries and more than 78.7 million customers worldwide.
Vizzavi is a personalized multi-access Internet portal for the European market formed through a joint venture between
Vodafone Group Plc and Vivendi Net SA (Vivendi Universal). As the default home page for Vodafone UK's
customers, Vizzavi provides customers with a wide range of services including email, address book and calendar,
together with news, sport, games and information channels which can be accessed across a range of different platforms.
Currently customers can access Vizzavi's services using a digital or WAP-enabled mobile handset and via a PC. In
the future, GPRS and 3G-enabled mobile devices and iTV (interactive TV) will also provide access to customer's
personalized Vizzavi service. Vizzavi is currently operating in the UK, France and the Netherlands and will expand to
other European markets in the near future.
MapInfo Corporation enables customers to use location to transform information into business advantage. A global
company and technology leader, MapInfo provides business intelligence solutions that are deployed across organizations
to help them better understand their markets and customers. MapInfo solutions are available in 21 languages through a
network of strategic partners and distribution channels in 60 countries. Headquartered in Troy, NY, MapInfo
Corporation is on the World Wide Web at www.mapinfo.com.
|
|
|
|
