V-Enable Kicks Off Ad-Supported, Voice-Activated DA
By Wireless Week Staff - 4/3/2007
Wireless Week
V-Enable released its Mobile411 voice-activated directory assistance tool for local search.
The company is touting Mobile411 as a low-cost, high-revenue-generating service that carriers can implement immediately. Since the service is supported by advertising, carriers will collect revenues from advertisers instead of consumers.
Users can access business and residential listings, maps, directions and weather, among other things, in a visual format on their phones, and if they encounter difficulties, they can be rolled over to a live operator, says San Diego-based V-Enable.
"Mobile411 was designed to help carriers compete in the rapidly-changing DA industry," says Craig Hagopian, president and co-CEO of E-Enable. "Alternatives in the market are driving the cost of services down and carriers need a new way to monetize their 411 calls. Based on previous voice search deployments, we know that our industry-leading speed and accuracy is driving three times more searches, providing greater opportunities for local advertising."
Hagopian also points out that several U.S. carriers are set to launch the Mobile411 in the coming months. To date, mobile voice search applications powered by V-Enable technology are in use at Alltel, Leap Communications, U.S. Cellular and Verizon Wireless.
Mobile411's technology partners include carrier-grade data sources from LSSi , maps and directions from MapQuest, and local advertising from Superpages.com.
The application is available on a variety of platforms, including BREW, Java, Symbian and Windows Mobile, and works on more than 75% of handsets today, according to V-Enable.
Source:wirelessweek.com