Location-Based Services To Revolutionise SMS Ads
Vodafone live! has teamed up with Thomson Directories to provide mobile phone users with information about amenities and services in their area, a move which is set to revolutionise SMS advertising.
The new location-based text message and WAP service will offer Vodafone users a variety of information on their local area by using satellite tracking technology. Mobile Commerce, a location-based service provider, will deliver a selection of nearby services for whatever consumers may need, from taxi firms to fast food restaurants, by searching an easy-to-use WAP directory.
Commenting on the initiative, Steve Page, CEO of Mobile Commerce, said: “Network providers need to offer added value to their service, and location-based services (LBS) is the ideal way to do it. Companies can tailor the information offered via either WAP or SMS to the individual customer, based not only on the customer’s personal preferences, but also the geographical position from which they send their request, instantly generating customer satisfaction and increasing brand loyalty.”
Mobile Commerce receives location data from the network in the form of map co-ordinates and translates this into a position relative to a nearby landmark, such as an underground station or local point of interest. The service includes an initial consent process to ensure that a user’s location information is only requested from the network in response to a valid service request.
Analysts have predicted that location-based services will revolutionise the mobile ad market and the Metro recently teamed up with Mobile Commerce to provide SMS services which help users find the nearest pubs and bars in London (see Metro Directs Readers To London’s Bars And Clubs).
However, the development of location-based advertising faces a major stumbling block in the form of privacy legislation which prevents mobile phone companies from sharing location information with advertisers.
Vodafone: www.vodafone.co.uk
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