Satellite navigation for pedestrians

The MapWay ‘What’s Nearby’ local search service presents the user with a map of the local area, and allows them to rapidly ‘discover’ the business they need via a location-sensitive menu of relevant businesses and amenities.

Hugh Griffiths, Head of Data Products for O2 UK said; “There is proven demand for i-mode users to be able to search for information about businesses and amenities in both familiar and unfamiliar areas. We believe m-spatial’s ‘made for mobile’ approach to local search and maps and directions provides one of the best experiences available today and we are delighted to make the MapWay services available to our UK i-mode customers."

Andy Walker, m-spatial CEO said “i-mode users are consumers highly motivated to use their mobile phones for new tasks such as mobile local search. However, this need cannot be satisfied by the traditional internet ‘text box based’ approach to local search, or traditional static menu based ‘find my nearest’ services. MapWay services encompass the proven i-mode principles of quick and simple access to compelling information which is critical for the success of consumer facing services."

Placed in the ‘travel and information’ sections of the i-mode menu, the MapWay services offer ‘made for mobile’ maps and directions showing the location of any address in the UK, in addition to the ‘what’s nearby’ local search functionality. Users pay £1.99 per month to subscribe.

MapWay Local Search is a standalone application and content package underpinned by m-spatial’s powerful new Local Search and Discovery Engine (LSDE). www.m-spatial.com