MobilePeople, a local mobile search and advertising solution provider has announced the launch of its mobile map service known as liquid MAPs for directory publishers, directory enquiry and media companies.
This application is different from any other mobile maps currently available in the market as it utilizes Scaleable Vector Graphics (SVG) embedded in the Java environment. Liquid MAPs are made easily available for all the consumers as majority of the mobile phones runs on Java. This also provides faster and better defined maps for the users while traveling.
The maps offered by Google and Yahoo are data-rich maps (such as gif format) so it takes longer time to download on the handsets due to data traffic. While liquid MAPs are within the mobile phones with only meta-information (geometric descriptions) which takes 10 times less data traffic for each time the application is used.
Since the map information is already in the handset it covers a larger area than the users can see on the screen so while panning and zooming no additional information has to be downloaded from the server.
Liquid MAPs users can search results for businesses and people and can view them on a fully realised map. Other search options include address search, reverse number search, vicinity search and directions including walking and driving routes. Liquid MAPs also has enhanced user functionality, such as, a mobile user can fully interact with the maps and detailed information can be brought up on screen by clicking on objects such as roads, parks or buildings. In addition the text is scaled to fit the actual map view, so no more blurring of names when a user zooms in to a site of interest.
Jens Andersen, CEO and co-founder of mobilePeople stated: “Our SVG based mobile map solution is the most innovative mobile map technology for the mass market available today. The recent launch with Truvo in the Netherlands (formally World Directories) and further launches soon to be announced clearly mark a trend towards SVG maps. ”
He further continued, “Google and Yahoo maps are first generation mobile maps. Other vector based map solutions are limited to Symbian phones only. The fact that we integrate our maps in a Java environment means that our offering is truly mobile mass market. It has a high user appeal and integrated local advertising products. The opportunities for monetization for directory publishers are almost boundless.”
Advertisers can also benefit from this application as it embeds a sound icon on the audio advertisement and runs a jingle when the user scrolls over it.