Mobile search is clearly a hot topic, which is why I attended the session: Mobile Local Search: Finding the Way. The first panelist, Tom Limongello with Crisp Wireless, outlined the various ways consumers can engage in mobile local search applications.

One of the first options is SMS text messaging triggered by proximity. GPS functionality offers even greater power to target messages. Another option includes Web-enabled desktop to mobile interaction. Examples include cars.com, flight updates, etc. The next level is social networking (desktop to mobile) like SociaLight, WHML and Dodgeball. Challenges with mobile include: confined real estate on phones (simple, minimal, etc).

The next speaker, Ryan Sarver with Skyhook Wireless, outlined their latest technology that utilizes wi-fi (instead of GPS) for targeting. Manhattan has 2M wi-fi hot spots/access points. Compared to GPS and cellular, wi-fi targeting is accurate within 20 meters (vs. 1 meter and 5,000 meters respectively). Skyhook powers the iPhone “locate me” technology to help place the 4M subscribers on a map for location based services.

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