Previous Story: CES : Vonage to offer wireless phones
Next Story: Real expands online music partnership with Comcast

MapQuest offers to navigate mobile users
By Scarlet Pruitt

U.S. mobile phone users might not have to stop and ask for directions as often thanks to a new service from MapQuest.com Inc. that sends color maps and directions to their phones.

The navigation-focused Internet company, owned by America Online Inc. (AOL), unveiled the "Send to Phone" feature on Wednesday as part of its MapQuest Mobile service, priced at US$3.99 a month.

To access the feature, users visit MapQuest.com from a computer, request maps and directions and enter their mobile phone number. They can then retrieve the information through the MapQuest Mobile application on their cell phones. The MapQuest Mobile service is offered through a partnership with mobile phone application publisher Vindigo Inc., which leverages its relationships with wireless carriers, AOL said.

MapQuest.com, which claims over 33 million monthly users, said that it hopes to expand its reach by offering the new mobile feature.

A number of U.S. wireless operators have already signed up to offer Send to Phone, including Cingular Wireless LLC, AT&T Wireless Services Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., Sprint Corp. and ALLTEL Corp., according to an AOL representative.

In addition to subscribing to MapQuest Mobile, users must also be signed up for a data plan with their wireless carrier.

The service is the latest in a slew of mobile data offerings being offered by carriers to help ratchet up revenue, such as image and music downloads.

Posted January 6, 2005 01:40 AM |