Vicinity Corp. signed a deal to provide a
range of its within the brand new, WAP-based Lycos Anywhere service, the
newly launched wireless initiative from Lycos.
Lycos Anywhere will deliver location-based services using Vicinity’s
BrandFinder, as well as driving directions. BrandFinder and MapBlast! will be
available over multiple wireless formats, including WAP, Palm (PQA), SMS and
voice, enabling Lycos users to access location information and driving
directions regardless of the device they use.
Vicinity also announced that MapBlast! will be the provider of maps and
driving directions on the Lycos Travel destination.
Financial arrangements
were not disclosed.
Vicinity’s BrandFinder will enable Lycos users to access information, over
wireless devices or from their desktops, on millions of retailer, restaurant
and service provider locations in the United States. And Lycos Anywhere users
also will be able to use MapBlast! to obtain door-to-door driving directions
to any address in the U.S.
On the Lycos Travel destination, Lycos users will be able to get interactive
maps and driving directions from MapBlast! for the U.S. and 41 European
countries.
“Location-based services are a killer application for Lycos Anywhere, and are
an effective means to integrate content, search and e-commerce in the
wireless space,” said Jason Pavona, director of wireless strategy and
personalization for Lycos.
Vicinity’s clicks-and-mortar solutions, available in 14 countries and in 10
languages,
enable its 350 clients to direct consumers searching for a specific product
or service to the nearest brick-and-mortar store that carries that product or
service. Vicinity BrandFinder and MapBlast! also were recently selected by
Verizon Wireless to provide customers of its new Mobile Web service with
access to similar information.
