Cellphones Emerge as Local-search Tool

The Seattle Times covers CTIA-related announcements from InfoSpace and Action Engine that focus on the mobile local search market. Julie Ask at Jupiter thought local search would become "a big opportunity for wireless companies, but not immediately." According to Jupiter surveys, "20 percent of consumers pay for information via 411, and even fewer, 7 percent, pay for local search." Ask said, "It is the time to get in and learn and cut your teeth. If you don't, you are going to be left behind."

M:Metrics also is finding that it's a small market. "Only 7.6 percent — or 13.8 million of the 181 million subscribers in the United States — accessed restaurant information in the three months ended in June. Slightly more, 15.8 million, connected to a Web search."