82ASK and Mulitmap team to send maps to mobile
Rating: not reaching potential
82ASK and Mulitmap teamed up at the end of March, but we didn’t get around to testing the service until today; hence the delay.
82ASK is a mobile find company that answers queries and questions for via SMS for GBP 1. Multimap is an Internet mapping provider. Together with 2Ergo, 82ASK will offer a new service where maps will be sent to customers if necessary or relevant with the query.
This morning I sent the message: Map of Ealing Broadway to 82ASK (82275). It took exactly six minutes to get a response and I was sent a WAP link of Ealing Broadway which cost GBP 0.50. I presume this is on top of the original charge of GBP 1 for using the service.
Was it good?
On the whole waiting 5-6 minutes for a map is not bad. The map itself wasn’t brilliant and there was a huge 82ASK banner on the top of it. The Zoom In and Zoom Out functions were simple enough but the map is static and the picture zooms in; the user does not get any more information.
Expensive?
I suppose paying GBP 1 for asking for a map and then GBP 0.50 for viewing the map is a bit steep. But in cases of emergency or for fun nights out and occasions getting a map such as this might be a life saver. Indeed, maps are usually only pushed to customers when relevant with the question asked and my query didn’t contain a question.
Time Bomb?
What I can’t help feeling is that something is missing from the whole 82ASK service. In reality, 82ASK is an ideal vertical mobile search of find solution. Adding maps to the offer is a nice value add; but still something is missing. The mobile search analyst in me can see 82ASK integrated into a social networking site. Not solely like Yahoo!’s Answers but more like a student freak or trash knowledge exchange. The potential of having a knowledge database of answers merely connected via SMS and mapping is a waste.
In order to enhance the business model, we feel that 82ASK should be approaching community gateways and should start teaming up with solutions providers such as MCN-inc to create a portal of knowledge.
Mapping is an interesting add on; but social networking and recommendation are the future and when asking about books or services consumers and users also have opinions that should be shared. We for see the future of mobile answers companies as similar to that of Yahoo’s Flickr. Its not only about the picture it is about the whole gambit of who knows what and what people can do with information or images.
Related News:
Leave a Comment