Aloqa mobile search

Aloqa is a new mobile search company that will go live at MobileBeat tomorrow with a funding announcement.  In short: Sanjeev Agrawal (former Head of Google Product Marketing) is the new CEO.

More details?

Only that Aloqa is a context-aware application.

Which means?

It means that it can replace the need for typing queries by pushing out results or recommendations.  Location is accounted for and results are already on the home screen so users don’t have to actively look for answers.

What we think?

Its a shame I am not at MobileBeat when the company launches tomorrow. The service sounds uber interesting and might re-ignite mobile search.

But without putting a downer on the service, we have seen great mobile search apps and services come and go. Uptake of mobile search just hasn’t happened and it’s hindering the whole market. This local solution sounds great, and from the screenshots I have seen it looks sexy. But will it get regular users? That is, or will be, the difficult part. There is great demand for mobile email. People want it. But mobile search is still seen as driven by need.  Educating users to see mobile search as more than just “an essential service in an emergency” is the next part – but until apps and data have virtually zero cost, that will not happen.

My excitement is watered down with a reality check that mobile search isn’t the cash cow initially anticipated.