Ampd Mobile and Medio launch next generation mobile search functionality
Rating: the full set
Medio Systems and Amp’d have partnered to launch a new search application designed to be user-friendly. The search engine will have what has been described as an “effortless user interface with recommendation engines and personalisation technologies”. It has been designed for speed and results within two-clicks.
From the press release:“Traditional search functionality in the mobile industry proves frustrating to most cell phone users because it can be clunky and slow, and then not even deliver helpful results,” said Mike McSherry, senior vice president of emerging technologies for Amp’d Mobile. “With more than a million pieces of content available to Amp’d subscribers, these newly enhanced search capabilities, courtesy of our partnership with Medio, will greatly improve user access to the entire spectrum of our content.”
“We’re confident this will be among the world’s best mobile search applications when it launches this spring, and believe Amp’d and Medio are setting the standard in providing a high quality mobile search experience for consumers,” said Michael Libes, chief architect and co-founder of Medio Systems. “Furthermore, we look forward to maturing this partnership by integrating our mobile search advertising platform with the now deployed search application, enabling advertisers to reach qualified audiences on the mobile phone.”
What we think
This mobile search introduces Dynamic Indexing. It will ensure that the search query starts the minute the user starts typing. Content is indexed by relevance and can be personalised to users’ needs through analysis of usage patterns. This means that music fans with preferences or a search history will get relevant information first. Fans of Marilyn Manson will not be offered Beethoven, even if they start the mobile search query with a B. The search is dynamic enough to predict what the user wants so the right results are found by the second letter of the query input.
Bena Roberts, founder of BKI Media and editor or GoMo News spoke to Medio Systems about the dynamics of the mobile search solution in December 2006. Medio Systems is setting itself apart in the white label mobile search market by focusing on the technology. Technically it claims to have the edge because of its data mining and technical expertise. This focus on relevance and personalisation is essential today. But tomorrow search will also be about recommendation.
It’s easy to dismiss recommendation as “failed search” – users tend to find recommendation engines when the mobile search doesn’t work – but this is not true. Recommendation is a driver of mobile search because it helps make the purchasing decision or keep the user engaged. This improved mobile search service from Medio for Amp’d has it all.
Luckily, Amp’d also has a subscriber base that enjoys mobile data. The Amp’d user pays USD 30 per month in content and data with 60% exclusively for content purchases. This is considerably higher than the industry average which is USD 6.80 for data with only 25% of that driven by content sales.
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