Nokia Search

Mobile Search Starts to Come of Age

When the Who first sang about “going mobile,” no one had ever heard of mobile search. Tiny wireless phones that also played music and video probably seemed like the stuff of science fiction back then. And who could have imagined accessing the Internet through that phone, since only a few scholars and military researchers of the time had even conceived of such a far-flung computer system. Today, however, cell phones and “going mobile” are a part of life, with so-called smart, multi-use “Swiss Army phones” quickly gaining popularity.

Fueling the growth of the mobile world and the practicality of mobile search are changes in technology. Wireless carriers and handset manufacturers are rolling out a third generation of wireless technology—3G—that can more quickly transmit larger volumes of data. With the mobile experience increasingly imitating the capabilities of the home computer, more people want to enter this wireless world. A report from IDC, a leading research company, said an estimated one billion cell phones were sold worldwide in 2006, and about three billion people globally will have cellular service by the end of 2007. [this second fact was not from same source; if you need a source for that too, we could say “And 3G Americas, a wireless trade group, predicts about three billion…”

So the growth in wireless goes on, an expanding mobile universe following the cellular Big Bang. With wireless phones becoming mini-pc’s, more users have access to the Internet’s most useful tools, search engines. A mobile search through a wireless phone gives you information on the fly. Say you’re driving to visit a friend out of state. On the way, you get a hankering for pizza. You could drive around trying to find a pizza place. Or you could pull over somewhere and search for a phone book (good luck). Easiest of all is whipping out your cell phone.

Our hypothetical mobile quest for pizza could unfold in several ways. The basic form of mobile search uses SMS (Short Message Service), or what most of us call text messaging. Google and Yahoo led the way with this simple form of searching on the go. Enter the SMS number for either of these search engines. Enter “pizza” and the Zip code, if you know it, though a town name will do. One or two results quickly pop up, and Google can also provide text-based driving directions.

You can get a more sophisticated search experience with mobile search engines, which can access the Internet through your phone. Once again, Google and Yahoo are major players in this arena, while JumpTap and 4Info markets theirs own mobile search engine to wireless carriers. Nokia also has a presence in mobile search, offering software that downloads to its phones and interfaces with other networks to provide search content. In the United States, its partners are Yahoo and Windows Live Search, Microsoft’s entry in the field.

A mobile search with these engines can take several forms. You can search images, do a local search—an e-Yellow Pages—or search the Web. Some companies are creating special mobile version of their pages tailored to fit the medium’s unique requirements. Slower downloading times, compared to broadband, and tiny screen sizes put the emphasis on short, simple messages, not elaborate text and graphics.

Now, back to our pizza. With the mobile search engines, using the local search option makes the most sense. Again, enter “pizza” and your locale. With the results, you’ll be able to call directly to place an order, and Yahoo also gives you a map option. Your search for pizza is complete.

Mobile searches, the experts say, make sense when users quickly need information tied to a particular place—a pizza parlor—or time. Accessing a mobile site is a great way to find out all the batters who have 500 career home runs and win that bar bet. On a more serious level, a mobile search can also tell you if the friend you’re picking up at the airport has arrived on time.

The typical wireless user is probably still not a mobile search user, either because of cost, lack of proper technology or lack of understanding how to use the options out there. In 2006, a survey by technology research firm the Yankee Group found just 18 percent of U.S. wireless users had tried a mobile search. And ring tones and games, not content, are still the most popular mobile search topics. But the spread of 3G technology and more sites tailored to wireless searching should significantly boost the number of mobile searchers in the years to come.