May 12, 2004
Cell phone search takes on Net engines
More on issuebits.com, a new UK start-up, offering a search engine-style service to answer any question by text message.
"A new mobile phone service is challenging big Internet search engines by providing exact answers to any question, such as the number of steps of the Empire State building, the 1928 manager of British football club Chelsea, or which color hat to put on in the morning, reports the Associated Press.
The service, dubbed Any Question Answered (AQA), provides an unusual mix of computer-automated search and human research to come up with answers that cost one pound ($1.76) apiece.
The company's founders--three mobile software veterans who once managed British smart phone software maker Symbian--expect a hit.
AQA differs from Internet search engines such as Google in that customers get concise answers to queries, rather than a cascade of Web links. However AQA, which answers short questions sent via text message, is a paid service rather than free, as Internet search typically is.
In order to come up with answers that do not exceed the 160-character limit of short text messages, AQA relies on a few dozen human researchers. An initial computer-based search helps the researchers along, so they can limit their efforts to just a few minutes per question. This helps AQA make a profit from the 65 cents it keeps from each query, after giving 35 cents to the carrier.
Three major cellular carriers in the United Kingdom--Orange, Vodafone and O2--have introduced the service to subscribers in the last three weeks".
Related articles and services:
-- Re5ult - A UK SMS Ask Experts service consulted by the very popular "pub quiz" gamers.
-- Startup offers text message Q&A service - Colly Myers, founding CEO of Symbian, launches issuebits.com, a search engine-style service to answer any question by text message
-- Google to go - Mark Frauenfelder for TheFeature.com, reports on a a fee-based information service for mobile users in Australia called Mojo Knows.
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