De La Plata takes stab at location-based service market
January 4, 2010
Information on-the-go
De La Plata Enterprises has rolled out its Near To Here iPhone travel application that uses location-based services to make content more relevant and personalized.
The application automatically alerts users when they are near interesting attractions or historical sites and delivers relevant information about the location. Using reverse geolocation look-up technology, Near To Here knows exactly where a user is located and what interesting stuff is around her.
“For traveling tourists and residents alike, there are often times hundreds of notable landmarks that they pass each and every day,” said Zak Tanjeloff, New York-based creator of the Near To Here application.
“They may know a little about each one, or maybe they don't even know that the building they pass everyday is, for example, a registered historic landmark, like the fire station on my corner,” he said. “This app not only alerts users as they pass these landmarks, but delivers detailed information about what they are passing by.
“In this way, users can easily learn about the city around them without necessity of a guide book or a planned route.”
Factoids via mobile
Well, what do you know ...
As a user passes by landmarks, she is alerted with the Wikipedia entry of whatever is near, allowing her to discover and learn as she wanders through new or old places.
This use of geolocation technology means that users can learn about places of interest they may recognize. But can also learn surprising facts about lesser-known places, such as hidden gems in foreign cities or historical sites in their own hometowns.
Users do not have to enter their city, country, or location—just simply turn the application on while wandering around a familiar city or touring a foreign location.
Unlike current iPhone travel guide applications which are city specific, Near To Here is able to deliver relevant content anywhere worldwide.
The iPhone application market is growing at exponential rates.
Since the 2007 launch of the smartphone, the Apple App Store has already surpassed 150,000 applications, making it extra difficult to ensure one’s applications are found.
Hear, hear
To market the new application, De La Plata used email, ran a press release and submitted the application to review sites and message boards.
The company also used Facebook and Twitter to publicize the application.
De La Plata wanted to concentrate its marketing efforts into a one- or two-day frame to bunch sales together to get onto the Top 100 list for more visibility.
The company was successful in this regard, having reached No. 23 on the Top 100 most downloaded applications.
“Our innovation was neither the creation of geo-tagged Wikipedia content nor simple GPS location,” Mr. Tanjeloff said. “What we did that was unique was layer the two together so that you could be relayed information and the present location.
“Geo-tag content seems to be the near-frontier in mobile, and we are excited to be part of and contribute to that community,” he said.