MSearchGroove

South African operator Vodacom is launching ‘The Grid,’ a social network service that will merge MySpace, Facebook and MXit with location to deliver a truly mobile social network on its own mobile platform. The idea is to location-enable all the usual networking facets – blogging, messaging and video uploads & downloads – and to fund it through advertising. Vodacom have been swift to embrace mobile advertising business models, recently launching its ‘On-The-Line’ mobile ad services to take advantage of the R1.5 billion forecast to be spent in South Africa by 2011.

The addition of location to the mix will certainly give them the edge in delivering highly targeted campaigns and will boost their activities in this area. (It also dovetails with the growing enthusiasm for the industry’s new algorithm for services success: mobile social networking + location = cash.) Indeed, location is THE key differentiator but it doesn’t always have to come from operators. Peggy has found some cool companies that fill this gap, providing mobile content companies and search providers location context – and more. Peggy adds: Skyhook Wireless is high on my radar and I’ll have an exclusive podcast with Ted Morgan, founder and CEO. His company’s technology allows service providers to add location to any Wi-Fi enabling device, harnessing hotspots to deliver location-aware navigation and location search - and that’s for starters.

• Posted in
• Location-based services, Web 2.0, Mobile Social Networking, Mobile Advertising, Local Search

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