AT&T's Yellowpages.com Introduces Mobile Search Products

Yellowpages.com this week rolled out several new mobile products, including a Web-based application for Apple's iPhone and a free downloadable app for other types of cell phones.

Yellowpages.com, which operates as a subsidiary of telecom carrier AT&T, introduced new applications as part of two recent initiatives to make it easier for people to conduct mobile searches.

"More and more, consumers expect to access our comprehensive database of local businesses whenever and wherever they choose. Yellowpages.com's new mobile features represent another choice we're providing to make it as easy as possible for people to connect to their world," said Charles Stubbs, president and CEO of Yellowpages.com, in an e-mail.

The first application is designed for iPhone and iPod Touch users, since it's Web-based and can be accessed on the devices' Safari Web browsers. Users can find local businesses and services by going to www.yellowpages.com, as well as access other information like user ratings, maps, and driving directions.

Apple's capabilities in the iPhone and the iPod Touch allow users to tap on any phone number in a directory and dial it automatically. The Yellowpages.com application has been optimized for the devices' touch-screen and keyboard interface. Additionally, pages on the screen can be viewed both vertically and horizontally.

In order to access the application on the iPod Touch, users need to be connected to the Internet through a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The second offering is a free, downloadable application that's compatible with 20 AT&T cell phone models. The application serves up listings for local restaurants, ATMs, gas stations, and airports, which can be saved as "favorites" for future use. It also comes with the auto-complete feature for faster searches. The feature remembers previously searched terms and fills them in automatically in the search field. Users with GPS-enabled cell phones can map a location and get driving directions.

Other mobile applications recently launched by Yellowpages.com include YP411 for receiving up to three local listings via text messages, Send to Mobile for sending search results from a desktop to a cell phone, and a WAP browser application optimized specifically for cell phones.