m-spatial Press Kit
What we do:
m-spatial is a leading local search company – enabling consumers to search for and share local information, not just on mobile, satnav or web as isolated experiences – but via all three channels seamlessly combined.
What we offer:
m-spatial’s solution, Local Search and Share™, offers a customisable turn-key web/mobile local search and share service for branding by m-spatial’s partners such as directory assistance providers, personal navigation providers, mobile operators and web-site owners.
This enables consumers to obtain rich and dynamic information about a wide range of businesses, drawn from a combination of m-spatial’s network of content partners and user generated content. It also enables consumers to share this information quickly and easily with friends and colleagues and to access it from the web, mobile phones and personal navigation systems.
m-spatial’s Local Search and Discovery Engine (LSDE)™ offers the ability for partners to embed m-spatial’s underlying local search and content aggregation capability into their own consumer facing web, mobile or satnav applications.
m-spatial’s Spacemark product allows brands to incorporate a co-branded mechanism into web-sites and voice-based 118/411 directory assistance services that allows consumers to ‘Spacemark’ places of interest they find using these services. Owners of mobile services and personal navigation services are also able to integrate ‘Spacemark inside’ into their products to provide consumers with ‘on the move’ access to their Spacemarks, and full access to mobile local search.
m-spatial’s services are generally monetised via highly contextual local advertising sourced from m-spatial’s network of advertising partners.
How it works:
m-spatial’s Local Search and Share provides a unique local search and discovery capability for use via:
- a mobile phone – via a WAP or Java based map-centric application
- a third party personal navigation system – via a simple integration mechanism
- a third party web-site – via a simple integration mechanism
Whatever the access channel, having found a business or amenity, the consumer is provided with a ‘rich experience of place’ – single click access to a range of ‘deep’ information relating to the place selected e.g. what’s on at a venue the user had identified, a photograph, a map of where it is and (optionally) turn by turn directions of how to get there.
m-spatial’s unique Spacemark mechanism allows mobile data service and personal navigation services to be linked with third party web-sites and voice directory services.
Places listed on a web-site can be ‘Spacemarked’ via a ‘send to mobile’ button and/or a Spacemark toolbar.
Places obtained from voice directory services can be ‘Spacemarked’ via a WAP link appended to the SMS sent in response to a 118/411 voice enquiry.
What makes us different:
m-spatial helps its partners make more money from local search by enabling them to precisely meet the needs of their consumer customers and offering advertisers unrivalled access to these consumers as highly qualified leads:
- By offering consumers quick and simple access to rich and dynamic local information that will satisfy their queries in a single hit than having to make multiple queries
- By uniquely supporting common consumer behaviour of using a combination of web, mobile and personal navigation systems to research local information and to act on it by visiting the businesses they have found – not as separate experiences, but as one coherent user journey
- By enabling consumers to quickly communicate and share the information they have found to friends and colleagues, by email, mobile messaging and social networking mechanisms
- By enabling partners to monetise the usage that is generated via the use of highly contextual and non-intrusive advertising – most importantly as part of a habitually used mobile experience offering access to consumers who are both in a well defined area and have an imminent intention to purchase
- By providing partners with the benefit of our in-depth experience in consumer needs and behaviour with respect to searching for and sharing local information
Our markets:
We seek to partner with leading brands with an established need to connect consumers to local businesses and information such as directory service providers, mobile operators, personal navigation providers and web-site owners. Whilst m-spatial’s services are designed to function globally, marketing and sales are currently focused on the UK and Western Europe.
Who we work with:
Current customers include Vodafone (in the UK and Germany), O2, Orange and Seat Pagine Gialle, the leading Italian Directory Provider.
Location:
Headquartered in Cambridge, UK
Founded:
June 2001, we currently employ 13 staff
Funding:
‘A’ round funding was secured in October 2002 from venture capital companies including Prelude, Alta-Berkeley and Delta Partners. There have been a number of funding rounds of undisclosed value since.
Website:
Key people:
Andy Walker, Founder, Marketing Director and CEO
Andy is CEO and is also responsible for all of m-spatial’s marketing activity Joining m-spatial at its inception, Andy draws on over a decade’s experience in the telecoms industry, including latterly senior marketing and operational positions at Vocalis – the speech recognition solutions provider. As Head of Product Marketing, he was a key player in the development of Vocalis’ worldwide relationship with Ericsson. As General Manager, he was responsible for the development and day-to-day operations of the Vocalis SpeechMail managed service. Andy spent 3 years at Logica prior to the management buyout which formed Vocalis in 1993.
Adrian Cuthbert, D. Phil, Founder, Technical Director
Adrian is responsible for leading the design and architectural development of m-spatial’s products. With over 15 years experience in the geographic information systems industry, he has held a number of senior level positions in specialist mapping systems providers. Prior to founding m-spatial, he was Director of Technology at Laser-Scan, where he played a key role in the development of the company’s product range including object life-cycle definition, data and topology modeling and portrayal.
Jon Billing, Founder, Product Development Director
Jon leads the development and delivery of m-spatial’s products. He has held a number of senior technical roles during his 13 years in the geographic information systems business. As Director of Development at Laser-Scan – the geographic information and mapping systems provider – he was responsible for all aspects of product development from design through to second line support, dealing with an international client base in markets including telecoms, utilities, defence and mapping agencies.
Rick Smith, Business Development Director
Rick is responsible for leading the sales and business development activities at m-spatial. With 15 years experience in the geospatial industry sector, he has spent recent years working with the Mobile Operators across Europe helping to develop the proposition for location-based value added services and delivering solutions to meet these requirements. Rick began his career in technical roles as a consultant and application developer with the leading GIS vendors, working in Europe, USA and Asia Pacific. He joined Xmarc in 1996 where he held senior positions in operational management and sales.
For further information please contact:
m-spatial contact: Andy Walker – Marketing Director and CEO
