Russell Beattie Notebook - MSN Local: Send to Phone:


location based services

"Check this out� Mike Smuga posted some screenshots last night from Microsoft�s new MSN Local feature where you can send the search results to your mobile phone right from the Web page. It�s pretty much exactly like the Send to Phone feature Yahoo! launched a year or so ago. I took some screen grabs comparing the two� pretty similar if you ask me! I tried out the service and got a link on my phone via SMS, but it doesn�t seem to work on my Nokia N70. All I see is �MSN Mobile services are coming soon�,� yet the link works fine in my PC browser, which is odd.
It�s a decent implementation from what I�ve seen, but what I don�t understand is what Microsoft is doing still messing with MSN Local services. They�ve got a brand new Windows Live Local service up and running - which is a another clone, but of Google�s map stuff instead - yet they haven�t bothered to copy GOOG�s send-to-phone feature in the POI bubble yet. I really don�t get it. Why bother with MSN still - I thought Live was their strategy now? I wonder if this is just an odd transition phase or if it�s a sign of general BigCo disorganization? It�s hard to tell� MSN Mobile in particular right now is pure chaos� Spaces is awesome yet the rest just seems to be betas of new Live stuff and a bunch of random aging MSN services all sort off rolled up into a ball.
Regardless, those guys are moving fast with mobile in general - especially with Live.com - and getting faster. I think this send to phone stuff is definitely a good reminder to everyone in the mobile industry: It�s best not to turn your back on the Borg.
-Russ"