W@P Awards showcase best wireless applications
There were over 150 nominations in three categories representing currently available consumer and business applications, including games and entertainment, city guides,accommodation and activity searches, maps and navigation tools, as well as a wireless application for the transport industry.
"Content is what drives people to use technology," said Scott Goldman, CEO of the WAP Forum. "Now, with over 10,000 WAP applications available from 95 different countries, there is a vast selection of content for WAP users to choose from."
Winners include Scandinavia-based Aspiro's Fleet Manager for Best Use of WAP in a Business Application. Aspiro's wireless transport management system allows managers to communicate instantly with drivers, using a WAP-enabled phone in order to share customer data, billing details, collection addresses and other information while the driver is on the road.
European-based Distractions Mobile Entertainment Portal, a B2B creator of live mobile entertainment, received an award for Best Use of WAP in a Consumer Application. Distractions offers entertainment products and services, including DistractionsLive. Designed for fans of music, sports, fashion and current affairs, DistractionsLive content is linked to a mobile, points-based loyalty scheme.
Sonera's Pointer Guide was selected for the Service Provider's Award. Its application utilising positioning technology can be used to locate accommodation, local activities, current events, maps, city guides via a WAP-enabled mobile phone. A key feature of the service is that it will work with current and future GSM phones.
The winner of the CEO's Award for Innovation in WAP was France-based Webraska Mobile Technologies. It provides a location-based navigation and traffic information service, giving users a choice of routes, modes of transport, estimated journey times and other related services.
Honourable mentions also went to finalists DHL Worldwide Express and PhoneOnline for business applications, Intrinsic Technology and NextBus for consumer applications, Nocom and Webraska for the service provider award, and Cellmania and Foodstreet.com for the CEO award.
More information about the W@P Awards and the winners can be found on the WAP Forum website.
The W@P Awards programme, intended to promote the use of WAP globally, was jointly hosted by IBC Global Conferences, Ltd and the WAP Forum.