In Search of the Right Direction, the Poynt App Finds its Way
Thinking outside the box has become the guiding philosophy for Multiplied Media, developer of the local search application Poynt. If you are a BlackBerry user, you are likely familiar with this handy local search tool and its amazingly well integrated device features. Poynt recently launched on the iPhone and Android this past summer and once again has demonstrated a comfortable – and compelling - user experience utilizing the distinctive technologies of the iPhone (gesture call and augmented reality) and Android (voice activation where available).
A Canadian company, based in Calgary, Alberta and listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V:MMC), Poynt’s first iteration was an Instant Message application for local search. In early 2008, after a year and a half of navigating rough waters in search of a better platform fit and a sound business model, Multiplied turned its focus to developing on the BlackBerry platform. A free App with a robust data base of listings powered by directories such as the Yellow Pages Group and Movietickets.com; GPS enabled for turn-by-turn mapping directions, customer driven suggestions implemented every step of the way; and a successful IPO. Poynt launched in June 2008.
In October of 2008, Poynt won the Blackberry Developers Challenge and its user base grew substantially from 7000 to 40,000 in just over two months. Early 2010 marked another pivotal moment for Poynt, as it won the GSMA’s Most Innovative Consumer Application Award. This industry recognition was the catalyst for Poynt’s launch into the European market. The company partnered with the premier directory listings such as Deutsch Telecom’s Suchen.de in Germany and Thomson Local in the UK.
Today Poynt has nearly 4 million users, over 20 million local searches are performed monthly, and the company is continuing to grow at a steady pace. Poynt covers North America, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Users can do more than search, they can find, and this is the cornerstone of local search according to Andrew Osis, CEO of Multiplied, who says that “the battle for a successful [search] app is won and lost with the user”, he continues with “if you are part of the device, you are part of that person’s life”.
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