From here I found that Google Labs started a new service called Goog-411. It’s a free telephone based information service that could replace toll 411 calls. About 2.6 billion 411 calls are made in the U.S. each year, and it is a $7 billion/year market. The project originally started in 2006. How Google describes its service:
“[…] we’re testing a free service called Google Voice Local Search. Using this service, you get fast access to the same local information you’d find on Google Maps. But you don’t need a computer, you don’t need an Internet connection, and you don’t even need to use your cell-phone keypad. It’s voice-activated, and you can access it from any phone, in any location, at any time.Here are a few of the features:
- You can find a business listing by category. Just say "pizza," for example.
- You can send the listing details to your mobile phone via SMS.
- The service is fully automated, so it doesn’t rely on human operators.”
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