go2
go2 Why It's Fierce: Mobile directory service provider go2 is one of those rare survivors from the dot-com bust. When its VC money dried up in 2001, management bought the company out and kept it running in a keep-the-lights-on mode. Today, go2 has prominent placement on the decks of all major U.S. carriers for search services, and VCs are knocking on the company's door. Visits to go2's local search WAP mobile Web site increased 51 percent in 2005 to more than 24.2 million unique user sessions. The company's mobile Web sites, which include Yellow Pages, local search and other local information, delivered more than 210 million page views of local information, up 34 percent from 2004. go2 also served more than 50 million advertising impressions in 2005, many for marquee advertisers such as ABC, American Express and Progressive Insurance. What to look for: Look for go2 to make a big strategic alliance with a major online search engine. Look for the company to push the envelope on better local search technology, advertising capabilities and location-based search services based on GPS. |