Verizon Wireless to Offer Loopt Service

[admin_mvu]

Mar 28, 2008GPS World
U.S. wireless carrier Verizon Wireless announced today that social networking service Loopt will be available next month on certain Verizon Wireless phones.
It is the second major wireless carrier to offer Loopt; Verizon rival Sprint was the first to offer Loopt, along with Sprint subsidiary Boost Mobile.
"Loopt offers Verizon Wireless customers a fun, unique, and powerful way to connect with friends and share information," said Ryan Hughes, vice president of digital media programming for Verizon. "Loopt enhances the mobile experience by letting friends stay in touch with and informed of their friends' lives — wherever they go."
With the Loopt service, users can choose to automatically update the location of everyone in their private network of friends and display that information directly on a map on their phone. Loopt also connects friends with a journaling feature that allows users to share geotagged photos and comments, as well as send proximity-based messages to friends nearby, according to the company. The service can also send alerts when friends are nearby or if a friend has left a journal comment; it also integrates with a user's mobile address book and AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) Buddy List.
"Location is the redefining element of mobile communication and the consumer experience. Location interoperability and accessibility is the gateway that extends the reach, value, and power of mobile devices for all consumers," said Sam Altman, CEO and co-founder of Loopt. "In co-operation with Verizon Wireless, we are laying the foundation for mass consumer awareness and adoption of Loopt location-based services with a focus on user privacy and security."
Loopt is 100 percent permission-based and users share location information only with their known friends via private networks, according to the company. Users can turn location-sharing on or off at any time on a friend-by-friend basis or for all friends at once, the company said.
Verizon Wireless customers will be able to purchase Loopt beginning in April in the Tools on the Go and Featured Applications shopping aisle in the Get It Now virtual store, according to the wireless carrier. It will be available on more than 20 Get It Now-capable phones, and will cost $3.99 per month.