• by Phil Leggiere , November 28, 2006

Mobile devices have plenty of users and an increasing array of content to keep them informed and entertained. What they’ve lacked thus far, however, is a simple made-for-mobile search interface to help scale the amount of searchable mobile content that could help unlock ad inventory opportunities.

Enter Palo Alto, Calif.-based mobile search firm 4Info. The firm’s mobile Open Platform, designed for content producers of all kinds, allows mobile publishers and marketers, large and small, to automatically designate their content as searchable via either 4Info’s SMS or the mobile Web search browser.

Content providers select unique keywords for specific information. This information is then delivered to 4Info via mobile browser or as a text message whenever a cell phone user searches for information related to that keyword. The designated short code is an abbreviated phone number used for information services. The company plans to use the platform to develop keyword-related advertising for the mobile space. Mobile content partners so far include NASCAR, TV Guide, the NFL, and Gannett Publishing.