Need directions to a restaurant? Movie listings? Stock quotes or just weather? Forget checking movie guides or the local radio.

Even Internet search sounds obsolete with the emergence of Short Messaging Services—information at your fingertips. Earlier it was UpSnap.com, then Google and now 4Info. Pankaj Shah, founder and CEO, 4Info speaks about the world of mobile search, and providing real time content and information through 4Info.

SMS has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years. In Europe and Asia, SMS crossed three billion messages per month and the U.S. is catching up fast; in March 2004, one million messages were sent per month, the numbers have increased to one billion messages per month in March 2005. According to IDC as many as 50 billion text messages will be sent this year, making it a $2 billion industry. Is this a sign of the ominous trend that rides over WAP?

Pankaj Shah, does not think so, but definitely knows SMS is finally gaining foothold in the U.S. “Mobile search is just picking in the U.S., the market is exploding,” he says. “And we have definitely emerged at least six months ahead of the market.”

While WAP requires initiating a web session, it is much slower, depends on the phone, their keys, signal strength, SMS is simple. With a special sauce of patent-pending intelligent technology, 4Info provides real time information to users through SMS mobile search.

“4Info allows wireless users to quickly and easily search for information from their mobile devices… 4Info delivers relevant information to users wherever they are,” says Shah.

“If you search for Starbucks in Palo Alto, the search will pull up four options in the area at different locations, and at the bottom the results will provide further options,” says Shah, emphasizing the interactivity of the system.

4Info mobile search provides text messages on sport scores, weather, flight information, movie times, stock quotes, local directory assistance all real-time information. The service works with all text enabled cell phone and service providers except Virgin Mobile.

4Info has tied up with many content providers like Amacai and FinancialContent to provide real-time information, adding an alternative to the pricey 411-directory call. Through Amacai and FinancialContent 4Info will leverage the most complete and comprehensive national database of stores, businesses and financial content,

Send a message to 4Info—44636 with a query to get the most current information. “Our directory is updated every six months to keep up-to-date with changes,” says Shah.
Prior to 4Info, Shah successfully launched MetroFi; a company that builds community area networks delivering multi-megabit consumer wireless Internet access. With 4Info Shah believes focus and execution will make all the difference.

4Info received funding within 3 months of launch in March 2005, the beta test was released in February 2005, and on March 19, 2005 the product was launched at the CTIA Wireless Show, in New Orleans. The $8 million in fund is led by U.S. Venture Partners with participation by Draper Fisher Jurvetson.

4Info will use the investment to accelerate the company’s growth, enhance product development and expand sales and marketing efforts.

Having received funding at a much faster pace
for 4Info when compared to MetroFi, Shah reveals no funding secret sauce here, he says, “Having the right set of 15 slides, which really helps say the story in a succinct manner and run it by people who have raised money before, and get their inputs.”

“All VC’s have their little checkboxes, to narrow down risks, market risk, technology risk, execution risk and financing risk; if you can knock off at least three of those risks you have a pretty decent shot of getting funded,” he adds.

He also warns about raising too much money, “If you have a hot company and hot market, you do not want to raise too much money, because that restricts your exit options,” he says.

With quick developments in the market and funding for 4Info, Shah feels there has not been many drastic changes at 4Info, “We have not changed but have evolved a lot,” he says. “Funding is an event and not an accomplishment, only when we create more value to our customers it is an accomplishment,” he adds.

While he refused to delve into what 4Info has in store for the rest of year, he added, “ We are working to add more value in content, make search faster and easier.”

Looking ahead, he earmarks hiring to play a key role in an organization. Drawing from his experience with MetroFi he says, “The biggest challenge is in hiring the right people at the right time and not compromising on staffing.”

“With 4Info we have been much more diligent about the hiring process, and work hard hiring the right people, that fit the company’s culture,” he says. “I don’t know if this is the right model, I look for three things in people: attitude, competence and the fit to match the company’s culture, it’s a people thing,” he adds.

With the dynamics of the market evolving, new technologies emerging everyday, it is easy for organizations to go off-track trying to keep up with the trend. Shah says, “People start companies to solve a problem, you have to stay true to the company till you fix the problem,” he says.

The SMS market is exploding in the U.S., new applications are launched everyday, the launch of 4Info has been very strategic and on time, but Shah says, “I don’t know if there is a right time to launch a company.” Shah attributes to having a right team that helps everything falls into place.

SMS may just be opening up in the U.S. but mobile search engines still have a long way to go. Voice on the go through 411 is much more easier and friendly to use than punching in queries. But with SMS being practically free, mobile search may just be here to stay.