www.multiplied.com/Poynt - Local Search Via IM

The Canadian based Poynt brings you local search via AIM and Live Messenger. You’ll be able to see business locations and listings on a map right in your IM window. To get started, first add Poynt to you contact list. Poynt will then prompt you enter location details—address, zipcode, city, etc. There are some basic commands you’ll need to get acquainted with to pinpoint your location. Type in ‘set location to’ or ‘sl’ plus your location. From there you can choose to search using the Yellow Pages, if you’re Canadian or SuperPages if you’re in the US. There are QuickCodes to help you navigate through the options. Type in the name of a business, movie or store location and a map will pop up either in the IM window or in a separate browser.

“Poynt, a multimedia, local search service, is Multiplied Media's flagship service. Today, Poynt is available on the Microsoft® Windows Live™ Messenger platform and on AOL's AIM® platform in Canada and the United States.
Poynt is powered by Yellowpages.ca™, Superpages.com® and Tribute Entertainment Group. The Poynt team is actively engaged in discussions with a number of partners who are anxious to deliver content across multiple channels. Please check the site regularly as new partners are announced to power the Poynt service.”

For heavy IM users this is a practical service. They won’t have to navigate away from there messaging client to find local information. There’s also a very viable mobile application here. Mobile users will be able find locations quickly and easily, especially with the help of GPS.

Is there really a need for a location browser in your IM client? It’s a bit counter-intuitive, as users are accustomed to using web browsers for any out of chat needs. Will users adapt to it?