uLocate - Top Wireless Company 2008: FierceWireless, Fierce 15

uLocate

Where it's located: Boston, MA
When it was founded: 2003
Website: www.ulocate.com

Why it's Fierce: While no one in the wireless industry would deny that the mobile location-based services sector is perhaps the most hyped of mobile services today, the value provided by location coupled with pertinent applications is undeniably going to change the way we use our mobile phones. The proud owner of www.where.com. uLocate, looks to be one start-up that will continue to innovate and shape the mobile LBS landscape. uLocate already has carrier deals with Boost Mobile, Helio, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, Alltel and MetroPCS as well as partnerships with Autodesk, Navteq, TeleAtlas, MapQuest and iDEN GPS company Trackem. Content providers like Eventful, EveryTrail, Zipcar, Twitter and Yelp have also inked deals with uLocate to mobilize and localize their offerings for the mobile phone. Recent wins for uLocate include a strategic partnership with Navteq as well as the acquisition of predictive web-based technologies company Zync, which provides users with recommendations for events and activities. The strategic deals, key partnerships and recent acquisition notwithstanding, uLocate has a developer program that allows application developers to leverage their GPS platform for the mobile phone. Did we mention they own www.where.com?

What to look for: Watch for uLocate to continue to leverage the BuddyBeacon brand, which it acquired rights to from Helio. We also expect it to ink deals with more carriers and additional application developers and ramp up the Where portfolio thanks to the company's developer contests and programs.