New WLAN service feeds location data to mobile devices

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NTT Communications Corp on Wednesday launched a free push-type service that feeds information about nearby places of interest to iPod touch and iPhone 3G owners when they use HOTSPOT, NTT Com’s monthly flat-rate service for wireless local area network (WLAN) access in Japan. NTT Com operates more than 4,000 HOTSPOT locations nationwide.

The new service, named Cocotan! (from Japanese koko “here” and tan “search”), automatically provides a list of recommended restaurants, tourism spots , etc, when a user visits a HOTSPOT access point. Recommendations, far from being random, are carefully selected based on computer-based analysis of consumer-generated content, including blogs and web reviews. The user simply clicks on an item of interest to view details.

The information is provided with the cooperation of i.JTB Corp and NTT Resonant Inc.

Cocotan! identifies the user’s current location based on the WLAN access point they have logged into.

Owners of the iPodR touch and iPhone 3G are expected to use Cocotan! as a practical means of quickly and easily learning about nearby places of interest via HOTSPOT access points located conveniently throughout the country. The service is provided in Japanese only.

The application, which is available for free download on Apple’s online App Store, was co-developed by NTT Com and Koozyt, Inc.

Cocotan! also allows the user to collect a visitor stamp in a virtual travel log when they use a HOTSPOT access point. In addition to providing the user with a stamp-based travel record, a Japanese tradition, proprietors can organize loyalty programs and other user benefits based on the virtual stamps.

The Cocotan! service is available to individuals subscribing to HOTSPOT, OPEN Plan or Open Plan Light, as well as people using temporary HOTSPOT login IDs won during an i.JTB Corp campaign between Feb 17 and March 3.

As a special introductory campaign, 100 users who collect stamps from 5 HOTSPOT access points through March 22 and then answer a survey will be randomly selected to each receive a 5,000 yen travel coupon from JTB Corporation.