Digital Concierge Press Release

Cellcity’s Digital Concierge 2Go® competes for the 2008 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge®

noreply@blogger.com (Dannie Francis) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:56:00 +0000

>Digital Concierge 2Go moves to the final round for the first NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region during CommunicAsia.

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This year marks the first NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region in the five-year history of the program and Cellcity’s Digital Concierge 2Go is one of the twelve semifinalists vying for the global prize pool valued at $4.5 million USD in cash and prizes including data licenses.

The NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is the premier industry event for the development and emergence of cutting-edge location-aware wireless applications. The awards ceremony will be held during CommunicAsia2008 in Singapore on 18 June.

Digital Concierge 2Go is a finalist in the Entertainment & Leisure Category. Finalists were selected based on applicability, design, functionality and solution overview. The round up of finalists include AtlasCT, FlyPaper, Inc, G Element Pte Ltd, Joikusoft Oy, Lonely Planet, Momentum Technologies Group, Orbster gmbh, Pacific DataVision, POINT-I Co., LTD, RoadGuard, Ltd and Surround Networks, Inc.

During CommunicAsia, Cellcity will also launch Digital Concierge 2Go with two versions which include a basic map version and a more advanced version featuring a highly efficient interactive mapping engine utilizing the world’s leader in mobile mapping, NAVTEQ.

More features are expected to be added in the next version including a host of location based services and social and business networking.

The Digital Concierge was based on Cellcity Pte Ltd's original concept to provide both Singaporeans and tourists their own personal concierge service built into their mobile phone/PDA, and has dramatically extends to what the company calls now a “more cool” implementation targeted at youth and young professionals who are more mobile savvy.

Digital Concierge is available in offline mode wherein user doesn’t have to pay GPRS charges to have access to the latest information. Singaporeans and tourists on the go can get maps, tourism information, recommendations on where to eat and shop, search by preferences, access mobile yellow pages, the latest entertainment listing, a weather forecast, the latest news, currency conversion, real time flight information, search by location, one click taxi call and much more.

Users can download DC2Go at www.digitalconcierge2Go.com.sg or from the mobi site at dcsg.mobi or sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link.

During the launch, users will be able to download by visiting www.digitalconcierge2go.com from your computer or from our WAP site dc2Go.mobi, sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link and from any of our Digital Concierge Kiosks located at key tourism information outlets and shopping centers around Singapore.

Merchants who want to run promotions should call Cellcity immediately to book their place or for Shopping centers, Buildings or Tourism Attractions wanting to install Digital Concierge Kiosks and run promotions should call Miles at 9365 6205 or email: sales@thecellcity.com.

Regional partners and content providers can contact dannie@thecellcity.com or nick@thecellcity.com.

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About the Cellcity

Cellcity is a visionary software company passionately focused on creating solutions for the mobile phone. We make dreams happen. Others call it the age of convergence. We call it fun. The mobile phone isn’t just about being smaller, cheaper, faster. It's about being smarter. The Cellcity: Mobility Unlimited. For more information go to www.cellcitycorp.com

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has more than 3,500 employees located in 174 offices and in 32 countries.

About CommunicAsia
CommunicAsia is a global event where the business of technology comes to life, showcasing the latest digital technologies across mobile networks and applications, network infrastructure and satellite communications.

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Digital Concierge 2Go® to take Singapore’s tourism industry mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Dannie Francis) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:39:00 +0000

>DC2Go to mobilize the marketing effort for Singapore’s Tourism, Hospitality and Retail Sectors.

Click here to read more of this article

Singapore tourism sets a record high of 10.3 million visitor arrivals in 2007. April of 2008 alone welcomed 826,000 visitors. With the tourist influx, local businesses in the tourism sector have a proverbial cash cow at their door – the aim of the Digital Concierge 2Go is to get the tourists knocking on that door and spending money.

Cellcity pioneered Digital Concierge 2Go, architecting it to provide an information service for tourists as well as a marketing platform for merchants to fuel the growth of the Tourism, Hospitality and Retail (THR) sectors in Singapore by putting their information in front of an expected 350,000 users by the end of 2008.

Dannie Francis, CEO at Cellcity explains, “A specific aim of the development of the Digital Concierge is to drive revenues to the merchants. And to do so, in a very affordable way, for as little as just $200 per month.”

“For merchants (restaurants, retail, hotels, tourism operators) who want to maximize their capability to get to get to the tourist, the Digital Concierge 2Go (DC2Go) is the ideal low cost marketing and advertising platform,” adds Francis.

The DC2Go is a mobile application, a website, a WAP site, and is also soon to be available inside hotel rooms. Anywhere the tourist will access information, DC2Go will be present.

The DC2Go is delivering ground-breaking ways to complement and raise competitiveness in the THR sectors. The DC2Go platform creates ways for local companies to innovatively service and market their offerings to customers.

For example, by enabling tourists to easily access its built-in dining, bars/ nightclubs, tourist attractions and shopping directories, the Digital Concierge provides an effective marketing channel for merchants to run promotions as well as the flexibility to change and adapt these promotions according to the season or preference of the merchant.

“We offer specific benefits for restaurants, bars, nightclubs, shops, hotels, car rentals, tourism attractions to get their presence in front of the tourist even before they arrive in Singapore.”

“And we are working hard to ensure we back that effort up by putting the Digital Concierge 2Go in front of every visitor at the airport and in every hotel room in Singapore,” said Francis.

DC2Go was originally a joint project by Infocomm Development Authority and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Its key programme, iN2015 set sights on making Singapore as the premier travel destination through the use of new technologies.
DC2Go ended its successful pilot run in April 2008. CellCity will launch DC2Go during CommunicAsia on June 18, unveiling its new Digital Concierge 2Go version 1.0.

With a roster of big events still to come this year such as Singapore International Water Week, the upcoming 2008 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, among others --- it’s certainly heyday for Singapore Tourism, and DC2Go is geared-up to deliver exactly what the THR sectors need.

Users can download DC2Go at www.digitalconcierge.com.sg or from the mobi site at dcsg.mobi or sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link.

During the launch, users will be able to download by visiting www.digitalconcierge2go.com from your computer or from our WAP site dc2Go.mobi, sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link and from any of our Digital Concierge Kiosks located at key tourism information outlets and shopping centers around Singapore.

Regional partners and content providers can contact dannie@thecellcity.com or nick@thecellcity.com.

End

About the Cellcity

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Digital Concierge 2Go® Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Dannie Francis) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:15:00 +0000

Lance Fischer, free lance journalist, travel writer and a self-confessed bungling tech geek, survives a day in the bustling city of Singapore. His weapon of choice is a simple application that runs in his mobile phone.

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Lance Fischer mastered Digital Concierge 2Go (or DC2Go) within 5 minutes. Instead of sending SMS, making calls or playing java games when he’s bored, he turns to his mobile phone which has been transformed into a personal city guide.

One major coolness factor of DC2Go is that it’s FREE which somehow rubbed off to Fischer leaving his “little boy lost” image behind as he becomes the cool dude with a smart phone.

His agenda was to get through a day without having to ask anyone for assistance, be referred to a map or a tourism guide, thus no other recourse but to rely solely on the DC2Go. He came to see the real Singapore. And in doing so, he has to go undercover.

He starts the challenge at a local hawker stall flicking through the DC2Go options. He found sections like Tourist, Dining, Shops, Transport, Events, Search, Bookmarks, News, Weather and Partners are top tier categories to delve into. There’s even SIA’s Boarding Pass Privileges programme built in.

He narrates, “I ask my DC2Go what to do? I click on the ‘Tourist’ icon giving me a host of information to choose from including ‘What to do’, ‘What to see’. I never thought of Singapore as a haven for prettily coloured flying bugs, which I have always been a little phobic about, so I head off for the Butterfly and Insect Park on Sentosa. The DC2Go gives me the address, how to get there, hours of operations, admission fee, touring rime, and most importantly a ‘click to call’ feature just in case I get lost along the way.”

He got there alright. He even had time to wonder about where to eat. Fischer relates, “Again the DC comes to my aid. I click on the ‘Food’ icon, then ‘Café’, then ‘Sentosa’ and viola, the DC tells me there’s 5 cafés and even gives me phone numbers and maps. I contemplated on how they got this wealth of information inside my phone, which only takes few seconds to download, but comes off as a mini encyclopedia.”

He states that The Butterfly Park is fantastic, and in the five years he last visited Singapore, everything on Sentosa is fantastic. He once again utilized his DC2Go on the best way to exit Sentosa. He was presented with options but chose Cable Car. He was assured of a clear sky by DC’s built-in weather forecast.

When he came back to the city proper, it’s already lunchtime. DC2Go comes to the rescue offering eight different types of food in 14 different locations.

Feeling multicultural and figuring it was time to challenge the DC2Go, Fischer selected “Indian” food in the location “Chinatown”. He ended up at Annalakshmi, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in the basement of Chinatown Point.

By the time he was ready to go back to his hotel, he encountered a roadblock in his journey. He can barely remember the name of the hotel, or the address. But at the click of a button, in the Bookmarks section is the address and a map of Fischer’s hotel. In fact this section can be personalized by the user. One can add favorite restaurants, shops, things to do, and places to go complete with addresses, contact numbers and maps.

Impressed, he quickly learned that the Number 12 bus will take him from Chinatown along New Bridge Road and back to his hotel.

“I am beginning to gather an air of self-confidence. This DC2Go experience is awesome. I am feeling totally undercover and almost expecting to get spoken to in Singlish, Mandarin, Hokkien or some other local dialect,” beams Fischer.

After a quick late afternoon rest, Fischer is off for dinner and plans to visit one of Singapore’s famous nightclubs.

Again, Fischer turns to his DC2Go. He says, “It recommends something called Thumper in Scotts Road and it’s exactly what I have in mind. I call a few local friends and we organize to meet at 10pm. Since I have plenty of time for an early dinner, I decided to shop along Orchard Road to find a tailor to get a couple of shirts made.”

“The DC2Go user interface (note: a geek word for “what it looks like”) leads me to where I want to go. At a glance I can see what to do. I click “Shopping”, “Tailors”, choose “Orchard” location. The result delivers several tailors to choose from, but I opt for Mohan’s and it’s in the Far East Shopping Centre right next to Thumper. I’ve saved myself from the dreaded shoppers’ feet and about two hours in lost time,” he adds.

He pretended to reply to an SMS when he was given the bill though he was using the DC2Go to convert the amount to Sterling Pound. Slick move for a tourist indeed! He ends up buying the shirts that proves to be a good deal.

Fischer recalls, “By the time I get to Thumper I am 30 minutes early and with some time on my hands decide to catch up on the news. The DC is my choice of media. I click on the News icon and with courtesy of MediaCorp I have local, regional and global news. And just for good measure I take the time to find out what Events are on in Singapore in the coming week.”

He later joined his friends at Thumper and raves how he became a smarter tourist in Singapore --- all thanks to the DC2GoÒ.

Fischer told his friends about the DC2GoÒ application. His friends were a bit skeptical. “When I tell them about the application they don’t believe me, so I ask for my friend’s address and before they can stop laughing at me, I type in the street name and up comes a map of his condo. Both are suitably impressed,” says Fischer.

He quips, “This clearly isn’t just a cool gadget for a tourist to Singapore. This just may be the next big thing. Having won the challenge, my thing is how I get it working for my city back home.”

Fischer made it through as a happy undercover at the end of the day. He came and he conquered Singapore with a big help from Digital Concierge 2Go.

The Digital Concierge 2Go service began with a pilot supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Cellcity Pte Ltd launches its Digital Concierge 2GoÒ mobile and web service at a major event scheduled for June in Singapore.

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About the Cellcity

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CellCity’s Digital Concierge 2Go® delivers easy access to Mobile Yellow Pages content

noreply@blogger.com (Dannie Francis) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:40:00 +0000

>Users can now easily access Yellow Pages from within the Digital Concierge application making search through mobile phone more convenient.

Click here to read more of this article

CellCity’s Digital Concierge 2Go, the world’s first free mobile entertainment, restaurant and shopping guide will be providing free access to Mobile Yellow Pages (MYP).

Both local Singaporeans and tourists will have the option to search using MYP by keyword and company name and at the same time providing options for users to utilize the online map, view product services, add what they find to the Digital Concierge’s bookmark section or simply call the establishment for free.

DC 2Go offers the most complete and up to date mobile search in the market with over 150,000 listings (Yellow Pages plus an additional 30,000 listings) with maps, and a free click to call service.

Other services offered by the DC 2Go include: free access to our recommended list of shops and restaurants that offer DC 2Go users up to 50 per cent off their purchases, in addition there is real time flight information for flights anywhere in the world, real time weather forecasts, real time currency exchange, plus latest list of entertainment, events and a host of information for tourists, what to see, what to do, etc.

By adding Mobile Yellow Pages to its content selection, Digital Concierge 2Go has become the fastest way users can instantly search online content - anytime, anywhere in Singapore.

Digital Concierge 2Go provides search and access information on city attractions, restaurants, bars, shops and with added ability to call and book restaurants right away. Importantly, the service is available in offline mode which means the user does not incur GPRS charges unless he opts to go online.

DC users will be able to access the service via simple free download www.digitalconcierge.com.sg or from the mobi site at dcsg.mobi or simply sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link.

Cellcity will officially launch the Digital Concierge 2Go in June during CommunicAsia. During the launch, users will be able to download by visiting www.digitalconcierge2go.com from your computer or from our WAP site dc2Go.mobi, sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link and from any of our Digital Concierge Kiosks located at key tourism information outlets and shopping centers around Singapore.

Merchants who want to run promotions should call Cellcity immediately to book their place or Shopping centers, Buildings or Tourism Attractions wanting to install Digital Concierge Kiosks and run promotions should call Miles at 9365 6205 or email: sales@thecellcity.com.

Regional partners and content providers can contact dannie@thecellcity.com or nick@thecellcity.com.

End

About the Cellcity

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Get Your Digital Discounts here

noreply@blogger.com (Patricia Servano) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 09:12:00 +0000

New service gives users discounts at hundreds of stores and restaurants, bars ad nightclubs.

Merchants draw in the crowds with innovative discount-based promotions.

Click here to read more of this article

A new service available in Singapore is offering discounts at hundreds of nightspots, restaurants and even shopping outlets.

Called Digital Concierge 2Go (or DC2Go), the service acts as its name implies, a kind of concierge that offers the latest information either direct on your mobile phone or from its associated website or WAP site.

A key benefit for the user is that apart from being free, the Digital Concierge 2Go comes packed with discounts so you get big savings when you go shopping or dining. Additionally, the Digital Concierge is available in offline mode, meaning the user doesn’t have to pay GPRS charges to have access to the latest information.

And Singapore merchants are fast jumping on the bandwagon with over 50 new merchants joining every month in an effort to fast track their way to a piece of Singapore’s booming tourist industry and especially the local discount conscious Singaporean.

The Digital Concierge 2Go is simple to use. It has built in coupons that users can show to get instant discounts at participating outlets whether they are shopping, dining or visiting key attractions in Singapore. Users just need to show the built in coupons from their mobile phone.

Local Singapore company, Cellcity, pioneered Digital Concierge making it the world’s first free mobile entertainment, restaurant and shopping guide.

Apart from the discounts and directories of the hottest restaurants, pubs and nightclubs, the Digital Concierge also offers, a street directory, maps, click to call taxi booking, weather forecasting, real time flight information, a what’s on guide and plenty of hints for tourists such as what to see and what to do.

According to Dannie Francis, CEO at Cellcity, “The Digital Concierge helps users save up to 50% when they dine or shop. Both Singaporeans and visitors can easily benefit. And merchants can too, because it doesn’t take more than attracting four or five people to your restaurant to pay for a monthly ad.”
A number of F & B establishments, retailers, and various partner have already signed with the Digital Concierge offering users some of the best bargains in town.

Some of the top names in Singapore are already participating in the Digital Concierge such as Sentosa, Singapore Zoo, Jurong Bird Park, Great Singapore Sale, Epicenter (authorized reseller of Apple), Song Brothers, Sprint-Cass, Dufry Singapore, The Watch shop, Mohan’s Custom Tailor, and a host of bars such as Insomnia, Equinox, Barrio Chino and restaurants such as Cugini’s, Breeks Cafe, Fresh Bulgoggi, Delhi, Chat Masala, Seoul Garden, Mooi Chin, Beishanchuan, Jia Wei and many more.

Francis added that users of the Digital Concierge would also qualify for many of the daily, weekly and monthly prizes on offer. Current prizes available for people who download the application range from tickets to Singapore Flyer, to an iPod Touch and a travel package worth up to $2,500 SGD.

By enabling users an easy access to the built-in mobile food and shopping directories, the Digital Concierge creates an effective marketing channel for advertisers to run their promotions. The Digital Concierge also provides merchants the ability to run specific/seasonal promotions.Ads running in the Digital Concierge also gives merchants a fast way to recoup the low costs of advertising by helping to reach out to a growing mobile audience base and giving customers fast access to can ‘click to call’ to book a table or make an appointment.

You’re in for a deluge of discounts by downloading DC2Go at www.digitalconcierge.com.sg or from the mobi site at dcsg.mobi or sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link.

Regional partners and content providers can contact dannie@thecellcity.com or nick@thecellcity.com.

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About the Cellcity

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State-of-the-art concierge service to hit mobile users in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Dannie Francis) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 03:14:00 +0000

>Digital Concierge 2Go service is set to hit the market in June. Local developer ready to go global.

Singapore will be the first country in the world to get a taste of a true digital concierge service when Cellcity Pte Ltd launches its Digital Concierge 2Go mobile and web service at a major event scheduled for June in Singapore.

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Dannie Francis, CEO at the Cellcity said its entire Digital Concierge service, which includes a mobile application version, a website and a WAP version, will be free to all users in Singapore.

Additionally, the company said that by the release date the Digital Concierge 2Go (or DC2GoÒ) would contain hundreds of discount vouchers that users can redeem as many times as they like. Vouchers are available at selected retail stores, restaurants, pubs, nightclubs and tourism outlets.

To redeem your discount, simply show the vouchers available from inside the phone when visiting a participating outlet and get your instant discount.

“What’s more the DC on the phone is primarily an offline client meaning users would not incur the normal data charges when accessing information. Any need to go online is for minimal updates or online searches which have been designed to be very small packets of information. That’s we call it a smart client,” he said.

Features for your mobile phone include:

Free Street Directory for the website and mobile phone/PDA
Instant Maps to recommended restaurants, retail outlets and tourism locations
A “Recommended Section” highlighting the best restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, retail outlets and tourism attractions
Discounts and promotions at hundreds of Recommended and participating outlets
A What’s On Entertainment Guide
Yellow Pages directory with a free click to call
Transport guide with single click to call taxi booking
Real time flight information for any flight anywhere in the world
Real time search for available flights anywhere in the world
Weather forecast
Currency conversion
Special features for tourists such as Maps for your hotel with maps to your favourite food located nearby.

The Digital Concierge 2Go website and WAP site will also contain many of the features available within the mobile phone application.

The Digital Concierge 2Go service began with a pilot supported by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (iDA) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). The final release of the pilot is available for download immediately at www.digitalconcierge.com.sg

The pilot programme started in June 2007 as part of the government’s iN2015 (Intelligent Nation 2015) to use infocomm technologies to single out Singapore as a premier travel destination.

The initial concept was to provide information on where to eat, what to do and where to go through the convenience of mobile phone, as it answers whatever questions one might have while in Singapore.

After a successful pilot run, CellCity’s launch of Digital Concierge 2Go dramatically extends the original concept to what the company calls a “more cool” implementation targeted at youth and young professionals who are more mobile savvy whilst being nightlife and shopping oriented.

Francis said the service would go global later in the year and would eventually target hundreds of cities around the world while Singapore would remain the primary showcase to the world.

We came up with the Mobile Concierge concept in 2006 and developed the Digital Concierge with support and partial funding from iDA and STB. This is a home grown product and we want to make sure the “Made in Singapore” element is recognized as we go to market around the world.

Cellcity said two versions were set for release, one including a basic map version and the other deploying a more advanced version featuring a more interactive mapping engine utilizing the world’s leader in mobile mapping, Navteq.

Among the many uses of Digital Concierge 2Go, users will instantly get information on restaurants, shops and attractions based on one’s stated preferences and location. A feature Francis says is fantastic for tourists who don’t know the city so well, but also for locals who may not be familiar with the fast-paced, changing landscape of Singapore.

The Digital Concierge 2GO is user-friendly and has been designed to be learnt in less than a minute. “It’s so easy to use that not a single user complaint so far from over 10,000 customers,” said Francis.

More features are expected to be added in the next version including a host of location based services and social and business networking.

Francis said the Cellcity was an aggregator of services and content as was looking to third parties who needed a platform to go digital and go mobile to hook up with the Cellcity and become DC2Go partners.

Users can download DC2Go at www.digitalconcierge.com.sg or from the mobi site at dcsg.mobi or sending SMS with “DC” to 78800 to receive a download link.

Merchants who want to run promotions should call Cellcity immediately to book their place or for Shopping centers, Buildings or Tourism Attractions wanting to install Digital Concierge Kiosks and run promotions should call Miles at 9365 6205 or email sales@thecellcity.com.

Regional partners and content providers can contact dannie@thecellcity.com or nick@thecellcity.com.

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