Cellwand's #TAXI Now U.S.-Wide

I've been posting about Toronto-based Cellwand Communications for ages, and they had some great news yesterday that's worth sharing. True, I may be a shareholder, but I'm doing this because it's another flag-waving moment whereby a Canadian company has gained market-wide coverage in the U.S.

Cellwand has been producing LBS - location based services - applications for mobile devices for many years, and #TAXI is their flagship product. It's a better way to get a cab than calling 411 and then phoning up a local taxi company. You'd be surprised how often people can't flag down a cab when they need one, and for that, #TAXI is the answer. Of course, this presumes you have a mobile phone, which wasn't always true when this service was first launched - but it's a pretty safe bet today.

What I really like about #TAXI is that it's a simple application - works on any mobile device, and you just dial the number to use - don't need to download anything. Smartphones weren't even invented when the service came out, so this isn't some trendy app you get off an apps store. #TAXI actually has a business model behind it - it's pay per use, and users get a tangible benefit - pretty simple.

Yesterday's news marks the first time that #TAXI has become an effectively ubiquitous service across the U.S. The main item in the press release is that Sprint is finally on board, and are now offering the service to their mobile subscribers. Cellwand already has AT&T and Verizon in the mix, so now pretty much all U.S. mobile subscribers can access #TAXI - 215 million people as the press release proclaims.

Wearing the red and white, I'd say that's a notable accomplishment, and I can't think of too many Canadian mobile services - paid apps - not free - that are this widely-available. Cellwand has had the Canadian mobile market covered for a long time, as our 3 wireless operators - Bell, Rogers, Telus - all offer #TAXI. I can tell you that getting mobile operators to adopt a service like on their network takes a lot of work, and Cellwand has been at this a long time.

Their hard work is paying off now, and as we head into the holiday season, #TAXI is ready when you are, pretty much wherever you are, whatever handset you have, and whatever carrier you're using. Sounds like a pretty good spot to be in, so kudos to Cellwand, and if you ever need a cab in Canada or the U.S., there's nothing stopping you now from using the service.