Multiplied Media's Poynt mobile local search application has surpassed 1 million users just as it launched local directory-related content and listings for its restaurant section.

Poynt is available for free on RIM's BlackBerry devices for users in Canada, the United States, Germany and Britain. V-Enable Inc. partnered with Poynt to power the new restaurant listings.

?The strategy behind Poynt is to allow consumers to discover and interact with their local area,? said Andrew Osis, CEO of Multiplied Media Calgary, Alberta. ?We believe local search is about more than learning what's around you, whether you are a looking for a restaurant and want to read reviews or book your dinner reservation or find movie times and watch the trailer and buy the movie ticket, Poynt takes the consumer from discovery to transaction.

?Users can set a location by GPS, IP detection or manually receive accurate results based on their search location,? he said. ?Poynt also enables users to get directions from and to anywhere in North America, as well as see their search results listed by distance from their current location.?

Poynt is a local search application that delivers listings of businesses such as movie theaters and restaurants by keyword and location.

Multiplied Media developed Poynt with the mission of simplifying mobile search.

V-Enable is a provider of local search services powered by proprietary search and advertising technologies.

The primary targets for Poynt are travelers, movie enthusiasts and users seeking business listings, as well as users looking for GPS-based directions.

?Poynt is great for people looking to discover their local area and connect with the local businesses, retailers and events that are happening around them in real time,? Mr. Osis said. ?Users like easy-to-use, instant access to information that allows them to plan their outings and see what is happening around them.?

Some of Poynt?s partners include Superpages, YellowPages.ca, Cinema-Source, Movietickets.com and OpenTable.

Movies and restaurants make up the majority of searches on Poynt. Mr. Osis said shopping-related queries are also very common.

In the new restaurant section, users can find enhanced restaurant listings that enable them to find nearby restaurants, read reviews and book dining reservations.

Icons are displayed when reviews or dining reservations are available for the restaurant listed.
Mr. Osis said in the future, location-based services will give broader and deeper information.

?You will have restaurant listings but also menus, hours, payment types, etcetera,? Mr. Osis said. ?Video ads are also becoming popular content.

?An important piece in the future of location-based search will be the availability of real-time information such as reservations and table availability, travel time, nightly menu specials and more,? he said.