Telenor Xpress 1 - 2001

Yellow pages:
From print to 'virtual reality'

"The media of the future will be linked by video, audio, interactivity and freedom of choice." This phenomenon is known as convergence, explains Frank Rigal, the man piloting Telenor Media's activities in the world of new media.

"The Internet has taught people to make their own choices. This explains some of the success of reality TV shows like Big Brother. The viewers have power, and it is the companies that allow these viewers to choose for themselves that will achieve success," remarks director of new media, Frank Rigal. And, given the way the Internet empowers individuals, it is only natural that this trend will have an impact on Telenor Media's Internet-based services.

Functionality has top priority
Users of the yellow pages generally have a specific need that they want to have met, immediately. Telenor Media creates marketplaces and disseminates information to satisfy this need. The company brings people together, and is actively exploiting the potential of Internet in doing so.

"Is it enough that someone in need of a plumber finds a list of names? Or should we connect them directly to one that is available? Maybe they would like to discuss the problem face-to-face, via video?" Rigal is of the opinion that good functionality is the key to competitive edge. He illustrates this with an example from Sweden. "Six months ago, the Swedish yellow pages launched an improved map function. You feed in points of departure and destination, and the system proposes an optimal route. The service is now getting 1500 map-print queries every hour and has resulted in a 300 per cent increase in traffic!"

Vertical portals
Today's Internet-based telephone directories can best be described as horizontal portals. You can search for almost anything, but not in depth. Rigal envisages more specialised vertical marketplaces in the future.

"We would like to create 10 or 11 new marketplaces; one for cars, one for health, and so on. And we'll be improving the functionality all the time. Normally, we're good at 'what' and 'where' but, these days, people also want to know 'when' and 'how much' something will cost. They want to know the advantages offered by a particular product, and they would also like to see it. If someone wants to shop for a flat on the Internet, they want a 360-degree tour," he continues. About 10 per cent of the company's present turnover comes from Internet directories and Rigal is certain that the investment in verticals and new functionality will help to increase this figure in the future.