Following the launch of its iPhone app last year, thomsonlocal.com has released a free business search app for Android, writes Eva McGarr.

The app enables users to access the company’s database of over 1.8m local UK business listings. Users can also read reviews from other users, plot search results on a local map, and, where available, access additional information such as images, promotional offers and enhanced business descriptions.

“When people are looking for local products or services on the move, they expect the search to be quick, easy and accurate. Our GPS enabled, ‘one-touch’ search functionality from the homepage has proven extremely popular with mobile users; we have also added an extra feature in the form of pre-populating menus for business type and location, making the experience even more convenient,” says thomsonlocal.com marketing director, Jill Pringle. “Providing business contact details is simply scratching the surface of the information that is available through the app. We have integrated the thomsonlocal.com user-generated reviews feature, meaning that people can read what other consumers have said about a business, helping them to make better-informed decisions.”

The app can be downloaded for free from Android Market.