UK MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Virgin Media is preloading Poynt, the local mobile search app, on the newly-launched Android-powered Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro. Poynt appears as a preloaded icon on the device. 

Poynt says the  preloading of its app on mobile devices facilitates user trials and continued usage, and has proven highly effective in bridging the gap between general product awareness and actual user adoption. Previous preloads, or embeds, have resulted in high user adoption and monthly user retention rates over 50 per cent. Additional users lead to increased user activity, which is then monetized through searches and display advertising within the Poynt platform, the company says. On average, users gained through a preload agreement perform 23 searches each month.  

“Preload agreements with mobile operators, like Virgin Media, are helping drive Poynt’s user base to quickly become one of the most widely-adopted mobile applications worldwide,” says Poynt Corp president and CEO, Andrew Osis. “In fact, of our 700,000 new users in June, existing preloads contributed more than 300,000 new users. We are working on signing new preload agreements with additional carriers in the US, Western Europe, and Asia, which together could add up to more than 50m new users.”

In addition to the current deployment on the Sony Ericsson Xperia Mini Pro, the company also has an agreement with Virgin Media for a Virtual Preload on several BlackBerry devices.

Poynt is a GPS-enabled mobile app that connects consumers to local businesses, events, restaurants, movie theatres, gas (petrol) prices and weather information at the moment they are looking to buy or acquire products or services. Poynt provides consumers with the ability to move beyond discovery of their local area to view movie trailers and reviews, buy movie tickets, click-to-call businesses, get directions, browse listing websites and read reviews and book dining reservations.

Poynt provides contextual advertising to users performing local queries. Its revenue model is based on user queries, page views, advertising and transactions within the app. Each user query generates several page views, which are monetized through display advertising and sponsored listings paid for by advertisers. These advertising placements generate revenues on a cost per thousand impressions (CPM) basis or a cost per click (CPC) basis. Transactions, such as ticket sales and restaurant reservations, also contribute to revenues on a fee-for-service basis.

Poynt is available as a free download for users in Canada, the UK, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia on BlackBerry phones, the BlackBerry Playbook tablet, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Android, Windows Phone 7 and Nokia devices from the respective app stores. Poynt is also available via over-the-air download at m.poynt.com.