World Directories, a local search and advertising company, has entered a partnership with mobile search services provider mobilePeople, to introduce a mobile directory search service in Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands. Goudengids and Dutch Goldenpages, Belgium's equivalent of local directory information, will offer access to the directory database integrated within the Vodafone live! portals, while in Portugal, Paginas Amarelas will be present on the DiMo (Directory Mobile) portal, shared by all Portuguese operators.

"The local directory search market is continuing to develop rapidly and World Directories is at the forefront in the adoption of mobile directory search," said Jens Andersen, CEO, mobilePeople. "This move into mobile will enable it to provide more value to its current user base and attract new users for Goudengids and Dutch Goldenpages."

The move into mobile search is a part of the World Directories strategy to offer mobile users access to local directory information on the go. As with online directory services, mobile users will be able to search business names, numbers and addresses or places of interest based on location and receive relevant results.

The new service is based on mobilePeople's liquid Local mobile search solution. In the Netherlands and in Portugal, mobile users will have a choice between accessing the directory service from a browser or via text message, while in Belgium, they will search directly from the mobile browser.

"mobilePeople have considerable expertise in delivering mobile search solutions to directory businesses", said Roeland De Meulemeester, Group Manager Online, World Directories. "We trust that the new services will result in an ever growing number of customers taking advantage of our services on a go."