Drivers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut can now view traffic tie-ups on their cell phones to help them plan the quickest and safest route to work or home.
3rd Dimension Inc., a New York-based mobile marketing and application company, has created a free service that shows real-time traffic conditions to nearly anyone with a compatible data-enabled cell phone, as well as on BlackBerry, Palm Treo and Windows Mobile smart phones. Once downloaded to mobile phones, users can choose from more than 450 real-time traffic cameras along major crossings in the tri-state area, stretching from New Haven, Conn., to southern New Jersey and New York City's five boroughs.
The new service, test launched in November 2006 in conjunction with WCBS Newsradio (www.wcbs880.com), is gaining in popularity with drivers across the tri-state region.
The Tri-State BMW Dealer's Association has signed on as the charter advertiser.
Users can simply call 877/880-ROAD or go to the download page on www.wcbs880.com, or www.freetrafficcam.com, to get the application for their cell phone or PDA. From there, users can navigate the real-time video images offered of traffic in their selected locations. BMW advertisements appear during the loading of each traffic cam's image.
The traffic-camera application is the first of several that 3rd Dimension plans to launch this year. The company plans to announce further markets for the traffic service as well as other innovative applications that utilize live video content streamed to mobile devices.
"Mobile devices have become the most personal means of communication. People literally don't leave their homes without them," said Bruce Laskin, chief operating officer, 3rd Dimension. "All of our planned applications will deliver highly relevant, live video content to targeted audiences for free or via subscription, making it a very attractive medium for the advertising community, while remaining very appealing to the customer."
"Mobile applications like those offered by 3rd Dimension are utilized by a small but very cutting-edge, forward-thinking, idea-driven audience--a perfect fit with BMW's target audience," said John Tuchtenhagen, media supervisor at GSD&M, Tri-State BMW's ad agency. "And while BMW already utilizes radio traffic advertising, this service will take the idea to another level--one that makes the content more relevant and convenient for the user."
