By MONIQUE DEVEREUX
A United States company starting a multimillion-dollar technology business in New Zealand may be the first of many foreign investors lured here by the Government's willingness to fast-track new developments.
San Francisco-based GeoVector Corporation and Ericsson New Zealand yesterday announced they would jointly develop leading-edge "point and click" mobile-phone
technology.
The development will let mobile-phone users receive information about points of interest - tourist attractions or restaurants - simply by pointing their cellphone in the general direction of their request and clicking a button.
Developing the multimillion-dollar technology will provide up to 40 Auckland-based jobs over the next two years.
Two other major companies - one New Zealand-based, the other overseas - will later join the partnership, and more jobs will be created as the technology is developed.
GeoVector chief executive John Ellenby said the company chose New Zealand because of the extent of cellphone and internet use.
But the biggest advantage of basing a technological development in New Zealand was the ease in getting Government approval.
"It is obviously a very costly process to develop and test new technology, but it becomes even more costly the longer it takes to actually begin.
"What would have taken 16 weeks to get approval for in the States, took little more than a week in New Zealand."
While "point and click" is not new internationally - San Francisco itself has 30,000 points of interest linked to the system - the New Zealand base would be a first for the Pacific region.
The system works with global positioning systems and WAP internet technology, which downloads information on to cellphone screens. It could replace maps and tourist brochures.
As a broad example, information about a restaurant could be obtained by pointing the cellphone at the building. The data could even include t a menu and the whereabouts of the nearest money machine.
Ericsson and GeoVector were introduced by Investment New Zealand, a division of Trade NZ.
The development is the first of up to 15 businesses backed by overseas investors and poised to create hundreds of jobs.
Mr Ellenby said he was impressed with the "Kiwi go-for-it attitude" and the lifestyle.
"If I was to set this up in London I can't imagine I would get the same sort of support from either the Government or the people."
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