uSamp to Launch Mobile Survey Platform

Online panel and technology company uSamp is testing a mobile survey platform providing researchers with access to millions of users of smart phones and mobile devices, and exploiting the rise of 'check-in' location sharing for precise geographical targeting.

Founded as United Sample in 2008 by panel industry veterans Matt Dusig and Gregg Lavin, uSamp has a global proprietary panel with more than two million registered participants from six continents.

Earlier this summer, the firm acquired online research specialist DMS Insights, creator of the River Sample method. uSamp says surveys delivered through its latest mobile application will be of a short duration, and rewards for participating will be centered on virtual currency and remain user-specific.

Lavin says the launch dovetails with the growth of the 'check-in', in which mobile users share their current location with friends through social networking sites such as foursquare, Gowalla and the recently announced Places feature at Facebook.

'When mobile users check-in and announce their location, we can serve up targeted surveys based on both geographics and demographics,' explains Lavin. 'This is location specific through the GPS systems built into mobile devices, not through the less precise means of triangulation or ZIP Codes.'

Web site: www.usamp.com .