Last week, two studies described how Internet search is used by the large majority of consumers as a research tool before buying locally. The Web has now overtaken all other media, including printed Yellow Pages as a primary source for local business information. Directory assistance and cell phones were only used 3% of the time as a primary source. However, Local Mobile Search (LMS) expects that will change over time.

The giant company whose name is synonymous with Web search is ready to invest a minimum of $4.6 billion to acquire wireless bandwidth that is unfettered by carrier affiliation, device “lock-ins” and general lack of “openness.” Google is joined by a number of other service providers who would like to attain access to a national wireless network on a wholesale basis. With an auction scheduled for the first quarter of 2008, the cause of Local Mobile Search will have a decidedly national, even global, scope.

By acquiring Tegic Communications, the originator of predictive text entry, Nuance brings the multimodal user experience in house. The acquisition will accelerate the go-to-market strategy for two years of joint development efforts. Tegic’s global footprint includes partnerships with a diversity of wireless carriers, device makers and mobile content providers.

Last week at Impact 2007 in Orlando, IBM assembled about 4,000 enterprise customers, prospects or practitioners of service oriented architecture-based software implementations. In comparison, just three years ago at IBM’s first SOA-oriented get-together in San Francisco, some 200+ attendees attended. The ranks have grown so dramatically because Big Blue’s framing of SOA is consistent with efforts to destroy computing silos, support unified communications and link IT development efforts more closely with overall business objectives.