Many existing local search solutions are great, but if you are looking for a restaurant after 10pm in an average U.S. suburb they are of little help, you might drive to or call many places before finding one open. To get straight to open businesses a company called GeoSpot Inc. unveiled this week a Beta release of a new local search service. GeoSpot filters its results according if the businesses searched are open either now or at a specified time. Instead of listing POIs of which many may be closed, consumers only see those that are currently open or opening soon.

Mobile users can use contextual navigation to find related Points Of Interest, see the location on the map, or simply use the one-click phone dial feature to contact the businesses of interest. GPS capability is expected to be added soon, said GeoSpot. The service currently works on any mobile phone with a browser.

“We have started with the San Francisco Bay Area (where we are located) at the beginning of 2008 and gradually expanded”, said Peter Braun, GeoSpot's vice president of product management in an email to GPS Business News. “The GeoSpot service currently covers the whole of California and Nevada including San Franscisco Bay Area, Tahoe, Greater Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas. We are planning to expand to additional major US metro areas and then nationally in the next few months. Our technology enables the service to be very scalable and expandable. “