I am always looking of the new applications or application updates that have business implications, generally as part of enterprise 2.0. This is one a little different but it covers a growth area, the iPhone, that will have business implications. Millions have been sold already and the uses are just beginning to be conceived. Both of the web startups that I am involved with are looking at the iPhone for business opportunities. kannuu is addressing one of the needs for this market with its search Software Develop Kit (SDK) for iPhone application developers. It recently became available for download.

This iPhone search SDK is ready for developers to incorporate into applications that need a search/look-up functionality. Included in the SDK are also “references” to incorporate their GUI (up, down, left, right, and center navigation) if the developer so chooses. This download will be free and is compatible in native applications as well as web-based.

I spoke with Muni Bajpai, the kannuu VP of Engineering who gave me a demonstration. The interface is very interesting as they have empowered search with a new UI. It eliminates the lengthy scroll and miss of the click wheel. It also indexes the device database (actually the more content, the more efficient the technology) by all fields, so the you do not have to choose only first, last, company name, city, state, area or zip code, etc. All are presented, with one query. This also alleviates having to track-back to multiple and superfluous menus and settings. So how does it work?

You do not need to type but are presented with the four most likely characters in the list you’re a searching on a four part interface. Then you proceed by process of elimination. It actually works quickly. You see the next set of characters by clicking on the center button. Kannuu allows you to index your data to go with this retrieval method. Here is a look at the interface concept.

Here is a look at it on an iPhone part way through a search

With this UI there is more need to fumble through the A-Z search, or the ever-frustrating auto complete functions. kannuu takes you directly to the content you are looking for, greatly reducing opportunities for error. If the search target is in the database you will get to it in only a few clicks.

I think they have taken a creative approach here. You have to see it in operation to fully understand how simple it is. This UI and search works for other mobile devices such as MP3 players or industrial instruments. One client uses it to help manage grocery store inventory and UK power plant services firm uses it for their meter readers.