Meanwhile, a new San Francisco company, Dial Directions, will provide directions via text message based on data from Yahoo-owned MapQuest, beginning this week in the D.C. area.

Sprint’s service takes advantage of the fact that all its current phone models can use Global Positioning Systems, spokeswoman Emmy Anderson said Tuesday.

Its major selling point, Anderson said, is that the service is integrated into the Microsoft Live Search functions that users already access on their phones. The service is free, but users must already subscribe to a Sprint data plan, which start at $15 a month, she said.

Meanwhile, Dial Directions is not charging for its service, which individuals access by dialing DIR-ECT-IONS (347-328-4667) for help. Voice recognition technology can understand them when they ask for directions to an address, business chain or local event, and a text message is sent to their phone with the directions.

Dial Directions plans to make its money through targeted advertisements, which would follow the directions text messages, spokesman Amit Desai said Tuesday.

Desai said he expects Dial Directions to succeed because it doesn’t require a specific phone or service.

“People are liking that it’s super simple to use and easy to remember,” Desai said.

In April, Mountain View, Calif-.based Google launched a downloadable application of Google Maps for cell phones. It also offers a service in which people can text 466453 (GOOGLE) and receive directions in return.

melissa.frederick@dcexaminer.com