Roundup: MercadoLibre, Pointer Telocation, ScanBuy, e-commerce awards

Latin American e-commerce company MercadoLibre (Nasdaq: MELI) has launched its first official mobile application for e-commerce using iPhone, BlackBerry and other smartphones with the Android system, the company said in a statement. The application allows users to browse, search for products, qualify sellers, ask questions, mark products as favorites, bid and buy directly from a smartphone. The company's goal is to expand the application to users of any kind of cell phone by Christmas this year, according to MercadoLibre CTO Daniel Rabinovich. *** Pointer Telocation has entered into a three-year agreement worth more than US$3.2mn for the supply and installation of advanced solutions to manage a fleet of over 2,000 vehicles in Brazil, the company said in a statement. Pointer, which supplies technology and services for managing mobile resources and providing roadside services to the vehicle industry and insurance market, started operations in Brazil a year ago. Under the agreement, Pointer will install its solutions to track vehicles, monitor engines, manage fuel consumption, control unauthorized use of the vehicle, improve productivity and reduce accidents. The deal includes a stolen vehicle recovery service. *** Global provider of mobile barcode solutions ScanBuy has expanded its services to Argentina, the company said in a statement. The company entered the market with the ScanLife solution to create, use and manage 2D barcodes, including Quick Response (QR) codes. The mobile application is compatible with more than 340 cell phone models running on the main platforms, such as Android, BlackBerry, iOS, BREW, Java, Symbian and Windows. *** Latin American e-commerce institute ILCE has presented the eCommerce Awards Argentina 2011 during eCommerce day in Buenos Aires, the institute said in a release. The awards aim to recognize individuals and companies that have contributed to the development of a digital economy in Argentina and Latin America. The 2011 winners will compete at year-end in their respective categories on a regional level. MercadoLibre was recognized as company of the year in e-commerce and online business in Argentina. This year's winners for leadership in e-commerce include Falabella (retail), Despegar.com (tourism) and Hoyts cinemas (online business).