Gigwalk finds a market for mobile temp work; signs Microsoft as a client

Gigwalk’s mobile temp work app is proving there’s a vibrant market when you bring together corporate clients looking to complete local tasks with iPhone-wielding mobile workers. The app, which launched in May for the iPhone, has racked up a more than 128,000 “gigs” and now counts Microsoft Bing as a customer.

Bing will use Gigwalkers to take panaromic 3-D photosynth pictures of businesses and restaurants for Bing Map results. The company is commissioning thousands of gigs across the country as it looks to implement the new feature, which will bring a kind of Google Streetview to the insides of restaurants and stores. It’s a good example of what Gigwalk can do for companies, which are often in need of mobile workers who can take pictures of places or objects, gather business information or check on retail promotions. TomTom and MenuPages are among some of the other corporate clients who have also signed on.

The service is also proving popular with iPhone users. GigWalk said it’s signed up more than 50,000 workers, who make an average of $ 5 per gig. That’s in just eight cities where Gigwalk has launched. Gigwalkers have collectively uploaded 903,571 photos and have traveled the equivalent of five trips to the moon and back.

Gigwalk is not the first to try this model; Field Agent launched a similar program last year. But it has more than 60,000 workers spread across the U.S. and doesn’t appear to have the same early momentum out of the gate that Gigwalk has.

Ariel Seidman, CEO of Gigwalk, said the early results validate the business model and show that that the app fills a need. He said he’s heard from a beverage company looking to get more pictures of its product in various locations to a billboard company to verify that the right advertisement went up. Seidman declined to say how much of each job Gigwalk receives in revenue.

Seidman seems just as proud of the reputation system he’s built for Gigwalkers, which works off of points called “street cred.” He said the system has helped identify quality Gigwalkers, direct gigs to the best workers and also provides feedback to users to help them improve. One company has actually kept some Gigwalkers on retainer based on their work and their reputation within Gigwalk. Seidman said the company is proving that it’s also got a better way to facilitate hiring and recruiting.

“My belief is the resumé is obsolete. What matters is not what you say about yourself but what others say about you and what you can actually do,” said Seidman.

As I’ve written before, I like what Gigwalk enables and it seems like a nice fit for both companies and smartphone users. So it’s cool to see that it’s getting off to a good start and showing that smartphones can be leveraged in this way. Gigwalk is taking its time rolling out, Seidman told me, but at this pace, I don’t see any reason why it can’t go national soon. Gigs and Gigwalkers aren’t just confined to big cities.