WHITE ROCK - Finding out what's new and happening in White Rock has never been so easy.

Tourism White Rock, along with Blue Jamb Media and Allscenes Media, has put together a new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi program for the community.

The program was launched on July 15 and is now seeing hundreds of users every day.

Tourism White Rock is the facilitator of the project. Blue Jamb Media set up and maintains the network connections, and Allscenes provides a mobile application, which is a mini website that allows phone users to access what is similar to a business directory of the city.

"Now with one click you have everything you want to know about White Rock in your hands," said Betina Albornoz, the executive director of Tourism White Rock.

The project is designed to promote the community and its businesses.

It makes it easy for people visiting White Rock to find out things about the community that they would have had to seek out on their own before.

The network connections allow users to surf the internet on their phones and laptops, but first and foremost, it directs them to community information.

"It directs people to where we want to take them instead of them having to search for it," said Michelle Herlihy, the president of Blue Jamb Media.

The information can be updated remotely by Blue Jamb Media within seconds, and the company can set certain information to come out during the busier times of the day.

They are able to track how many people are using the service everyday, when they are using it and how many use it more than once.

It has already doubled the traffic going through the Tourism White Rock website, according to Albornoz.

Businesses have also commented that they have seen increased traffic to their websites coming from Tourism White Rock's site, she said.

The increases seen "are always around events."

Before the project was in its planning stages Albernoz realized that people who travel are constantly looking for internet on the go, so she wanted Tourism White Rock to be able to provide that for them.

There has been a lot of support from the community and local businesses, according to Albernoz.

"We are hoping to continue the excitement and usership through the fall," Herlihy said.

The project was set up and funded by Blue Jamb Media on a budget of $50,000, according to Herlihy.

It will be maintained through money generated from sponsorships and advertisements.

It will run year round as there are events that happen throughout the winter months that will make it worthwhile to continue, according to Albornoz. Blue Jamb Media chose to approach Tourism White Rock about setting up the project because, while they have other networks, none are based around tourism and promoting a community like the White Rock network.

Herlihy, who has lived in White Rock for close to 30 years, wanted to test out the new project in her own backyard.

- This story appears in the Aug. 17 issue of the South Surrey/White Rock Source.