Ask.com has launches its Ask Mobile Search featuring search categories such as directions, image search, business listings, maps and weather.

The service is free and has no ads on it.

Doug Leeds, Ask.com's vice president of product management, said that although the company is not making money on these services now, Ask.com developed mobile search because there was a high demand from its users.

The service is seen more as an extension of the Ask.com brand to the mobile platform as many of the top players in the interactive industry have recently ramped up their mobile services and products. Last week Yahoo launched a beta version of an ad-supported mobile search. Earlier in the week Microsoft announced a deal to deliver Ingenio pay per call via Windows Live Search for mobile.