Mobile 2.0

While Mobile 2.0 has been talked and written about for the last few years, we believe that true Mobile 2.0 services will only begin to emerge in 2008. In this section of our web site, we offer a definition of Mobile 2.0, a walk through the enablers of Mobile 2.0 and a description of what Mobile 2.0 services will offer consumers and provide for developers. We believe this work will evolve over time and welcome discussion on this topic as part of our blog: Mobile 2.0 and Emerging Mobile Media Services

Mobile 2.0 Services - A Definition

Mobile 2.0 Services integrate the social web, or what some call Web 2.0, with the core foundations of mobility - personal, localized, always-on and ever-present. Furthermore, these services are based on a new generation of wireless devices that enable rich, interactive services and integrate the full range of mobile consumer touch points including talking, texting, capturing, sending, listening and viewing.

Because mobile devices and networks are vastly different from prior communications and media channels, Mobile 2.0 Services cannot simply provide another way of watching TV, listening to the radio, sending emails or even accessing Web 2.0 services on a mobile phone. The next evolution of the mobile industry will marry the best of these communications and media channels with the unique aspects of mobile devices and networks.

Ajit Jaokar and Tony Fish, in their book Mobile Web 2.0, describe Web 2.0 as "the intelligent web or harnessing collective intelligence." They continue, "The rise of 'User Generated Content' online, where users are given control of the content creation process, is creating a second wave in the digital media field." Larry Weber, in his book Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Communities Build Your Business uses the term "social web" to denote how the Internet has evolved into a "social digital space." The social web takes place in "a world of transparent content, mostly user-generated, broadband, rich media, and available on multiple devices." Weber notes, "The social web will become the primary center of activity for whatever you do when you shop, plan, learn, or communicate. It may not take over your entire life (one hopes), but it will be the first place you turn to for news, information, entertainment, diversion - all of the things that the older media supplied."

We define the social web as a social digital space in which individuals have read/write permission thereby easily assuming changing roles of creator, distributor and observer in an open, frictionless distribution as well as access environment. The social web allows consumers to freely consume, create, and combine media. It offers those consumers unencumbered access to whatever media or services they choose and the ability to distribute content freely, without requiring advanced technical degrees or access to venture capital funds.

As the social web intersects with mobile touch points, mobile devices naturally will enable and constrain consumer behavior. Originally designed for talking, mobile devices were extended to facilitate texting, taking pictures or videos, and viewing, all easily integrated into one device. Mobile devices are limited in their screen size, navigation, memory and processing power. While devices will evolve over time, we believe there are core differences that will remain constant and thus define how consumers interact with media and other services using them.

The unique defining principles of mobility are and will continue to be:

1. Personal and Individualized. Mobile phones, for the most part, are used by an individual. The entire ringtone and wallpaper market grew out of the desire for consumers to personalize their phones to express their individual identities. As consumers access more media and more services through their mobile phones, they will demand fast access to the media, data, and services that are relevant to them. Unlike the web viewed through a PC with a large screen, full keypad and mouse, mobile users need to be presented with a few, very relevant choices quickly. They will not accept generalized access that requires many levels of menus to get to the specific artist, news, or video that interests them.

2. Localized and Relevant. Again, unlike PCs, mobile phones know where the user is located without requiring them to enter any information. Combining localization with personalization, mobile devices offer the service or advertiser the opportunity to contextualize their offerings. Sports services can offer the latest Red Sox scores to the Boston-based consumer traveling in LA while helping them find the local sports bar to watch the game within a few clicks.

3. Always-on and ever-present. Designed for mobility, these devices are with consumers all of the time. More and more, consumers feel out of touch with their social network when separated from their mobile phones. As integration between PC and mobile services becomes more prevalent, the mobile phone will evolve to be the primary vehicle for the discovery of content and services, the remote control for all things digital, and a personalized point of access and distribution for media and data. It will be the consumer's continual connection point with the digital world and with their social network.

The new generation of mobile phones provides:

1. Rich, Interactive Enablement. Designed as a two way communication vehicle, much of Mobile 1.0 was one way - distributing ringtones, wallpapers, music, information, and videos to the consumer, so that they could enjoy them anywhere, anytime. Mobile 2.0 will return the device to its original use, two-way communication, with dynamic services that allow the consumer to participate in a community or social network, share media, express opinions.

2. Integrated Consumer Touch Points. Most devices now include a built-in camera. More and more devices include a full keypad and color display. The new generation of mobile phones are integrated devices for talking, texting, capturing, sending, listening and viewing. While PC's can do all that, they require peripheral devices that are cumbersome to attach and install.

It is these unique attributes of mobility combined with what we have learned through the social web phenomenon that will define Mobile 2.0 services. Mobile 2.0 services will provide consumers with mobile entertainment, mobile connections to their social network, mobile connections to their digital world, and mobile tools to help them manage their ever increasing mobile lives.

Mobile 2.0 - The Enablers

There are three primary enablers or drivers that will push both consumers and developers into the next evolution of mobile services. They parallel the enablers for Web 2.0, yet the barriers are somewhat different and structural in nature.

1. Ubiquitous Mobile Broadband Access. Once consumers can access mobile services through 3G or higher phones at a reasonable price point, demand will grow exponentially. Like the evolution from the dial up Web to full broadband access, the richness of the services that can be created on 3G phones is dramatically different from those available on lower end phones. Flat-rate pricing, advertising support, and content or service bundles that dramatically reduce the "per mobile service" fees will make services beyond voice and ringtones a "must have".

2. Affordable, unrestricted access to enabling software platforms, tools & technologies. Today, the barriers to developing and deploying mobile services are high. Web 2.0 services rapidly emerged and thrived because any web developer could create and deploy services easily. Unlike web development, developing mobile services requires knowledge of proprietary network protocols and device operating systems as well as advanced engineering degrees. Deployment to broad audiences requires porting services across networks and many, many devices.

3. Open access with frictionless distribution and monetization. Additionally, deployment of mobile services requires long, arduous negotiations with network operators or risking an off-deck distribution strategy. And monetization requires connections with ad networks, carrier infrastructure or 3rd party billing systems. When it becomes as easy for content owners and web developers to develop and deploy mobile services as it is for them to develop and deploy on the web, we will see the supply of services grow exponentially.

The marriage of improved consumer access with easier development and distribution will push the mobile data industry over the chasm and into the tornado.

Mobile 2.0 - Services for Consumers and Environments for Developers

Services for Consumers

Paralleling the social web and leveraging the core foundations of mobility, Mobile 2.0 services will dramatically improve the consumer's experience. Services will take advantage of and be designed specifically for the mobile channel.

1. Rich experiences. Not only will the content include rich media, the services themselves will be much more engaging. They will be personalized and interactive. They will connect the user to their own social network or to specific communities. They will allow the consumer to read others ideas and express their own opinions and thoughts.

For example, MTV Networks' Comedy Central Take Out offers consumers on-demand video and audio integrated into an interactive entertainment and commerce service. Consumers can watch episodes from shows like the Daily Show, Reno 911, South Park and the Colbert Report, listen to stand up radio, download ringtones and wallpapers, find jokes, play games and review TV schedules. MTV Networks' South Park Mobile extends this so users can participate in message boards, read blogs written by people "behind the scenes" and send questions to employees and get responses. These interactive features engage audiences with rich experiences. Researchers have found that well designed, rich user experiences positively charge a user's emotions during interaction. In more simple terms, if a user feels good during an experience they are more likely to remain in that experience.

2. Easy to Use with Emphasis on User Experience. The Mobile 2.0 user interface design, personalization, local-awareness, and correlated content will drive consumers to relevant content quickly. A recent study by research firm Strategy Analytics found that in the US, the number of clicks a consumer was required to make to buy a ringtone on their mobile phone ranged from a best of 18 to a staggering 39 clicks for the category laggard. With Mobile 2.0 services consumers will be able to discover new artists and then purchase the correlating ringtone and wallpaper within a few clicks.

Mobile services like Virgin Mobile US' Headliner use cross correlation to help users navigate through vast amounts of content and find related items. Cross correlation enables the user go to one central place, an Artist Page in this example, which provides them with a view of all relevant content, information, ringtones, music clips, tour dates, without regard to where it resides. This contextual way of relating content through the use of meta data is an important method which can facilitate navigation, cross selling, and content packaging. Bringing the content directly to the user in convenient ways creates a service that is much less frustrating for the consumer and offers cross selling opportunities for the service provider.

3. Personalized. Users will be able to state preferences, tailor content and sign up for alerts; services will monitor activity in order to present relevant content; and advertisers will leverage consumer preferences and behavior to drive meaningful messages and offers.

The mobile service VIP Access allows a user to easily bookmark content they find relevant so they can get to it more easily the next time and drive meaningful relevant recommendations. This method of saving content to a profile accomplishes two things: it provides the user a way to more efficiently navigate large amounts of content, and it adapts the service to a user allowing them to create their own "mediaspace." When combined with effective search, a service can be bookmarked, searched, and filtered based on the user's unique and very personal preferences. The more users invest in building profiles and an identity the less likely they are to abandon it. Not only does personalization drive uptake and user satisfaction, it also reduces customer churn.

4. Localized. More and more services will take advantage of location. Consumers' base location will drive preferences like sports teams or news bulletins. Consumers' dynamic location will drive automatic responses to location-aware queries for directions or weather and time-sensitive offers from local retail establishments.

Mobile services like VIP Access not only allow personalization based on preferences but also on location. Enter your current location and only concert dates and information relevant to that location will be displayed. Much mobile content is consumed while waiting in line, sitting on a bus, or waiting at a restaurant for a friend. These experiences are measured in minutes, not hours. Every moment spent searching through irrelevant content is a moment the consumer is closer to leaving and adopting a different service entirely. By keeping the user closer to relevant, contextual content you succeed in providing them with a compelling and usable experience.

5. Interactive. Consumers will engage with services through interactivity. They will vote, respond to polls, and interact with communities. Interactivity is an integral part of successful mobile services such as VIP Access. From voting and polling to trivia and quizzes, the service offers ways to get consumers involved, provides them with a voice, and provides them with a way to show off their knowledge. Services like MTV Networks' VH1 Mobile Junk 20 offer the ability to upload, share, and watch user generated videos and images, as well as encourage users to rate those submissions.

6. Social. Today the mobile phone is used to organize social groups. This will continue as PC-based social networking goes mobile and mobile services are connected to PC-based social networks. MTV Networks South Park Mobile enables on-phone communities through message boards. Personalization and user generated content allow consumers to express themselves and build an emotional bond with a mobile service. But this bond is nowhere near as powerful as when community enters the equation.

7. Multi-platform. No longer will mobile be a separate channel. Mobile services will be connected with their PC-based service companions. Preferences stated in the PC service will be reflected in mobile and vice versa. Content accessed in one will be available in the other. Imagine finding a new artist on VIP Access or Virgin Mobile US' Headliner, listening to some samples, seeing that there is a concert in your town next month and then sending it out to your PC-based social network before buying a block of tickets. Or searching for a concert on your PC by accessing your favorite mobile music service online.

Environments for Developers

Mobile 2.0 development environments will leverage existing common web technologies and tools for service creation and leverage mobile platforms to provide optimized, frictionless delivery and distribution.

1. Standard tools and technologies for development. Rather than recreate yet another set of development standards, languages, and environments, Mobile 2.0 will take advantage of those already in place for the web. Tens of thousands of developers have JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and XML skills and technology environments that let them design and develop web sites and services. Mobile 2.0 will enable them to leverage their current skills and technologies to build the next wave of mobile services.

2. Open, accessible enabling platforms. No longer can the industry remain hostage to undocumented, closed platforms, operating systems and middleware application programming interfaces. Currently, over 90 % of the mobile phones world-wide use proprietary operating systems with numerous undocumented and protected API's. Google and their partners' move to an open operating system, Apple's iPhone and Symbian are leading the way. Mobile 2.0 will emerge without widespread standards, but will offer 3rd party developers more options for documented, open interfaces and operating systems. Once these are available, those developers using the skills and tools they already know will be able to more easily integrate the various components required to deliver complete mobile services, integrate them with current PC-based services, and create mobile mashups.

3. Frictionless distribution. Until standards are in place and walled gardens open, middleware platforms and managed services will continue to support Mobile 2.0 developers and content providers. Those platforms will perform critical functions such as porting and optimizing services across networks and mobile devices; connecting services with advertising networks, billing systems, and carrier infrastructure; and managing, monitoring and reporting service activities. The fragmentation of the mobile channel will NOT be solved by the time Mobile 2.0 has arrived. These middleware platforms and manage services will be the mechanisms for managing fragmentation and by which a more frictionless mobile channel emerges.