Guest Comment: Bridging the mobile to web void

People have become avid consumers of mobile led content (multiple devices, platforms and sources), According to the Mobile Data Association, there are now 72 million handsets for the 62 million people in the UK  and most of those people keep their phones with them at all times, in many cases it’s their life raft  (even sleeping with them .) Ipso facto, whether we like it or not the mobile is becoming the preferred conduit for creating, viewing and sharing moments in time. For many, the fact that mobile hardware is replaced on an almost yearly basis and the lightening fast advances in mobile technology means handsets are perceived as a disposable form of technology. According to recent statistics more than 182,420 mobile subscribers globally left their service providers each day during 2007 . The cost of such churn is estimated at US $23.6 billion. In effect, mobile users attribute a higher value to the contents of a phone; the plastic has become a facilitator. How then do we ensure that the content on mobile phones and content online is easily transferable in an effective, safe and simple way? In effect how can we empower consumers and fill the void by bridging the gap between the mobile and web?

According to Mintel, 31 per cent of UK adults have an internet-enabled mobile phone – of those adults 20 percent use their phone to access online content and this is set to grow in 2008 . Consumers are continually finding new ways to utilise their mobiles, whether recording user generated content (UGC,) interacting with web applications or communicating through photos and video. To encourage further uptake of hardware technologies and services it is vital that consumers are able to move content from mobile to web and vice versa, to maximize the mobile experience there needs to be a simple bridge for managing your life between the mobile and the web. By facilitating this fluidity, consumers will be able to properly engage with new handset technologies and enrich their mobile lives.

A recent report into the size of the global mobile market valued it at approximately $2.3 trillion  while global retail on the web surpasses even that. However, at present, the majority of consumers remain ignorant to the fact that their mobile and internet lives can be joined to create a platform of on/off device management. Traditionally there has been resistance to integrate the mobile and the web, especially from the operator community. Traditionally mobile operators like to enclose the user experience within their walled gardens. Independent players have spotted the need for change based on the shift in consumer behaviour and lack of mobile to web synergy. This has sparked the development of burgeoning technology to link people’s mobile and online lives, creating benefits for the mass market mobile sector. All this can add immeasurably to the user experience and ensure that consumers have freedom to manage their lives without barriers or restrictions.

Mobile UGC

The proliferation of mobile Internet has resulted in consumers using their mobiles in a number of different ways; mobile uploads to YouTube, LiveLeak, MetaCafe and others are a case in point. The disposable nature of handsets has resulted in the need to create value in the mobile to web space. The stumbling block, is consumer confusion coupled with a distinct lack of awareness of how to push mobile UGC to the web.

Often mobiles are used to capture moments “on the fly” such as that essential celebrity shot. However, often that immediacy is not reflected in the transference of content to a website where friends can consume it. USBs and cables get in the way of what should be an enjoyable and simple sharing process. Another problem is the need to move ‘stuff’ across platform or mobile devices without being shackled by the hijacking nature of a mobile operator.

The fastest way to upload photos, videos and texts to the web at present is the various online MMS galleries available to consumers. By December, the MMS market had grown exponentially, with a recorded 58 million picture messages sent during the month  in the UK. Often these MMS galleries tie users down to operator contracts, for instance the O2 Bluebook service.  It is vital that such services are service provider agnostic to offer an open route to sharing content, isn’t that what sharing is all about? There are a number of free and open examples on the web including Mobyko’s own state of the art Web 2.0 photo, video and text gallery. Mobile UGC is just one way in which the void between consumers’ mobile and web lives can be filled.

Facebook and the mobile social media scene

In December 2007, more than 17.5 million consumers in the UK used their mobile phone to access the internet . Advances in both mobile and web technology is driving users to engage even further with websites (APIs such as Google’s Friend Connect, m.apps, and wireless technology such as the O2 The Cloud.) Financial Times journalist and blogger Joia Shillingford predicted “mobile social networking will continue to grow in 2008 when it will become easier to connect via mobile to sites such as Facebook and Second Life.” Such sites are ideal platforms for viral marketing for mobile services and the almost fanatical user base is tailor-made to take advantage of mobile and web synchronicity.

At the time of writing, Facebook had more than 70 million users . However, few web service providers have shown the technical nous to create Facebook applications that can link successfully to the majority of UK mobile phones. Mobyko.com has recently launched a Facebook application that enables a Facebook user to match their friends profile picture with their mobile phone address book, thus when friends call their profile picture appears on the phone. The application is the perfect example for the simple management of social media between the web and mobile.  Friend’s pictures are no longer virtual but can be viewed on a mobile phone anytime, anywhere. Such applications lead to richer connectivity for user. 

In summary, social media applications are yet another way to bridge the mobile to web gap. The web has seen an increase in the sharing of API’s, fuelling the trend of further engagement with social networks.

Consumer Communications

A side effect of the rise of mobile UGC and social networks is the increased desire for communication between mobile users. Regular activity updates, user status reports and wall posts all link users together and encourage them to stay in touch in different ways. There are now hundreds of desktop texting services to link people’s web lives with their friends’ and relatives’ mobiles. However, there are very few that ensure the identity of the person sending the text appears on the mobile screen and that any reply is sent directly to the initial sender’s mobile. One such service is provided by Mobyko. Desktop texting is set to be the discreet new form of web to mobile communication, perfect for office environments. At present, the UK has the highest number of working hours in Europe, the answer to the dilemma faced by millions of white collar workers, who don’t have the time to use their mobiles, but wish to stay in touch, is texting from the desktop. This vital communications tool is another prime example of bringing the mobile and web closer together.

Online contact hub

Most people would consider their mobile contacts to be the most valuable day to day content on their mobiles, as it connects them to the rest of their social circle and business associates. As handsets have become smaller and more mobile they are more likely to be lost or stolen than a desktop communication solution. Police estimate 800,000 Britons have their mobile phones stolen each year, but they never calculate the total value of the content inside. There is a clear need for a central secure contact hub for security reasons, but a definitive solution would be a contact hub integrating online address books, from applications such as LinkedIn and Outlook as well as mobile contacts. A number of online players are looking to offer a total solution and the race is on to fully address this need. At present there are a number of mobile backup offerings, the most well known being Zyb (although now no longer independent having been bought out by Vodafone) and of course Mobyko.

Conclusion

The web has become one of the primary channels for people to express their social lives. It therefore makes sense that everything possible is done to link the web with people’s primary means of communication: the mobile phone.  Web 2.0 and mobile companies that can get their customers to engage at various levels, driving user engagement and loyalty, are set to benefit in 2008 and beyond. However, any attempt to link mobile and web must fulfill some prerequisites: each mobile phone user needs a single point of organisation on the web, in effect a place to store their contacts, photos, videos and texts from which they can share as they wish. Users need an internet home for their phone and an online service that transcends manufacturers, operators and geographical boundaries. Finally, it has to be flexible and simple enough to reflect the fast paced nature of UGC and modern consumer communications.

By Julian Saunders
CEO
Mobyko
www.mobyko.com