Mobile Carriers Cash in

Service providers are looking for more revenue sources as voice becomes less and less of a cash cow. Ringtones, games and video programming are obvious areas of growth but search may not be something you think of as a mobile killer application.
 
In reality search can and will be a killer application for mobile users. In many parts of the world the mobile device is the primary form of internet access for individuals. In addition there is just a such a vast opportunity to connect buyers and sellers when people travel.
 
Finally the ability to combine information from mobile providers with the customer needs and vast information archives of a search company will lead to many more sales for all involved. What I mean is the mobile company knows who you are and where you are. A search for weather can bring up a local weather forecast for example. What is really great about this idea is the ads you are shown when you search can take into account your location. So a search for weather done when I am traveling in Colorado can have ads for Ski lodges. A search this weekend for weather in the Connecticut area (it will be 66 degrees on Saturday) could bring up ads for suntan lotion (I guess Al Gore is onto something here)
 
Mobile has become a serious growth area for Google and just today they have taken the mobile growth strategy on the road with a new relationship with China Mobile.
 
What is next for the convergence of the Internet and mobile phones? Well IMS of course. IP multimedia subsystem solutions will allow the mobile operators to maximize revenue from internet services. Now is the time for service providers to explore relationships with banks, ecommerce sites and any other site with sought after information. They need to find ways to add value to web services. Some of the easiest ways to do this are to ensure customers have an easy to use interface accessible by cell phones and other small devices.
 
In addition, cell phones which are already authenticated could and should be used as a trusted device to communicate with various sites without the need to enter passwords for each site a user wants to visit. This is just one idea but you get the point. Mobile providers: insert yourself in between the customer and the content they seek. Make it easier to get to what they want and charge for it. Don’t do it all yourself mind you – this is a recipe for disaster. Be sure to share revenue and be a partner in the success of the companies providing services on your network.
 
For more on this topic check out IMS Therefore I am, an article I wrote in IMS Magazine some months back.

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