Champ

TV, cinema and computer are passé. The little screen in your pocket is what every advertiser eyeing.

With Microsoft unveiling Windows operating system for mobile phones, the war for eyeballs has finally converged to our handsets. Suddenly there is a spurt in the content exclusively being generated for the mobile phones. With the entry of 3rd generation mobile phones, the platform seems to be set for the action. (Discuss 3G technology)

However, it is not only media content which has found another platform in mobile, the business is flowing both ways. “BIG Brother fans, keen to keep an eye on their favourite housemates, are helping keep the owner of Australia’s mobile video network, 3, on track to finish 2005 in a breakeven position.” (www.news.com)

Exclusive strategies are being planned for converging existing media content with the new platform. A California based mobile content distributor, Go TV, which is among Fortune’s list of 25 breakout companies for the year, is providing a three-minute recap of the Desperate Housewives. So, if the next time you miss a show, just download a recap before the next episode is broadcasted. (Catch up developments on Desperate Housewives)

Companies like Nielsen//NetRatings have developed a service for telecoms providers enabling them to measure and analyse mobile content usage. (www.mrweb.com)

Fortunately, mobile is not seen as an another screen for existing content. Media experts, realising its potential, are already planning exclusives programmes for the medium. In Australia, a mobile company has agreed to produce a serial (I think 16 episodes) just for mobiles screen.

Moreover, the mobile companies are also rising up to the new opportunities. Nokia recently launched a phone Nokia N91 which has a 4GB harddrive! The first computer I used had a 1 GB hardrive (and after installing it wondered if I’m ever going to use the entire space!!)

There are new innovative services which are cramming for your mobile space. Travelocity takes MMS backwards and offers to deliver your postcard - created from a camera phone picture - directly to an address of your choice.

However, the big question is has the mobile industry matured to handle the boom. Or is there actually a market which exists in our teeny-weeny handset. All the market research companies and business guru are going ga ga over the opportunities thrown up by mobile. However, I, being someone who saw Internet going boom to bust, is sceptical about it. I would suggest waiting and watching. Internet is yet to reach the levels it promised. However, with broadband finally limping towards mass reach (at least in USA), I see some +tive energy flowing there.

What is the future of mobile phones? Is mobile going the internet way — from boom to bust in 3 years?

Predicting future is dangerous business, but as someone rightly said “art of seeing into the seeds of future marks the difference between a well anticipated turn and accident”.

So, let me take the dangerous turn.

I think mobile has quite a few advantages over internet. First being its mass reach. Mobile phones have become an extension of human body for the younger generation. Their life revolves around this gadget. Moreover, unlike internet, mobile has penetrated among older generation as well.

Tell my dad to use internet and he would shirk, scream and run away like a 5 year old boy. But he is very comfortable with mobile. It has been extension of what he has been using all his life — telephone. And slowly he has picked up the other features like songs, sms, video and games as well.

Plus, mobile is slowly becoming a PC in your pocket. It is converging internet, TV, video games, audio/video CD-player into one small machine. With new features being added every day, mobile is destined the rule. But will the content-models being planned for it will survive? Well that’s a debatable question.

Want to know more about Mobile facilities, check out Bliplog.

References:
1. www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/0511microsoft11.html
2. www.groups.google.com.au/group/3GMobile-phones?hl=en
3. www.news.com
4. www.nielsen-netratings.com
5. www.bliplog.com
6. www.news.google.com