The Data-Enabled World: Five Factors Reshaping Mobile Applications
Heart of the Matter is pleased to welcome its first guest blogger from outside of Bytemobile. Asokan Thiyagarajan is a technology evangelist at Motorola and presents/publishes on cutting-edge trends and technologies in the mobile industry. Some of his publications can be found at http://developer.motorola.com/cuttingedge/
Although mobile data networks have been around for quite a while, the majority of usage is still for traditional needs: messaging systems such as MMS and email, file downloading and internet browsing. Buzzword concepts like Web 2.0 are beginning to make inroads into the consumer market, but the next-generation killer data application is yet to be found. I believe the time is ripe for a true game-changer to emerge, thanks to the convergence of five remarkable factors:
1. A Unique Demand Opportunity
As mobile phones continue to penetrate the world consumer population at an explosive rate, a parallel movement is taking place in mobile networks, which are rapidly evolving from voice-only to a data-based infrastructure. According to a recent report from Informa Telecoms & Media, Revenues from mobile data services are set to exceed US$200 billion in 2008 for the first time. These twin factors – an increase in the number of mobile data users and rising consumer spending on data services – mean an unprecedented revenue opportunity exists for developers who create innovative, useful data-enabled applications over the next few years.
2. Improving Data Networks
The movement of data networks through 3G and on to 4G will bring increased bandwidth and connectivity, providing better throughput and always-on connectivity to consumers. Although manufacturers and operators have continuing worries about performance, security, roaming (quality of service), and standardization, they are resolving these issues by refining performance management techniques – optimizing user requests, caching, protocols, and so on.
3. Network Diversification and Ubiquity
Alternative mobile broadband networks are being deployed at an astounding rate. For example, WLAN has matured over the years and is now being made available from coffee shops to airports. WiMAX deployments may soon go even further, reshaping future devices, applications and user experiences to fit their increased capacities. This proliferation of wireless broadband networks has already begun to make multi-mode phones essential, as major industry players such as Motorola have become active champions of the new technologies and are rapidly rolling out infrastructure solutions.
4. Globalization, and an Even Playing Field
Regional differences are beginning to evaporate. The developed countries saw data networks emerge in three stages – first dial-ups, then wired broadband and now wireless broadband services. In the rest of the world, however, the data infrastructure has leap-frogged directly into the wireless broadband sphere. So it’s not only the traditional markets that are ready for rich mobile data applications; the whole world is following suit, faster than might have seemed possible.
5. Declining Data Pricing
As data networks are widely adopted by consumers around the world, data pricing will fall proportionately. Most carriers in the United States have recently introduced a flat pricing model for unlimited usage, following a trend that has already taken hold in other markets. Not surprisingly, it’s the enterprise that’s driving much of this momentum. Overall, operators have seen an increase in the average revenue per user (ARPU) for enterprise-class users, even as the ARPU of normal users has remained relatively steady.
With the adoption of data networks around the world approaching critical mass, your next cool idea may be just in time to meet a massive revenue generation opportunity. Developers can best position themselves to take advantage by staying current on new hardware and platform developments; device manufacturers like Motorola have developer programs ready to help you create cool new applications and get them to market quickly.
- Asokan Thiyagarajan, Motorola
Tags: 3G, 4g, internet browsing, mobile data networks, web 2.0