On CTIA, saying no to mobile apps and other trends

March 20, 2008

Ray Anderson is CEO of Bango

By Ray Anderson

With the CTIA annual conference just around the corner, buzz about the mobile Web is escalating.

Topics such as the fate of Google Android, the adoption of the Apple iPhone and the advance of mobile analytics are already fueling the conversation.�

Although I certainly don't have my own crystal ball to help me predict the future of mobile, there are trends emerging that clearly will be top of mind at this year's show and worth watching in the year ahead.

Just say no to mobile apps on your phone
The idea that we should build applications to be hosted on the phone is last year's thinking.� All indications are that the Web -- the mobile Web that is -- is well on its way to conquer the device.

Although recent headlines swirled around software developer's kits (SDKs) for Google's Android and the iPhone, the whole idea of building applications for phones is flawed for a few reasons.�

First off, consider that the cost of building applications has increased dramatically because of the complexity of the task.�You must have a different version of the application for each type of handset and operating system. This in and of itself is a monumental task.�

Then consider that users can't update the app live -- someone has to re-download it for each new version. And there are security risks to downloading the applications directly to the handset because of the risk of viruses.�

Basically the same reasons why the desktop Web revolutionized delivery of applications also apply to the mobile Web model.��

Mobile Web and fixed Web become one
I expect we'll see consolidation in the mobile market place, especially in the area of mobile advertising.

Presently there are too many small players in the mobile advertising space, and I believe we'll start to see rapid consolidation, comparable to what happened in the PC world.

As bigger players in the Internet landscape recognize the opportunity mobile offers in the marketing mix, we'll start to see more partnerships and acquisitions. The smaller companies with mobile expertise will help the larger companies gain mobile know-how.

Companies that remain standing will be those that have solid mobile technology and expertise. This will enable them to present a unified proposition to their customers, which is critical because brands these days want one-stop shopping when it comes to marketing.�

Age verification will come of age
I suspect that we'll soon see age-verification systems -- similar to those that exist today in Europe (Britain and Germany) -- be put in place to protect minors in the United States. This will spur a greater diversity of content.�

I believe that the way this will happen in the U.S. is that we'll see forms of parental controls come into play on mobile. Carriers will adopt these controls, and help educate customers (parents) of their role in age verification. The age-verification responsibility will move from the carrier to the parent.�

Carriers will provide tools that will allow parents to enforce their wishes, making mobiles a safer Internet device than the PC.

Ray Anderson is Cambridge, England-based CEO of Bango, a mobile Internet services provider. Reach him at . �