Mobile content

Keep your hands on the merchandise

Mike Dolan — Fri, 30 May 2008 11:03:20 -0400

by Jason Ankeny

Ask anyone with a working knowledge of the wireless industry to isolate the major challenges hampering mobile content adoption, and they'll inevitably point to discovery and access complexities as the prime suspects. But even as the user experience continues to improve, mobile data remains a tough sell, if only because digital content poses such a difficult merchandising proposition--after all, many hallmarks of traditional merchandising such as packaging design and retail display don't translate to digital content, which offers no physical product to promote.

But mobile's unique challenges are offset by its innovative opportunities. What separates mobile subscribers from other consumer demographics is the level of personalization operators and their content partners can offer--instead of the broad-brush merchandising approach common across conventional media platforms, mobile can pinpoint the behaviors and interests of each user based on previous shopping patterns.

The obstacles posed by mobile content merchandising resulted in Qualcomm acquiring content targeting solutions developer Xiam Technologies in March 2008. Xiam's My Personal Offers System targeting and personalization technology promises to individualize the user experience via relevant content offers and advertisements geared specifically to the consumer in question. "We offer the ability for an operator to understand who the subscriber is and make them offers on an individual basis based on their likes and dislikes, the content they've purchased before and what they're looking at on-portal," said Xiam Marketing Manager Martin Clancy. "Qualcomm realized this area is important for operators looking to build a content business."

According to Clancy, Xiam's MPOS solution builds a behavioral profile of each individual user based on browsing logs and related data,. It then matches the profile with the operator's content catalog to supply tailored recommendations. "We're playing matchmaker," he said. "We're offering each consumer a one-to-one offer."

Xiam employs five different algorithms to determine the recommendations and guarantees the content associations make logical sense--needless to say, you don't want to offer a Chris Rock comedy clip to a subscriber who's just downloaded a Christian rock ringtone. Sometimes the recommendations span product types: For example, offering the full-track download incarnation of a popular ringtone. Other merchandising efforts embrace the related-content recommendation model pioneered by Amazon.com. Clancy added that all of Xiam's recommendations are made in real time, an innovation necessitated by the rapid-fire changes affecting content availability.

Advertising affords another growing opportunity to promote mobile content, especially as it relates to personalized recommendations. "Taking a user profile and targeting the user with specific ads is a very powerful and exciting possibility for the operator to generate new revenue streams," Clancy said.

Content providers also are exploring new merchandising channels. At BREW 2007, Warner Music Group announced a series of over-the-air, downloadable, artist-branded mobile themes based on Qualcomm's uiOne data services solution, promising in one file download a bundled suite of mobile products including ringtones, wallpapers, full-track songs and games from popular WMG artists. Warner Music Group Senior Vice President of Technology Strategy George White said the bundled merchandising approach was inspired in part by the success of operator KDDI's Chaka Uta Full service, which offers full-track downloads complete with a series of preset edit points enabling consumers to create their own ringtones.

For all that's unique about mobile merchandising, some Marketing 101 principles remain consistent regardless of the product or service in the spotlight. Product placement is critical, and in mobile, the prime real estate is on the carrier deck: A recent report issued by market analysis firm MultiMedia Intelligence states that off-deck revenues accounted for just $3.4 billion of $18.5 billion in total premium mobile content revenues reported during 2007.

Pricing and discounting also retain their power regardless of the merchandise in question. "Pricing is still a challenge, and something we're working hard to solve for operators," Clancy said, citing promotional tools such as bundling as key elements to foster content sales growth. "Promotions drive usage by providing value to the user--‘Buy one, get one free offers,' that sort of thing. But that requires integration with the operator to bring billing and provisioning systems closer in line with their portal."

Whatever merchandising avenues operators and content providers choose to explore, Clancy said relevance is paramount. "Operators must bring users closer to them, understand them better and offer the opportunity to consume content that's relevant to them," he said. "This is not the Internet. It's not the same proposition. It's a case of getting serious about this channel and enabling users to interact with us in a meaningful way."

Universal selects BrandXtend for D2C content

Mike Dolan — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:11:20 -0400

By Sue Marek

Qualcomm Internet Services just added another feather to its BrandXtend cap. The company announced today that Universal Music Group will expand its lineup of direct-to-consumer mobile content by leveraging Qualcomm's BrandXtend solution. UMG's mobile offering will be available directly to consumers through its artist web and WAP sites, CD packaging and its GetMusic.com portal.

By leveraging BrandXtend, UMG will be able to offer an array of direct-to-consumer mobile products, including ringtones, video ringtones, wallpapers, artist updates from thousands of the UMG artists. BrandXtend will allow UMG to manage their D2C content through content delivery mechanisms, campaign management and merchandising tools that include recommendations, bundles, text campaigns and more.

This is the second major brand that has selected Qualcomm's BrandXtend platform. Major League Baseball is also a BrandXtend customer. Qualcomm currently works with MLB to deliver any content across any network to any device.

Personalization Evolves, What's Next?

Wed, 28 May 2008 16:50:46 -0400

By Susan Murray

There was a time when mobile personalization meant simply polyphonic ringtones and static wallpapers, but as the market evolves, developers and carriers are pushing beyond the basics into ringback tones, video and user-specific recommendations.

The ringtone market continues to mature, while the graphics market has eroded as more people look to personalize their device, says Seamus McAteer, senior analyst with M:Metrics. There is a growing interest in ringback tones, given the fact that they can be replicated through less expensive user-created content. Record companies like ringbacks because they can deal directly with the operator, while the operator likes them because they offer a recurring revenue source that is not available with ringtones, according to McAteer. BREW users also are highly engaged in ringback tones, with BREW users being 41% more likely than the average users to use ringback tones, according to M:Metrics usage statistics for the three months ended February.

BREW has an engaging user experience, says Brian Casazza, CEO of Zed USA, which was created when Zed Worldwide acquired 9Squared, The platform, at its onset, brought groups together and provided them with a way to make money. "BREW has driven a lot of revenue for our company," he says, noting that its RealTone JukeBox has generated 76 million paid downloads. Monetizing content is key, he says. "The [BREW] platform can be a meaningful source of revenue if an application can connect with users," he says.

Zed's latest offering is VoiceMail Max, which enables users to customize their outgoing voicemail message. The company also is looking to bundle with ringbacks, which is being facilitated by application value building (AVB) - the ability to bundle multiple priced products across verticals.

Another way to connect with users is by recommending content that has meaning and value to a specific user. Zed is looking to do more with marrying mobile content with merchandizing and social community technologies

"Personalization is being defined as user-generated content," says McAteer, who notes that while the market is substantial, there is room for innovation and growth. Casazza, who plans to delve into what is possible with the platform in his BREW session, "The Evolution of Personalized Content," agrees. "BREW is a standardized platform, which helps, but more things are possible."

Ireland's Xiam, which was purchased by Qualcomm in March, is looking to take personalization to the next level through its software that matches behaviors and interest with mobile phone users. The software application, according to Colm Healey, Xiam's vice president and general manager, "solves the problem of discovery on the mobile phone. It narrows down choices for people like 'you.'" Healey expects the application, which already has been commercially deployed by Orange in the U.K. and Vodafone in Ireland, will be included with the next release of BREW, which will open it up to a wider audience given it will work with any multimedia handset.

McAteer sees the ability to recommend or deliver personalize content to a device as a good idea, especially if it integrates merchandising with content. The merchandizing of content on a handset does not do it justice right now. Qualcomm's uiOne is interesting when it comes to personalization, he says, noting the development of new capabilities, including a user being able personalize an entire display and have the content served up to him offline. Xiam's Healey says the ability to recommend the right content is just as important as not offering up the wrong content. With mobile advertising, for instance, there is a risk of people feeling bombarded with information. "Our technology ensures that the user has a high probability to respond to [a particular piece of content]," says Healey.

Developers must avoid trying to retrofit the Internet to the mobile device, according to Healey. "On the Internet you can ignore offers. [On mobiles] you have to make sure you are filtering out the irrelevant and time-wasting stuff."

What drives carriers to personalization?

Money is a big driver for operators to further embrace mobile personalization. "It is a new source of revenue for the operator - if you can move beyond just ringtones and graphics to personalizing the display, it brings you closer to the customer," McAteer says. Zed's Casazza agrees. "If done correctly, it can attract and retain customers, and drive revenue," he says.

But warns Casazza, BREW is not a cheap platform to build for because developers need to port to many handsets. "Do your homework, don't go 'willy-nilly' into building something without talking to the operator first."

Change is BREWing

Thu, 22 May 2008 06:59:59 -0400

Change is BREWing

I've been writing about BREW since 2002 when Verizon Wireless announced that it was using Qualcomm Internet Services technology to power its "Get It Now" content download service. Back then, we still referred to BREW by its full name "binary runtime environment for wireless." Yes, it was a mouthful.

Today BREW is part of the wireless nomenclature. We don't have to spell out the acronym because everyone knows what it is. But BREW is about more than just its early incarnation, which primarily focused on downloads. It is about both off portal and on deck content. It's about personalization and merchandizing. It incorporates new technologies such as speech recognition and location-based services.

Verizon, of course, is one of BREW's biggest carrier customers and at BREW 2007, John Harrobin, Verizon's senior vice president of marketing and digital media, took the stage and challenged BREW developers to help the operator overcome some of the challenges with mobile content by working on better merchandizing and retailing solutions such as barcode ticketing and mobile coupons.

Will Harrobin get his wish at BREW 2008? It certainly appears as if Qualcomm listened to Harrobin's requests. The company acquired content targeting solutions developer Xiam Technologies in March and is incorporating Xiam into its next generation of BREW. Xiam's My Personal Offers System targeting and personalization technology promises to individualize the user experience via relevant content offers and advertisements geared specifically to the consumer.

But Xiam isn't the only thing that Qualcomm will be talking about at BREW. I also expect to hear Qualcomm talk about opening up BREW's ecosystem. With operators such as Verizon Wireless touting its "Any Device, Any Platform" agenda, many are wondering how BREW will fit into that vision. Thursday's keynote address by Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs will probably hint at that.

We'll be bringing you all the news from the BREW 2008 conference next week. FierceMarkets is producing the BREW Times show daily at the BREW conference and we'll be posting all our coverage live at the FierceDeveloper site--www.fiercedeveloper.com. -Sue

DeviceAnywhere debuts Palm Virtual Developer Lab

Tue, 20 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Mobile content development, monitoring, testing and deployment solutions provider DeviceAnywhere launched its new Palm Virtual Developer Lab, a web-based remote testing service that promises to reduce the time and resources required to create applications for Palm smartphones. Available to all developers who register for DeviceAnywhere's Palm package, the VDL offers support for all Palm in-market devices including the Treo 755p and the Palm Centro smartphone. The DeviceAnywhere solution bases its trials on real, physical handsets, eschewing a simulation-based approach--upon registering for the Palm VDL, developers may access Palm smartphones to press buttons, view LCD displays and listen to ringers and speakers, as well as employ monitoring and test automation tools. DeviceAnywhere also enables developers to collaborate with each other regardless of time or place.

For more on the Palm Virtual Developer Lab:
-read this release

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Adobe heads Open Screen Project

Tue, 06 May 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Adobe Systems is trying to overcome the issues plaguing the fragmented mobile content space by partnering with several key companies to develop a solution for delivering rich web and video content across a variety of devices.

Called the Open Screen Project, Adobe--along with ARM, Chunghwa Telecom, Intel, LG Electronics, Marvell, Motorola, Nokia, NTT DoCoMo, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and others--will enable Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR to be consistent across desktop computers, mobile devices and set-top boxes. The group hopes this will make it easier for developers and content companies to deliver a streamlined user experience.

In an interview with FierceDeveloper, Anup Murarka, director of technical marketing for mobile and devices at Adobe, said that to help jumpstart this initiative Adobe is going to remove all license restrictions on swift file format and FLV/F4V specifications, and remove all license fees on embedded players. "Just as Flash player is free on the desktop, it will be available to all partners and the industry at large," Murarka said. In addition, Adobe will publish all device porting layer APIs for Adobe Flash Player and publish the Adobe Flash Cast protocol and AMF protocol for data services.

The first implementation based on this initiative will likely make its debut in mid-2009. Flash Lite will transition to this new format and will eventually be replaced, Murarka said. -Sue

For more on the Open Screen Project:
-read this release

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Tira Wireless debuts handset database

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

Mobile technology and services provider Tira Wireless announced the launch of Tira modd, an open handset database promising developers and publishers information on more than 17,000 unique device/operator combinations from over 1,200 device models offered by 54 manufacturers. According to Tira, the database platform combines automated tools and processes to acquire, characterize and share mobile device data from across the globe--a dedicated device team will profile new devices and validate device characteristics acquired from multiple sources including manufacturers, operators and the development community. The firm adds Tira modd represents the culmination of over six years of research and development, highlighted by experience porting over 500 mobile apps to create in excess of 30,000 unique builds.

Tira modd is available in three versions: The Standard Edition is available as a downloadable client for Windows PCs, with advanced query and data export capabilities; the Enterprise Edition is an open API offered as a web service for developers seeking to integrate the database into their applications, with an OEM option for customers that want to resell the data; and the Go Mobile Edition is a web-based version, freely available to members of the Tira Go Mobile Community.

For more on Tira modd:
-read this release

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Zong unveils open mobile platform

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Open mobile platform provider Zong announced its U.S. launch, promising any publisher, corporation, media company or developer the tools to create and bring to market mobile services in under 24 hours. The company says the Zong Open Mobile Platform delivers a single, http-based open API, enabling developers to create applications once for distribution across all major U.S. operators, regardless of handset type. Zong added it will soon release a series of turnkey applications to accompany the Open Mobile Platform and enable web ventures and publishers to immediately launch mobile services. "Zong enables the effortless launch of mobile services and applications that are then extended to more than 500 million people around the world," said David Marcus, CEO of Zong parent firm Echovox, in a prepared statement. "No other company can monetize mobile content this way, making Zong the only true open mobile platform for both mobile development and monetization."

For more on the Zong Open Mobile Platform:
-read this release

A developer's guide to pitching mobile apps to operators

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 07:59:59 -0400

One of the few highlights of last week's otherwise moribund CTIA Wireless I.T. and Entertainment 2007 conference was the State of Mobile Content Mini-Conference, a panel discussion bringing together the data services heads of the five largest U.S. mobile operators. During the course of a lively and far-ranging session moderated by Douglas Garland, executive in residence with venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the subject turned to developers' best bets for successfully pitching their applications for inclusion on carrier decks. Here's what each data chief had to say.

John Burris, Sprint's vice president of wireless data programming: "Understand what kinds of services Sprint offers today. You'd be surprised by the number of partners who aren't aware of what's part of our portfolio today… Be flexible."
Wade McGill, Alltel's senior vice president of product management and development: "Have a business model and an elevator speech. If it takes an hour or two hours to get through what a product is, it's not going to sell. Show me the value in the first five minutes."
Lee Daniels, Verizon Wireless' staff vice president, consumer services: "You have to understand the network impact of your application. How often is it hitting the network? How much data is it sending? You can't crush the network with streaming audio and video."
Ian McKerlich, T-Mobile's director of mobile web and content services: "Know what else we have and how your application is different. Take time to know how our business is different from other operators. We all go to market differently. Tell me how it adds value to the consumer, how we can make money, and how you can make money."
Mark Collins, AT&T's vice president of consumer data services: "What's the customer experience and why should a customer be interested in what you have to offer? If the customer isn't going to have a good experience, neither of us is going to make money. We have limits to our resources--we've got to prioritize."

For more of our comprehensive coverage of the CTIA event, including exclusive photos of some of the newest mobile phones and devices, click here. -Jason

dotMobi launches mobile web developer resource

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Mobile web domain registry dotMobi announced the launch of http://dev.mobi, a resource site comprising mobile content creation tools, how-to guides and interactive forums all targeting the development community. According to dotMobi, the dev.mobi site is designed to foster dialogue aimed at improving the overall mobile web experience via mobile development training and forums, articles by industry experts and mobile industry news.

The dev.mobi site also offers the dotMobi Developer Guide and downloadable content creation tools based on the open standards developed by dotMobi and the Worldwide Web Consortium. dotMobi said it will continuously update, expand and improve the Developer Guide. In addition, the site features the testing tool ready.mobi, which performs more than 30 separate tests on any .mobi site and provides an overall score indicating its mobile readiness, along with advice for addressing problems.

According to dot.Mobi, more than 375,000 .mobi domains are now registered. "The success of the mobile Internet hinges on the creation of quality, user-friendly content," said dotMobi CEO Neil Edwards in a prepared statement. "dev.mobi provides developers with the keys needed to unlock the potential of the mobile Internet. It is dotMobi's responsibility to educate and provide tools for developers whose content will drive the growth of the mobile Internet."

For more on dev.mobi:
- read this release

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