In your pocket

Measuring mobility

Sun, 30 May 2010 21:03:00 +0200

The global number of mobile subscriptions will exceed 5 billion before the end of 2010. What about the usage of the devices beyond this astonishing number?

It was recently reported that the total duration of phone calls using mobile phones was longer than the duration of calls using fixed phones during Q1 in Sweden. Many people see no reason for having a fixed line any longer. Could mobile phones eliminate the need for other equipment as well?

A lot of effort is put into predicting the evolution of Internet usage. Total number of Internet users globally is currently at around 1.7 billion. This includes users having acccess to shared computers as well as people using mobile phones to access the Internet. Mobile Internet users globally can be devided into two categories.

Firstly, there are mobile Internet users who also use Internet through computers. These users gradually learn to use their mobile phones as a replacement for the Internet access they used to do on their computers. Services become more conveniently available on the go. Most of them will continue to use their PC for the foreseeable future but I recently read an article about an executive who has thrown away her computer. She uses her mobile phone only.

Secondly, there are mobile Internet users who have never accessed the Internet through a PC. The fastest growth of mobile Internet usage is in countries like India, South Africa and Indonesia. For these users, mobile Internet is not about making available services mobile. It is about making services available in the first place.

When will we see more users paying their bills through their mobile phones than through their computer?
When the mobile phone be the most used device for e-mail access?
When will we see more users checking in to their flight through their mobile than through their computer?

Trends like smartphones and netbooks in combination with mobile broadband also blur the borders between PCs and phones of course. Personally I believe that visions of convergence described by many people are unrealistic. There will be no such thing as the universal device, the universal network or the universal service. I call it "convergence utopia" and I'll elaborate on that some other time.

I admit it, this time I leave you with questions rather than answers. For those of you who think you know the answers, your comments are welcome!

Mobile apps economy

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:00:28 +0200

In a new report Chetan Sharma has studied the global mobuile apps market. The report includes valuable statistics and makes some very valid points.

The number of mobile apps downloaded globally 2009 was over 7 billion and the revenue including paid apps and revenue from advertising was 4.1 billion USD. For the mobile advertiving part there are definitely players who hope to see more advertising revenues having built a community through distribution of apps but this additional money is yet to be proven and collected.

So who got all this money? With the established 70/30 developer/Apple revenue split and the media dominance of the Apple Appstore one would think most of the $4.1 billion was split according to this. 70% to developers and 30% to Apple. As a matter of fact, operator managed app sales generated more then 50% of the total apps revenue. Note that operator data revenues is not included in the $4.1 billion apps revenue. This means the combined effect on operator revenues is higher. In addition to this, through applications operators can create a unique subscriber experience and thus a competitive advantage.

In the apps ecosystem of developers, operators, device manufacturers and users there is one fundamental enabler: Connectivity. Now that picture frames, cars, cameras, electricity meters and other devices are becoming connected we will also see the mobile apps spreading to cover these kind of devices.

More data and analysis is available in Sizing up the Global Mobile Apps Market by chetan Sharma.

Your car will be connected

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:03:00 +0200

When was the last time you upgraded your phone?

Remote software updates from the device manufacturer enables shorter time to market. It also avoids costly recall procedures and it enables device manufacturers to keep end users happy thus protecting their brand. Most mobile device vendors have the infrastructure for enabling remote software updates rolled out. Some mobile handsets automatically check for updates on regular basis and upgrades are performed without requiring end user actions. Delivery of upgrades is achieved over the air through the mobile network or through the network connection of a PC that the device is regularly connected to for other purposes such as data synchronization.

Readers of this blog are getting used to the creep of scope - outside your pocket. Mobile devices are not only gadgets that fit in a pocket. When was the last time you upgraded your car? An article from 2005 described the Toyota Prius as a "Computer on wheels" already five years ago. The article states that the average passenger car 2005 had about 30 to 40 microprocessors controlling everything from air conditioning and audio and video systems, to critical functions such as braking systems and air bags. Further, the average car 2005 contained about 35 million lines of code. Corresponding numbers for 2010 are higher, I'm sure.

So, what recent news could fit into this plot? Well, Toyota - consistently topping vehicle quality reviews - has announced recall programs across the globe for millions of vehicles. Security problems in the cars need to be fixed and a number of different problems have been identified for different Toyota models. Not surprisingly, at least part of these problems will be fixed by software upgrades. What if the software could be upgraded remotely without recalling the cars? What cost would this save for Toyota and what difference would it make to the Toyota brand?

One thing I always liked about Toyota is their slogan "Today, Tomorrow, Toyota". So what will we see from Toyota tomorrow? Trust me, the cars will be connected. Toyota is already part of the ng Connect Program mentioned as "LTE on wheels" in M2M Magazine. The way I see it, people are connected sometimes more than they want to - it is time to focus on connecting the machines.

Mobile device communities

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 09:16:00 +0200

I once gave a presentation on the subject "Show me your phone and I'll tell you who you are". Mobile devices clearly express personality.

The use of mobile devices is not purely about communication. It is also about fashion and demographics. Through your selection of mobile device you express personality and you join a community. In the connected world we live in you then connect to other people and companies related to that community.

Yesterday's news is a recent example of the impact of online social networking driving people to form communities based on use of mobile devices.