SMS faster than mobile internet

So last night us U.K citizens enjoyed an earthquake at just after 1am.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7266136.stm

As the earthquake gained momentum with the house shaking, i went onto the mobile internet to see what was going on, any reports? No.

Two minutes later i decided to text textperts and i got a quick reply as follows:

66000 We're getting unconfirmed reports of a minor earth tremor across England (Leeds and Manchester down to Surrey) so very likely that.

Very impressive. I then went onto facebook mobile and one of my freinds had just updated her staus 'woken up by earthquake!'.

I then added my textperts knowledge and went back to bed.

All very quick, calm and a lot quicker than the BBC!

Vote on your mobile? Sell shares?

I have been busy compiling data and stats for my strategic review of the mobile business. My company, Emap has just been bought by Bauer so it will be interesting to see how the two U.K. operations will sync up and also gain insight into the global opportunities that will come our way going forward.

Exciting times, nothing seems to stand still, or so it seems.

The sale process was also interesting. As a shareholder we had the opportunity to vote via post, with an option for online, but not mobile. We also had a roadshow to discuss the tax implications of our shares, face to face with a posted document to follow, again nothing available on the mobile.

I am sure this is no different to many FTSE100 companies. My point is, however, this is the type of information i would gladly read on my phone whilst communiting to our London office. The thing is, the information is timely both for voting and for tax advice.

It is usually also time consuming so to read up and even have the opportunity to vote or sell shares via the mobile seems to make sense to me.

It would be another task dealt with effectively during another routinely manic week.
Alas, it is indeed another topic to tag onto the ever growing mobile opportunities list.

New UGC service

This week has seen the launch of EyeVibe with mobile networks O2 and 3 merging their user generated video clip sites into one portal.Anyone with a video-enabled mobile phone will be able to access to view or submit clips.

Every time a user generated clip is viewed by someone else on their mobile phone, the creator will get a small slice of the revenues generated.

The move, will create the UK's first cross-network social networking service aimed specifically at mobile phone users. By opening up user generated content services across operators, i would expect the number of users and creators to grow quickly.
Customers of the other networks will be able to use EyeVibe, but costs will vary, depending on which network they are on .

EyeVibe, created from the makers of Yospace which is owned by Bauer, offers consumers a different perspective to the YouTube experience as the consumer is incentivised and the clip is made for mobile.

EyeVibe also allows members of the community to chat with each other and post comments about particular videos, adding an extra element of social networking to the service.

I am pleased that the operators have agreed that the consumer should have access to other networks content, i look forward to seeing some more innovation of this service before too long.

Neat UGC and ad applications

I met with a mobile development company today Roundpoint. Cambridge based with an office in San Francisco, they create mobile and websites.They also have some neat applications and services.

What i really liked was their understanding of the long tail. They offer web and mobile solutions for small (or large) companies to create useful integrated services, now.

I also like the All4One product.
It demonstrates they understand consumers.So All4one allows content providers to offer full personalisation of content, matching one of the essential requirements of mobile content delivery: focused and relevant.
The clever bit is the enabler (say a music site) and/or the end user can both make the site personal.

Users are in full control of their content selection (i.e. Jazz, not hip hop), however, the enabler can apply various security levels to the user. The levels can change based on say the user profile, or as an incentive for the user to interact i.e. free downloads.

One other thing to catch my eye was the SanDisk application. Now live in the states.
This is a potential white label UGC solution, where a company such as Emap can create a mobile site. The user can enter, browse content. Nothing new there then, but wait.
The user can then take a picture (say at a gig) and upload it within the mobile session.

It' quick and simple. It avoids MMS and the pitfalls that go with memorising the long number, cost and also hoping, praying that the operator delivers it!
The really clever bit, it links to the website. Therefore the user can braodcast live from an event, to a mobile and web audience in seconds.Nice one.

There were other good things about Roundpoint such as their mobile advertising server that can deliver a campaign based on a specific time. Mmm specific time..

I had one of those moments of genius. Well not quite genuis.But good.
My idea was using SMS to drive people to an ad campign.

So let's take a famous bar chain with a happy hour incentive. The consumer receives an SMS. The SMS contains a link to a mobile site, with a message 'click here for half price drinks tonight'.

Consumer goes to the portal, downloads his voucher (barcode, QR voucher pin code..whatever) He gets directions to the nearest bar. Texts his friend the link or even updates his facebook and hey presto.

Tageted, useful advertising, on your phone, with a viral option.
The possibilities are endless... really