In-Stat: Text messaging cash cow for mobile operators

Text messaging is cheap, reliable and easy for users to get to grips with, which is why, today, users are sending more than 2 trillion messages a day, found recent research from In-Stat.
by Helen Leggatt
New research from In-Stat has found that text messaging remains the most profitable data service in the U.S., despite efforts to boost the average revenue per user by introducing value added services.
"SMS may be a basic, cheap technology, but it still has much life as a MNO cash cow," said Frank Dickson, In-Stat analyst.
"The keys to SMS profitability are its ease-of-use, inexpensive price tag, global reach, and increased reliability as infrastructure development increases in more rural global regions. In developed areas, however, it has become increasingly important for mobile operators to find ways to enhance and personalize the SMS service offering."
In-Stat's research, 'Worldwide Mobile Application Series: Mobile Messaging Still Profitable', found that mobile messengers are also more likely to pay up to 25% more for their handsets than all survey respondents.
Recent research has found that mobile phone users aren't yet comfortable or savvy enough to fully embrace more advanced features. Consequently, users aren't using devices to their maximum potential.
Tags: In-Stat, mobile operator, mobile phone, revenue, text messaging

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Foresee Results: Shopping in-store with mobiles 'next big thing'

New research from ForeSee Results has revealed that in-store shoppers who use their mobile phone as part of their shopping experience are 6% more likely to buy something in the store.
by Helen Leggatt
Mobile phones are playing an increasingly important role in consumers' purchase decision making process. ForeSee's report, "Mobile Apps: The Next Big Thing", found that almost a third (29%) of shoppers with mobile phones have used them while shopping to obtain an opinion or price check an item.
However, consumers weren't making use of retailer mobile apps. Instead, around three-quarters (72%) said they call someone, presumably a friend or relative, about a purchase and 40% send a picture of a potential purchase.
Even less use the mobile Internet to check prices (24%) or check product reviews (15%).
ForeSee expects the use of mobile phones in-store to grow significantly over the coming year, as will smartphone use, and encourages retailers to look at opportunities to enhance in-store mobile shopping experiences. The key is to bridge the gap between on- and offline research.
Many consumers remain unaware of mobile apps that can aid them in their in-store research, although popular third-party comparison sites such as Kelkoo and Reevoo now have mobile sites. But when consumers are literally standing in front of a product, retailers need to capture the moment, perhaps by providing review services via barcode scanning (a la MobileVoice), or signage that provides mobile users with instructions on where and how to find specs and ratings.
"It will be a while before we see huge penetration of cell phones being used as part of the in-store experience, but I expect it to double next year and continue growing from there," said report author and President/CEO of ForeSee Results, Larry Freed.
Tags: Kelkoo, MobileVoice, Reevoo, comparison sites, in-store shoppers, mobile apps, mobile phone, product reviews, ratings, retail stores


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Popularity of mobile video streaming, downloading rising

Video streaming and downloading by mobile users rose significantly towards the end of 2008, according to QuickPlay Media's findings from its latest quarterly consumer consumption analysis.
by Helen Leggatt
QuickPlay, who provide many U.S. and Canadian mobile carriers with video services, including Telus, AT&T, Sprint and Alltel, revealed that the number of video streams viewed in Q4 2008 more than doubled from the previous quarter, compared with a 27% increase from Q2 to Q3.
The increased availability of high-quality entertainment, and the launch of popular video content such as YouTube on Telus, have both contributed to the rise in popularity. Music and movie previews were the most popular genres for streaming video. While the total number of video streams grew, total streams per user dropped slightly, so more people are viewing less. However, they are watching streams for slightly longer - average stream duration for Q4 08 was 1 second longer than Q3's two minutes 47 seconds.
Meanwhile, growth in the number of video downloads decreased from 87% in Q2 to Q3 08 to 73% in Q3 to Q4 although the number of downloads per user was up from 4.1 in Q3 to 6 in Q4. The most popular categories for mobile downloading were music, sports, and comedy.
"The positive results show mobile entertainment continues to be one of the bright spots in the current economy," said Wayne Purboo, president and CEO, QuickPlay Media.
"Consumers remain willing to pay for high-quality entertainment services. In 2009, we expect to see mobile operators continuing to focus on mobile data services as it gives them an effective way to protect ARPU by delivering added value to their cost-conscious subscribers.
Tags: downloading, mobile phone, mobile video, QuickPlay Media, streaming

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comScore: Use of SocNet via mobile Internet rises 152% YoY

The number one factor driving uptake of the mobile Internet in Europe is social networking, according to a new study by comScore M:Metrics, and Britain leads the way.
by Helen Leggatt
The figures show a 152% year-on-year increase in the number of Europeans using mobile social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Now, just over 12 million people in the UK, Germany, Spain, France and Italy are accessing social network sites from their mobile phones.
While the average mobile social networking penetration is 5%, the U.K. tops the charts with 9.2% of users accessing social sites from their mobile phones followed by Spain and Italy. Germany sits at the bottom with just 3.3%.
Almost a third of those using their mobiles to visit social networking sites (29.7%) don't visit any other Internet sites other than the social networks. Women are heavier users of mobile social networks than men - 48% v. 32% - found the study.
"This development is encouraging for the future of the mobile Internet," said Alistair Hill, analyst at comScore M:Metrics. "Social networking is taking the mobile Internet out of the early adopter demographic and into the mainstream."
Tags: comScore, Europe, mobile Internet, mobile phones, social networking, social networks

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New formats launched for AdOn mobile ads

Mobile advertising solution AdOn has launched several new ad formats which could help marketers enhance upcoming mobile campaigns. The new formats include banner and multimedia ads, text and video as well as downloadable apps, giving marketers even more options when it comes to audience engagement.
by Kristina Knight
"While mobile advertising has been growing steadily in recent years, it has become evident that it is beginning to fulfill its potential as a viable marketing and advertising platform," said Steve Armstrong, CEO of AdOn Network.
In addition to the new formats, the ad suite gives marketers some advanced targeted capabilities including geographic, demographic and daypart targeting. Marketers can also target ads based on users' screen size, mobile channel and by carrier. Targeting, especially in the mobile space, is quite important. Mobile consumers are open to many forms of advertising but stress that ads must be relevant to them.
Offering a mobile consumer interested in the location of a coffee shop a coupon for $10 off of a pair of shoes will not engage them. By allowing ads to be targeted by daypart, demographic and geography marketers have a better chance of finding in-market consumers as they are searching for specific products.
One other ad format, the background ad, could also tempt marketers. Background ads on the platform are served in large formats and places in unused spaces to surround website content. These ads integrate into the website and can be rotated so that consumers see different ads when they log on to a content hub.
Tags: AdOn Network, mobile ad units, mobile ads, mobile marketing

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Study: iPhone users more likely to respond to mobile ads

When it comes to mobile marketing, iPhone users are the consumers to target. According to a new report from Limbo and GfK Technology, based on Q4 2008 numbers, iPhone users were 66% more likely to respond to mobile ads than other mobile consumers.
by Kristina Knight
iPhone users were also found to be 23% more aware of mobile ads.
Limbo CEO Jonathon Linner said, "We found that the iPhone users are not only more accessible, but are also more aware of all mobile ads including those outside of the typical SMS and mobile Web formats. In addition, this report shows that other mobile ad formats, including location-based services, are growing and gaining traction, with iPhone users serving as the early adopters."
Other interesting findings from the report include:
• Half of iPhone users responded to a mobile ad in some way• iPhone users call an 800 number, the most common call-to-action, twice as often as non-iPhon users• 20% of iPhone users visit a mobile website compared to 14% of non-iPhone users• 25% of iPhone users purchased a product or visited the store of a mobile marketer
This does not mean that non-iPhone consumers should be ignored by marketers but it does indicate that, for now, iPhone consumers are the best targets for mobile ad campaigns.
Tags: GfK Technology, iPhone, Limbo, mobile ads, mobile marketing

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Google launches AdSense for Mobile Search

AdSense for Mobile was launched by Google back in September, 2007. Now the company is beta-testing AdSense for Mobile Search to enable publishers to join the mobile content network and monetize their sites with Google text ads.
by Helen Leggatt
AdSense for Mobile Search will enable mobile publishers to easily and quickly embed a Google search box on their mobile sites. Users will have access to Google's full range of search services including news and images, all formatted for their mobile phones. Mobile site owners share in the ad revenue generated by searches originating on their sites.
Essentially this is AdSense for Search, but the mobile version.
According to the official release post by Yury Pinsky, Product Manager, Google mobile team, "AdSense for mobile search is a Google-hosted solution, which means users will experience the same speed, reliability, and innovation that they've come to expect from Google. And even though the results pages are served by Google, the pages can be cobranded with publishers' logos and linked back to their sites".
AdSense for Mobile Search is currently only available via restricted beta access. If you want to take part in the beta trials, you can apply here.
Tags: AdSense for Mobile Search, beta, Google, mobile phones, mobile publisher, mobile sites

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Mobile-friendly recommendation site launched

There's been a lot of talk recently about the increase in use of mobile phones while shopping in-store and the role the mobile Internet plays in providing consumers with the information they need to make a purchase decision. A new recommendation site may be just what consumers are looking for.
by Helen Leggatt
Consumers take their mobile phones with them wherever they go - especially when they're shopping. Increasingly, both marketers and retailers are looking for ways to bridge the gap between in-store shopping and the Internet. Mobile phones bridge that gap.
What's needed is an interface that provides consumers with the information they want, when they want it and in a format that lends itself to their mobile devices.
Enter Goodrec.
Goodrec is an online recommendation site, dubbed 'the Twitter of reviews', and while there's a full web version, it's also very mobile-friendly. By keeping reviews short and sweet - a maximum of 160 characters - the site sets itself apart from other review destinations such as Kelkoo or Yelp. Consumers don't have to wade through a sea of text at a point when time is of the essence and screen space limited.
In addition, Goodrec, which was first introduced at TechCrunch50 in September last year, has foregone a star-rating system, instead using simple, at-a-glance 'thumbs up', 'mixed bag' and 'thumbs down' logos.
Users of the new Goodrec iPhone app can search for and post reviews from anywhere, sending photos of their experience whether it is a meal in a restaurant, an electronics purchase or a test-drive in a new SUV. This 'freshness' of input and information helps provide a strong sense of reassurance for users.
Goodrec also recognizes the important role of consumers' friends in the decision making process. For example, a recent ForeSee Results study discovered that consumers have not yet begun to fully embrace the use of product reviews via their mobiles while shopping in-store. Instead, almost three-quarters used their mobile phone to call someone about a potential purchase. Goodrec enables users to harness the knowledge of their friends via the "Request Recommendation" function. The social feature allows users to post a question to their email and Facebook contacts.
It's mobile-friendly review and recommendation sites, like Goodrec, that will go some way to bridging the gap between mobile, Internet and in-store shopping experiences. Now coming out of beta, the service has racked up over 100,000 reviews and recommendations and its success will, no doubt, be determined by the level of content and number of users it can continue to attract and retain.
Tags: Goodrec, in-store, mobile phone, product reviews, purchase decision, recommendation site, shopping, social

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4INFO launches mobile SMS ad server

4INFO, a text messenging provider, has launched a new service for mobile marketers: AdHaven. The new platform helps mobile publishers and operators to monetize their content through SMS test ads. Users can manage campaigns through the platform.
by Kristina Knight
The platform offers marketers Click-to-WAP, Click-to-Call and Click-to-Video among other ad opportunities.
CEO of 4INFO, Zaw Thet said, "Because of AdHaven's flexibility combined with 4INFO's expertise in mobile ad targeting and insertion, no mobile content is off limits or out of scope - and all SMS publishers are capable of turning a cost center into a revenue stream."
According to company information there are more than 16 million users in the 4INFO network, which serves more than 80 million text message each month. The messages include answers to users questions and mobile alerts.
What many mobile marketers are finding is that consumers aren't simply surfing the mobile web; consumers are surfing for very specific information via mobiles. Rather than paging through news clipping after news clipping, consumers want the details of a specific news headline, a specific movie theatre location or showtime or weather information for their neighborhood. Because mobile consumers are after such specific information, mobile marketers have a better chance at converting consumers in the mobile space when relevant ads are served in a timely manner.
Tags: 4INFO, mobile marketing, mobile operator, mobile publisher, text message ads, text messenging
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Anthem platform upgrades to include email, IM and social apps

Mobile-social corporation Intercasting has upgraded the Anthem platform to smarten up mobiles. The upgrade includes services for email, instant messenging and other social applications which can be used via mobile devices.
by Kristina Knight
Anthem allows mobile marketers to create, deliver and manage mobile campaigns with XML, CSS and Javascript languages. Marketers can deploy through the system via a preloaded mobile player or the apps and ads can be directly integrated to the device IU; as new apps and features are developed they can be automatically plugged into the interface.
"Our latest Anthem release raises the bar for social application deployment in the mobile space," said Shawn Conahan, Intercasting Corp's CEO and Founder. "Our carrier and OEM customers now have a cost effective and low touch solution to dynamically plug in and integrate the most in-demand consumer applications driving mobile useage today."
Mobile consumers will like the platform because it can be personalized. Consumers can set the platform up to deliver one touch features to reach their contacts, favorite social hubs, instant messaging and email features.
According to an Informa forecast mobile marketing will reach $1 trillion by 2013 with more than 5 billion subscribers by 2012. Both 3G and 3.5G traffic is expected to bring in the bulk of new subscribers. These subscribers want more than a phone - they want to stay connected to their social networks, friends and family and email contacts with one device.
Tags: Anthem, email, IM, Intercasting Corp, mobile marketing, mobile social, mobile subscribers, social

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MWC: Xtract Updates Social Links

Xtract has announced the latest version of its social intelligence solution, Social Links 3.0. It comes with a new graphical interface for operators to view and understand their subscribers’ social behaviour and utilise this intelligence for effective targeting of marketing and to support strategic business decisions. Xtract Social Links analyses social interactions, behaviour and demographic data that mobile operators and online companies have on their customers to create accurate, automated consumer profiles for us in marketing campaigns. “Digital data is one of the most powerful assets mobile operators have and Xtract helps to monetise it,” says Xtract CEO, Timo Laaksonen. Social Links can revolutionise operator marketing and CRM operations with insightful customer intelligence that takes the social dimension into account. Leveraging this intelligence, operators can deliver marketing that is personal, relevant and compelling to their subscribers.” Xtract says that the Social Links 3.0 graphical interface is easily customisable. The new version will be available for first customer deliveries at the end of March.
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MWC: GSMA Releases Mobile Web Audience Metrics

The GSM Association (GSMA) and a task force comprising Telefónica, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile International and 3, have released the results of a feasibility study examining mobile audience metrics. The GSMA says the findings will enable media and advertising agencies, brands and publishers to deliver better mobile advertising campaigns. The study, part of the GSMA’s Mobile Media Metrics programme, has created a measurement process for mobile browsing that respects the privacy of mobile users and provides planning information for the media and advertising communities.The results of the study, based on a sample of anonymised data from UK mobile operators, reveal that operator sites continue to command the largest audiences, with 68% of UK mobile users visiting operator portals. Google is the top off-portal destination and Facebook is the top mobile site by time spent browsing, with other social networking sites featuring strongly. In addition to the top sites, a total of 167,648 mobile Internet sites have been measured during the feasibility study.The Top 10 Mobile sites are as follows:
Mobile operator sites
Google sites
Facebook.com
Yahoo! sites
BBC sites
Apple sites
Microsoft sites
Sony (including Sony Ericsson)
Nokia
AOL (including Bebo)
The study also compares mobile web browsing behaviour with the carried out on the PC. For example, mobile users accessing Facebook spend an average of 24 minutes per day on the site, similar to the 27.5 minutes spent by PC users. Mobile users on Facebook averaged 3.3 visits per day, compared to 2.3 visits per day by PC users. Mobile is used consistently throughout the whole day, but the early morning (7-10am) is the key day part for mobile, accounting for 22% of total mobile minutes browsed, compared with only 11% of total minutes browsed by PC Internet users in the same day part. Based on this insight, the GSMA says that mobile can act as an extension to media such as the Internet and TV, while reinforcing other early morning media, such as radio and newspapers.The GSMA says that the real value of the research comes in the combination of aggregated site popularity and user behaviour data with independently collected demographic information, which enables more effective targeting of campaigns. Mobile is confirmed as a strong youth medium, with 48% of users aged between 18 and 34, compared to 40% for the fixed Internet and 29% for the TV audience (source: BMRB’s TGI). Mobile is also more skewed towards men, who represent 63% of total users, compared with 53% for the fixed Internet. “Access to transparent measurement is essential in establishing mobile as a legitimate advertising medium,” says GSMA CEO Rob Conway. “This programme will help take the guesswork out of mobile for brands, publishers and agencies. For the first time, the advertising community has access to real, aggregated mobile audience data, which offers insight into the most popular sites, ranked by number of visitors, page impressions, time and duration of visits. This will enable better planning of marketing campaigns, and in turn, will accelerate sales of mobile advertising inventory.”In producing the study, the GSMA worked with comScore as its measurement partner and ABC Electronic its media audit partner, as well as key industry stakeholders including JICWEBS and its member associations. The next phase of the programme will see the commercial launch of an audited mobile measurement service, expected in the second half of 2009. The GSMA will establish three further working groups, one each for advertisers, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. These working groups will confirm the measurement and reporting needs of the media industry, gather support for the proposed measures as a common currency for mobile audience measurement, and establish how best to integrate this valuable information into existing cross-media business processes and tools.The inititiave has been broadly welcomed. Guy Philippson, CEO of the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau) UK, says: “Robust audience data is vital to the success of any medium, and Mobile Media Metrics represents a huge step forward for the industry. Once media planners start using the research to justify mobile advertising on schedules, we can expect to see the medium grow with well targeted, cross-network campaigns.”

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MWC: Roam Free

Just out of a meeting with Skuku, who we’ve written about a few times in recent weeks. If you’re not familiar with the company, it offers a service called Skuku Roaming. You pay around €40 for a USB device which looks a little like a mobile handset, download the software, insert your normal SIM card into the device, then make and take voice calls and send and receive texts to and your home country network via any wireless network, for free. You can also make PC-to-phone calls to any other country. “We want to enable anyone with a SIM card to roam for free,” Yonah Lloyd, who handles international business development at the company, told me, before allowing me to take this wonderfully natural photo of him holding the handset. He assured me, too, that voice quality is outstanding. It costs €2 (£1.80) a day to use the service, or you can pay by the month (€10), or an annual fee of €119, in which case you get the device for free.This is a fantastic solution that any individual or companies travelling to any of the 19 countries in which Skuku is currently live, ought to investigate. If you travel frequently, and have to use your phone while you’re away, you could save yourself a small fortune. Perhaps not surprisingly, Lloyd confirmed that most mobile operators the company has approached don’t want to know, but he claims one or two enlightened operators do see Skuku as a chance to win back roaming minutes they are currently losing from customers who refuse to pay high roaming charges. Skuku is adding countries to its network at the rate of two per month, but tomorrow is when it gets really interesting. This is when the company will also announce a mobile app version of the solution, in beta form, for Windows Mobile devices initially, with Symbian to follow next quarter, and Android, the quarter after that. This would enable users to benefit from free calls and texts back to their home network via wi-fi, without the need to be connected to a PC. Nice.
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MWC: Day 1 Morning News Round-up

As ever at MWC, the news is coming in faster than we can write it up, so here’s a brief summary of some of the announcements so far…
NVIDIA has announced Android compatibility for its Tegra series of ‘computer-on-a-chip’ processors. The NVIDIA Tegra APX 2600 processor running Android is on display on the NVIDIA stand in Hall 1, Stand IC34. NVIDIA says it will be enabling its OEM customers with a highly optimized and accelerated Android port starting in the second quarter of 2009.
Independent mobile application store GetJar has announced support for Adobe’s new over-the-air mobile runtime solution that includes the Adobe Flash Lite 3.1 Distributable Player. With an extensive developer community and over 22 million downloads a month, GetJar will be a major direct distributor for new games and applications that the developer community creates for the new Flash Lite runtime.GetJar is also be one of the key sponsors of the Flash Lite Developer Challenge announced today. This international competition for the most compelling mobile content available will present winners $100,000 (£70,000) in cash prizes. As a key sponsor, GetJar will match the $100,000 prize total with $100,000 of marketing support for the contest winners, helping to fast-track the winners’ apps to market and providing premium placement on GetJar’s network.
Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) has unveiled the MB86K23, a Mobile WiMAX baseband device targeting the expanding mobile PC market. MB86K23 is the next-generation of the successful MB86K21, which targeted embedded WiMAX in mobile PCs or in WiMAX PC cards and which has been certified by the WiMAX Forum. It offers low power consumption, and by enabling a 60% reduction in chip-set area compared to its predecessor, allows small form-factors for mobile devices.
Airwide Solutions has released the results of a survey conducted on its behalf by Direct2Mobile. It found that three-quarters of mobile operators believe that the mobile social networking phenomenon will play a very important role in driving messaging growth, and plan to invest in mobile social networking technology over the course of the next 12 months. The study also reveals that social networking now accounts for over 50% of total mobile Internet traffic in developed markets. Airwide says it can help operators tap into the demand for emerging applications like mobile social networking by enabling them to enrich existing applications with subscriber and network data, and helping them to manage and control the quality of applications to their subscribers.
GeoSentric Oyj’s GyPSii business unit has announced the launch of the GyPSii OpenExperience API (OEx), its platform for incorporating location-based social networking functionality into embedded mobile clients and applications. OEx supports a whole new “user experience” on mobile devices, as seen on the iPhone and other new user experience based mobile platforms. It allows GyPSii partners to enhance their own products and services with the rich location-specific features, content and community of the GyPSii mobile social network. In using the API, the company says, partners can leverage GyPSii’s international infrastructure and immediately offer new services to their customer base.
Amdocs has announced a new mobile applications portal solution to help service providers gain revenue from, and play a critical role in, mobile applications retailing. Called Amdocs App Store, it provides a collaborative environment in which service providers and their third-party developer partners can develop, sell and profit from the digital applications and value-added services. Amdocs App Store is a collection of packaged digital commerce, partner collaboration and personalisation capabilities, and development tools designed to help service providers open their infrastructures in a controlled manner so that innovative third-party developers and content providers can collaborate, create, market, and deliver personalized applications and services (such as games and social networking applications) to consumers via any mobile device.
Maximizer Software has unveiled Maximizer CRM 10.5 Freedom for Blackberry, which allows one-click, one-touch access to critical customer and sales information.The solution allows real-time wireless access to business intelligence data through mobile dashboards, which enables managers and executives to directly monitor sales performance and services activities from their mobile devices. Additionally, the new release provides IT administrators with the ability to wirelessly deploy mobile CRM to business users, offering one-click installation.
Acision has launched Acision Text Suite, which the company says is the world’s first open service text architecture. Acision says the solution provides operators with the control and flexibility they need to extend their text messaging business to markets they couldn’t effectively address before. Furthermore, it enables operators to enrich their current subscriber services in order to differentiate in highly competitive markets and monetise messaging and network assets to grow their messaging business.Acision Text Suite enables short time to market for new services and easy integration across a range of messaging bearers and third parties, including web and enterprise application providers. It also provides access to new messaging capabilities such as real-time transactions for mobile payment applications, subscriber location, priority delivery and dialogue management, as well as central control over all messages in the core messaging architecture.
Gigafone has launched its new digital advertising solution, Ochre. Gifagone describes Ochre as a vendor agnostic solution that’s designed to provide brands, agencies and mobile operators with a holistic and simplified view of the advertising ecosystem. It is launching nine partners from across the advertising value chain. These are: Xtract, Vizimo, Palringo, AditOn, Yodel Digital, Icom group, Liquid Air Lab, Sponge Group and OwnSkin. Gigafone says that Ochre will tackle the market fragmentation that is preventing the development of effective and creative digital campaigns.
modu, inventor of the world’s lightest mobile phone, and Telefonica, have announced an agreement to conduct a pilot of modu mobile phones in Mexico, Argentina and Chile. Telefonica Latin America counts around 150 million subscribers in its 13-country service region. The collaboration with modu is intended to broaden the choice of mobile phones available to consumers.
Jinny Software has launched its fully-managed Mobile Marketing & Advertising Service, which will provide advertising from agencies to the operator as a managed service and share the revenue earned from advertising with the operator. This revenue-share commercial model removes the need for operators to incur the up-front CAPEX required to build and implement the solution, the company says. Jinny will manage contractual relationships with the advertising agencies and brands, and will invoice these parties for the campaigns run across the platform.www.jinny.ie
Network planning and optimisation consultancy AIRCOM International has announced a partnership with Aria Networks, which provides forecasting, planning and optimisation solutions for fixed-line and mobile network carriers. The partnership will see AIRCOM market, distribute and support Aria's iVNT software suite to its partners and mobile telecoms customers around the world.
We’re off to meet some of the companies at the show now. More later.
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Don’t make your clients love you in silence

Having been booked off for a recurring lower back problem last week had me in stitches (figuratively) about what mobile communications has to offer businesses. A rap on the knuckles from a rather important client made its way via a colleague of mine and that made me realise a couple of things again.
Your clients aren’t really that bothered by you or your welfare that much. It’s a rather unfortunate realisation and seemingly unfair, but if you do a role reversal, you will come to the conclusion that the shoe fits on either foot.
When your service delivery is excellent, they love you in silence, as it is what they have come to expect of you. When your service is poor, or absent as it was my case, they’ll use their own unique way to make their dissatisfaction heard and often times felt.
Damage control is one thing, a strategy I employed during my time off to assure my client that all will be dealt with as soon as I can manage a vertical position. But damage control implies that damage has occurred already and when one client’s dissatisfaction becomes ten or 100 clients’ that control may well be lost.
Mobile communication platforms and automation adds unique value to your portfolio. It is what secures check up visits to a dentist when his client receives a six month check up reminder on his mobile phone. It is what gets these teething clients to actually commit to the appointment when a simple reply text message schedules a booking.
It is the convenience of being able to purchase electricity from your mobile phone by sending a single text message or transferring money from your accounts when you’re out on holiday, far removed from the hassles of standing in banking queues.
Mobile communications platforms are systems built into your business infrastructure and performs these value added services with little to no thought paid to its existence. The recognition is duly paid on the business end of the supplier-client relationship and secures a hassle free communication channel, recurring business and a wonderful opportunity for cross- and up selling.
Businesses lose clients. That’s the reality of being in business. Luckily, they also gain clients as they go along. In a time where the battle with time becomes tougher, it’s refreshing for consumers to know that they have a couple of things less to worry about.
Mobile communication automation is probably something you can do without. It’s probably not even something that most businesses are considering a priority. But it is something I as a consumer place in high esteem when I come across a supplier that understands my need for effective time management.
And when a supplier understands me, a definite loyalty is born from within.

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