Even with improvements introduced by mobile devices like Apple’s iPhone, most people would agree that the mobile Web remains significantly harder to use, and therefore less functional, than the World Wide Web accessed from desktop and laptop computers.

 

With the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games starting today, service and content providers have a unique opportunity to strut their stuff when it comes to new solutions for improving the utility and “fun factor” of the mobile Web. Interest in mobile content related to the games likely will be high, potentially attracting new mobile Web users and encouraging those who have tried it in the past to give it another go.

 

TMCnet caught up with Adrian Hall, chief marketing officer at Bytemobile, to get that company’s take on the benefits and shortcomings of the mobile Web, and to what extent the Olympic Games might act as a driving force for improving Internet on the go.  

 

 

AH: In its most basic form, the ‘mobile Web’ refers to the ability to access and use the Internet from a mobile device. That would include the open Internet as experienced on the PC as well as made-for-mobile Web sites and walled-garden portal content provided by network operators. On a more figurative level, the mobile Web represents the ability to tap into the vast amount of information, services, applications, and networks on the World Wide Web at any time, from any place.

 

 

AH: Bytemobile is committed to providing the best possible user experience, regardless of network speed or device sophistication. Our server-based solutions, which sit in the core data path of the carriers’ networks and require no client software downloads, drive mobile Web adoption through the delivery of all content, across all networks, to all devices. One of Bytemobile’s key differentiators is that all mobile Internet services — Web, video, advertising, filtering, optimization — are fully integrated on a single in-network platform for ease of deployment and operations.

 

 

AH: Although game-changers like the iPhone (News - Alert) are speeding up consumer adoption of the mobile Web, many issues, such as interoperability and usability problems, continue to plague the industry and impede its progress. The major challenge that carriers face is in delivering a mobile Web browsing experience that is comparable to its PC counterpart. Consumers have understandably high expectations in terms of speed and ease of use. Forcing them to browse the Web on a small-screen device, which is often incapable of displaying and delivering rich content in a reasonable amount of time, has led to user frustration. One boon for consumer adoption has been the recent introduction of unlimited data plans which allow users to browse the Web without fear of overage charges. Other recent success factors include increased device sophistication, including full Web browsing capabilities, and the roll-out of 3G networks with dramatically increased bandwidth.

 

 

AH: Providing consumers with compelling lifestyle reasons to use the mobile Web is the key to sustaining interest. Moving forward, location-based services such as customized weather, turn-by-turn navigation, traffic alerts, and geographically targeted mobile advertising will be one of the key drivers of mobile Web adoption because they offer benefits to users that they can’t necessarily get from using their home computers.

 

Another driver of mobile Web adoption will be ease of use. Today’s consumers face restrictions on the type of content and services they can access and use based on their device, carrier’s network and Web browser. These restrictions are especially exasperating compared to the freedom that users are accustomed to when surfing the Internet from a laptop or desktop.

 

 

AH: The 2008 Summer Olympics provide a unique opportunity for wireless carriers to drive user adoption of the mobile Web by capitalizing on the surge in demand, particularly for video content, which will be fueled by fans who want constant updates and replays on the go. This spike in mobile Web usage also represents a residual opportunity for carriers to continue driving adoption among casual users after the Beijing games are over. The key to capitalizing on these opportunities will be the delivery of a superior user experience powered by faster networks, increasing browser sophistication, improved mobile device performance, and in-network content adaptation and optimization solutions that leverage and enhance the effects of these factors. In fact, Bytemobile already optimizes several provincial networks of China’s two wireless network operators, China Mobile (News - Alert) and China Unicom.

 

 

AH: While we don’t have any hard-number projections regarding the increase in demand, we believe that the vast amount of content that will be available to users, including NBC’s mobile offerings, and the exigency and spirit of the games will stimulate consumer appetite for mobile Internet services.

 

 

AH: Long-term solutions, such as the implementation of 3G and WiMAX networks, will sharply improve the speed and usability issues that have plagued the mobile Web and deterred many consumers from using it on a regular basis. In the near term, it will be essential for wireless carriers to work closely with browser providers, device manufacturers, content providers, and application developers to enable mobile consumers to use the same content and applications that they use on their PCs. As an example, Bytemobile is working closely with a number of China Mobile and China Unicom (News - Alert) provincial operators on data optimization and content adaptation solutions for their existing and next-generation networks.

 

 

AH: Founded in 2000, Bytemobile is a Tier One provider of integrated mobile Internet solutions which optimize the delivery of data, Web, multimedia, advertising, and filtering services to consumers on mass-market handsets, feature phones, smartphones, and laptops. Currently, our customers include 92 mobile network operators spanning 53 countries, including 12 of the world’s 15 largest tier-one carriers. These carriers include AT&T, China Mobile, China Unicom, KDDI, KPN, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia Mobile, Telefónica O2, Vodafone (News - Alert), and WILLCOM.

 

 

AH: As mobile data usage continues to grow exponentially, we see three key trends taking shape: convergence, openness and personalization. With the emergence of organizations like the Open Handset Alliance and the LiMo Foundation, the mobile ecosystem is shifting toward the convergence of the PC and the mobile Internet experience and the ability for users to access all content across all networks and all devices in a totally open environment. This will require collaboration and cooperation among wireless carriers, browser providers, device manufacturers, content providers, and application developers.

 

Mobile applications, like those available for download from Apple’s iPhone App Store, are already beginning to change the way that consumers think and feel about their mobile phones. These devices — and, more to the point, the user experience that they deliver — are becoming highly personal, with the result that consumers develop an attachment to and a relationship with them. Targeting of mobile advertising based on user behavior and browsing context will come into play here as well, allowing players in the mobile space to influence the content and purchasing choices of the user.

 

 

AH: We believe that the mobile Web represents the “Fourth Wave of Computing,” which is characterized by the delivery of the open Internet, including multimedia content and advertising, to handheld mobile devices. As Internet brands, content providers and device manufacturers converge on the mobile Internet space in an effort to control the user experience, network operators are in a unique position to capitalize on this convergence because they own the consumer distribution channel and the customer relationship. Bytemobile’s products serve to strengthen operators’ networks and the content that they deliver with optimized Web browsing, consistent video and audio play, and faster download times. All of this adds up to a superior user experience which will help to drive mobile Web adoption.