Next Generation Wireless Applications: Creating Mobile Applications in a Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 World, 2nd Edition

1.2 THE MOBILE MINDSET

In the previous section, I discussed the meaning of ‘Next Generation’. Now, I turn our attention towards the word ‘application’. A mindset is a way of thinking, or a state of mind. Why is it important to talk about mindsets in a book about technology? Over time, technologists have slowly realised that technology isn't developed for its own sake, but to carry out tasks. Furthermore, the users intend certain results from carrying out those tasks. It is in achieving these results that technology has an application.

The issue of mindset is about how we perceive these applications. A small example is useful here. Jitterbug² is a brilliant mobile service in the United States. Essentially, it is aimed at users who are ‘technically challenged’³. One category of such users might be the elderly or infirm who are not dexterous or confident with mobile telephones. A mobile service provider might think that we sell phones, we send out bills and we support these activities. In other words, we are in the mobile phone business. This is their mindset.

Not so Jitterbug. They appear to have a different mindset, which we might capture as we are in the making-it-easy-to-complete-calls business. There is a difference, perhaps subtle, but potentially significant than being in the mobile phone business. Making it easy to complete calls, with the target users in mind (i.e. technically challenged), leads to a particular set of service features. For example, the phones have simplified ...