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

3.10 HARNESSING THE TRENDS

I have introduced many ideas so far in this chapter. Many man-years could be spent trying to construct a strategy and an action plan. We started with a very mobile-centric view, which is the natural starting point for this book. However, the view has blossomed out into a much bigger sphere of concern. If we consider the goal of increasing the modes of connectivity for mobile and combine this with the convergence trend, perhaps strongly influenced by the Web 2.0 paradigms, then we have a very different beast from what we have been used to historically in the mobile world. The trend away from talking and messaging continues. Let's summarise how operators can harness these trends:

• Develop a ‘Web 2.0’ culture – despite the vagueness of this term, let's consider it more as a ‘way of doing things’. What seems to matter is that the Web is a place where new ideas can surface very quickly and attract a lot of user attention. Within the hive of activity on the Web, there are a lot of ideas, discussions, attitudes and even more tangible assets (like open-source code galore and web services APIs, e.g. Google Maps). Somewhere in this hive of activity, there are many ways to add value to operator services – you need to figure it out through innovation. If you wait for something on the Web to materialise in terms of a proven way to increase ARPU, then you might be too late. Think in terms of becoming ‘Operator 2.0’. Go ahead; brainstorm it today throughout your organisation. ...