2007 Predictions

19Jan07

Sorry, I don’t do predictions. Normally I wouldn’t even mention the topic. But hey, this is the age of the Internet! We can just leave the predicting to people smarter than us – and comment on them
Here’s two sets of predictions for 2007 that are definitely worth a read, from people whose blogs are on my list of favourites:

From MobHappy: Carlo Longino’s 2007 Predictions

1. Lots of mobile TV hype, but little in the way of actual success.
2. Widgetization
3. Mobile data services for automobiles will take off.
4. Mobile social networking doesn’t do much, but the action’s in mobile social media.
5. Full-track music downloads over mobile will largely fail, leading operators and content providers to finally realize there are other aspects to mobile music.
6. Mobile search will continue to run in place.
7. More flat-rate data — and hopefully affordable flat-rate data — in Europe.
8. VoWi-Fi’s real impact will be limited to some pricing pressure on certain types of calls.
9. There will be plenty of launches of WiMAX networks and others based on non-traditional or new mobile broadband technologies, but their largest impact will be felt by fixed-line broadband providers.
10. Mobile payments will struggle in the west, but they’ll be supplanted by other RFID applications in handsets.

And from m-trends.org: Rudy De Waele’s Mobile and Wireless Trends for 2007

1. Flat fees will become more affordable bit by bit.
2. Thus, more user-generated content will become available to the phone; opening the way for mobile users to start using new web/mobile 2.0 services on their phones, such as podcasting, RSS feeds, more user-generated content to upload and use.
3. Big Media Youth Networks going mobile – MySpace, YouTube, MTV and many more players will resolutely go mobile; allowing users to upload pictures, videos and create/consumer content straight from their mobile phones. And to share with friends (including mobile forwarding functionality).
4. Mobile search – the big players will start positioning seriously in the mobile market (watch out for deals with carriers/operators and device manufacturers)
5. Mobile ads – the market is growing at a rapid pace (just watch AdMob’s ad views ticker box daily)
6. QR codes will start to enter retail markets.
7. Mobile image recognition will pop up in mixed marketing campaigns.
8. Cell Phone memory card swapping – to exchange music/video files.
9. Multiple network download hotspots become available in urban zones – enabling ‘on the spot’ mobile download and internet access possibilities via wi-fi/wimax/bluetooth/nfc/etc…. (all build in or available immediately)
10. Rise of ’smart client’ solutions, for convergence of content and application functionality on mobile devices in general

Last but not least, a few smart comments by moi:

• Widgetization: I’d really like to see this happen, but somehow I don’t think it will happen just yet. Maybe the iPhone could have the potential to kick-start this (since OSX already IS a widget platform), unless it is (and remains) closed – which seems to be the case up to now
• Mobile data services for automobiles: hm… this might be true – and there’s already some smart ideas in the pipeline (my god, I’m so funny).
• Mobile social media: Definitely something to keep an eye on this year! And even though I normally DON’T make predictions, I’m predicting a growing interest in location based mobile social applications as well here.
• QRCodes: Don’t get me wrong. I’m a geek. I think they’re cool. But I’m still not totally convinced: Most use cases I’ve seen, tried and thought about so far could have been handled much faster and easier by dialling a simple alphanumeric short code… Only if there’s a single 2D barcode standard and a robust reader pre-installed on every device, this concept will fly.

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