Mobile users drive 'killer apps`

Johannesburg, 13 Jul 2004

The evolution of next-generation networks will be driven more by users than by technology, and the key is to balance customer requirements with the ability to make a profit.

This is the view of Shannon Wolfe, Alcatel`s deputy director of marketing-communication for the company`s mobile communication group, who met ITWeb at Alcatel`s offices in Paris this week.

She believes the three keys to success lie in reaching clients through a powerful network, pleasing clients by offering compelling multimedia and billing clients through a real-time intelligent billing system.

"Many of the successful services currently being rolled out in the Asia-Pacific region have been driven by user demand, such as new voice services, entertainment and infotainment and sports services," says Wolfe.

"In Asia, the latest 'killer application` is the personalised ring back tone (PRBT), which is the tone a caller hears while waiting for the phone to be answered and this can now be customised - much like with ringtones and at a similar cost - to the user`s own taste."

She says PRBT works on any network and with any content, so the user has the choice of any music, message or sound they wish to install on their phone.

"In Korea and Taiwan the service has taken off at an incredible pace, with some 3 000 to 4 000 new subscribers joining every day, and since the users effectively drive the sales for you, it is a genuine 'killer app`," she says.

"Another successful mobile service is that of our live sports events service, which offers a combination of texts, photos, diagrams, statistics, videos and 2D or 3D animactions."

She says animactions are animated enactions of a specific event - such as when a goal is scored in soccer - that can be broadcast to show what happened without infringing on image rights.

"As more bandwidth becomes available for a service like this, we expect to be able to tap into the vast passions that sports generate among people."

Another example is that of video mail or video MMS.

"Video is also set to be one of the next big things, with the development of 3G networks allowing for video phone calls to take place, either from phone to phone or from a phone to a PC with a Webcam," says Wolfe.

"Of course, for these services to be truly successful, it is necessary for the operator to have an intelligent billing service that can bill accurately."

She says that because of the convergence of technologies, billing systems need to be able to differentiate between the services a customer uses - as costs will be different depending on the multimedia service chosen by the user - and also between the method of accessing those services.

"It is all about being able to handle the mobility of the client, as sometimes they are on the move and using their cellphone, and sometimes they are seated in front of their PC."