The release of Ericsson's social networking portfolio, the Pixl8r protocol and Social Media Portal (SMP), at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week, offers network operators the chance to access the thriving social media market.
With Pixl8r and SMP, Ericsson hopes to create a “federation” of community portals that will connect the world's approximately four billion mobile users, it said in a press statement.
This will enable individuals on different mobile operators to share user-generated content across diverse Internet communities.
As such, Ericsson's solution could pose benefits for both consumers and mobile operators. Users will be able to access a variety of their favourite social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and others from a single point of connectivity on their phones.
Pixl8r also allows photo sharing sites to interact in real-time so users could post a photo on multiple sites and it would be instantly available for viewing by friends and family.
Subscribers can send content via MMS, video calling, WAP or mobile Web upload both to their operator's Pixl8r portal and to various social sites, and receive SMS notification when someone posts a comment, regardless of network operator.
According to Sanjay Kaul, vice-president of multimedia solutions and systems integration for Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa, the system provides end-to-end connectivity by linking users to their mobile operator while keeping the social networking facility, essentially bridging the gap between the two. “It connects to the social networking gateways at one end and the social Web at the other.”
Other features include a centralised inbox that stores all SMS, MMS, e-mail, instant and voice messages on users' phones and from the various networks they belong to. The SMP acts as a Web-based interface for all consumers' messages and content is backed up on a community portal that stores, synchronises and enables the sharing of content. A unified address list merges users' phone books with contacts from the various networking sites they frequent.
MySpace, your space, our space
The cross-operator protocol attempts to solve the problem facing mobile network operators by offering them the option of using Pixl8r to create their own branded social media service without it being limited to their individual portals.
According to Kaul, the SMP Web service provides a participative Web 2.0 platform under a white label software model, enabling mobile networks to become a channel that consumers use to access social networking communities.
Kaul says there has been a sense of competition between various sectors, with media and device vendors, mobile operators and Internet community players all looking to define and dominate the mobile social Web. But creating a collaborative system where operators and communities work together may be a desirable alternative.
He describes the situation in terms of a railway line, with the tracks representing operators that offer social networking services. With Pixl8r and the SMP, Ericsson attempts to connect the various tracks so communication takes place across borders. “We are trying to bridge the gap and if there are enough links, we can create a global ecosystem.”
According to Kaul, the company's target ecosystem is an eventual five billion plus IP-enabled mobile devices seamlessly delivering rich contextual-driven communication. “By this we mean communication and content services are launched not from within a vertical application client but rather from an interactive presence-driven address book.”
He adds, however, that for each user there will be one perceived primary service provider who drives and dominates the value chain with all other vendors being reduced to enabler roles. “This capability enables mobile operators to be that primary service provider.”
Connecting network portals is also likely to increase data traffic considerably, with the potential to boost mobile advertising and lead to marketing campaigns targeted at specific users according to their interests.
Kaul says Ericsson is already talking to some of its key customers about implementing the technology.
See you later Pixl8r
With mobile operators keen to tap into the burgeoning social media environment, will this new technology be available on SA screens anytime soon? Kaul says the technology is available to every customer on the globe, although it is primarily applicable to 2/2.5G and 3G mobile operators.
Bridget Bhengu, senior manager of public relations and communications at MTN, says the operator has no plans to make use of Pixl8r in the short-term.
She adds there are limitations involved when a social media service is offered via an operator's brand. Content directly associated with the operator has to be screened and monitored, which places a large operational burden on the network.
At MTN, users can access any social media via the MTN data network as either an Internet or mobile service. While Bhengu says the Pixl8r and SMP service could be of value to the network, she adds that it may not be practical or desirable to try and intercept users' interaction with their chosen social media networks.
Vodacom's chief communications officer, Dot Field, says while the company is “constantly assessing all available options with regards to social networking” it currently has no view on the value of this specific technology. “In general, aggregation services can help the user publish once to multiple sharing services, which enhances the user-experience,” adds Field.
Vodacom offers social media services via its Vodafone Live portal and its own location-based mobile social network, the Grid, which allows its users to see where their friends are on a map and post photos.
There are several other initiatives that aggregate social media services. They include NewBay's LifeCache, which presents information from online communities in a single feed allowing subscribers to engage with contacts across third party sites, according to a media statement. Subscribers can also post and share user-generated content and update their status in real-time. Bebo's Lifestream platform collects content from Bebo users' external sites and publishes them in a single data stream that Bebo friends can view.
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