SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




Share
January 13, 2010

Money and Mobility

By Carl Ford, Partner, Crossfire Media

I was reading a friend’s note to me about the market. He is from the street which gives him an edge (or is it a hedge?).
 
The discussion was about what markets were hot and what were not, but it was clear that investors were looking for something different.
 
Some things look tired and some look nascent and hard to predict, so how do you get a framework on them all?
 
Here is my perspective on what’s got pluses or minuses – and the deltas.
 
Gaming: I expect mSlates and iTablets will bring some new app store winners to the gaming industry. If you like MonkeyBalls on your iPhone (News - Alert) just wait. I think this will also bring some new opportunities for sites like YouTube and Flicker to find some new user-generated activities. If these devices do not come with 3G and 4G connectivity, I expect a dongle in 50 percent of them at least so Sierra Wireless (News - Alert) and Novatel have an expanded market. (I have already indicated I think Verizon Wireless gains from this part of the market).



 
Location: I have never bought into the Starbucks coupon model (getting a discount on overpriced coffee seems a stretch). However, there are applications that are required to tell you when you are roaming and what the rate’s are when you enter a new country. I think “Welcome Wagon meets Mobile” is coming of age. Google’s (News - Alert) voice directory interface is really great and I expect a lot more awareness from users.  I would say this is nascent, but this is one of those areas where the California model of $250,000 and eight weeks of development can yield. I am not sure this will be advertising directly. I expect some new modules or features on the likes of Joomlah and an expanded Google maps interface.
 
Mobile Money: Can Western Union (News - Alert) be killed by mobile money transfers on your phone? I doubt it, but if mobile money finds the right app mix, I think Mastercard and Visa will embrace it. The big question in my mind is the implications for the financial services on some of their prejudices.  E-mail brokering and daily money management are the richest parts of this pie and the most reluctant to change. It will be interesting to see if new app tools coming our way.
 
All of these areas and about five more have great promise, but there is a big caveat: regulation. If the playing field is open, the market will make these profit centers available to new entrants and the investors will come with hopes of the killer app new company. If the market is strapped with legacy rules that were aimed at the public good almost a century ago, then we will have to contend with a service models that throw away the best part of Internet- aggregation of communities of interest.
 
I hope you are part of the community that profits from 2010.
 
Learn more about 4G technologies and hear from Carl Ford (News - Alert) in person at the 4GWE Conference. To be held Jan. 20 to 22 in Miami and collocated with ITEXPO East 2010, the 4GWE Conference will focus on the realities of deploying 4G technologies and delivering broadband wireless applications to a growing community of wireless broadband consumers. Register now.

Carl Ford is a partner at Crossfire Media.

Edited by Michael Dinan







Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2023 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy