MSearchGroove

The ODP (on-device portal) space is heating up and moving on. Sure, single client applications that harness the idle screen are still essential to the user experience – but there is a limit to just how many single applications the user will want (and the service provider accept). SurfKitchen spotted this trend earlier than most, and the proof is in its most recent and impressive deployment – a mobile TV services portal (launched by Malaysia’s mobile operator Maxis) that showcases content from third-party providers. (More detail in this earlier post.) Does this launch mark a new direction at SurfKitchen? I went to the source and spoke with Dave Evans, SurfKitchen CTO.

Listen to the podcast here.

Dave has a talent for seeing the “big picture” – an ability that allows him to prepare for change rather than be crushed by it. He’s betting on a shift from portals to operator-controlled spheres of influence. This way, operators will have the flexibility to bring in and integrate third-party content, but they will also maintain command over the user experience.

If this scenario is on the mark, then the ODP’s first duty will be to deliver a consistent user experience so users don’t have to learn new navigation just to access new services. Dave reckons ODPs will also be expected to take the center spot in search and advertising, one reason why SurfKitchen recently demoed such a service with JumpTap and has since developed its own prototype (together with a company that has ad inventory as well) to show to operators and partners.

Search & promotion: Search is a must if ODPs are going to guide users through the long tail of content – without having to pack it all onto the phone (which no ODP can). “For example, where you’re searching through ringtones, you might have 10, 15, 20 ringtones on the device, but as soon as you select Madonna, then we also offer the option to go to do a direct search into JumpTap to return more information about Madonna, [such as] ringtones, wallpapers etc… [content] that the operator has, or that JumpTap has through its content relationships.”

Perfect pitch: How will advertising fit in the scheme of things? It’s a relationship made in heaven that will see the ODP start out as the one-stop shop for advertising from a variety of providers and their respective inventories. “The ODP can display it in a way that makes it obvious to the user where the content and advertising is coming from, so they have different degrees of trust for different types of content.” Moving forward, the ODP can get “more promotional and start to target campaigns out into the ODP from the advertising engines.” As Dave puts it: “That would allow for richer advertising campaigns … and the user will be able to interact with those ads in a much more intensive way than they would [be able to] with text ads.”

Two is a crowd: How many ODPs will sit on a device? Two “prime ODPs or clients” will call the shots – and it’s no coincidence that the device will likely end up supporting as many ODPs are there are soft keys. “You also have challenges with actually getting the client onto the device during the manufacturing cycle, so device vendors don’t want to be dealing with 30 or 40 different software vendors … and pre-loading those and configuring those for each individual operator. I think also the end-users don’t want to be learning 30 or 40 different ways of doing something and they would prefer to be buying into an experience that the operator’s providing.”

The ones to watch: Dave forecasts only a handful of ODPs will survive the coming market consolidation. However, the market will also broaden, creating new demand for ODP software from media companies and brands. An example is the Prada phone from LG, which will likely create a demand for services and technologies that align with the ability of an ODP to deliver a customized experience on the fly.

The widget hype: For starters, there’s a lot of talk and little definition. SurfKitchen’s view: a widget is a piece of functionality or a standalone app that is configured and created using xml and some scripting capability (so, not a Java or Symbian app) that can only be deployed into a runtime environment that supports that widget. “I think a key part that’s missing at the moment from the widget debate on mobile is that you can’t just have at the moment lots and lots of people developing widgets and have them selected by end-users without the operator being involved. You need to have information around tariffing and around permissions and age-related access, [areas] which need to be controlled by the operator. So, I think at this stage you’ve got some widget frameworks which are very much early-adopter, but not yet mass-market, and to get mass-market we need to have this distribution framework in place.”

(BTW: Dave tells me SurfKitchen is working out the schedule and scope for its launch of a software development kit to the developer community. It could be widely available, or limited to a number of large developers in a first phase to prove the technology before going into full-force deployment.)

• Posted in
• On-Device Portals, Personalization, Mobile Search, Mobile Advertising, Content Discovery, Podcasts

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