A look at Fox Mobile’s deal with Mobile Content Networks (MCN)to deploy vertical paid search programs across multiple markets worldwide PLUS MSG catches up with Fox  Mobile CEO Mauro Montanaro to connect the dots in the company’s ambitious mobile search, content discovery and recommendation strategies.

A major advantage to writing the Netsize Guide 2009 was the opportunity it provided me to connect with 34 C-Level executives for no holds barred interviews to discuss the opportunities/threats/trends highest on their radar. My interview with Mauro Montanaro, CEO Fox Mobile, was more than your typical Q&A; it was an invigorating exchange that we have pledged to continue on a regular basis. The reason: We understand the pivotal importance of mobile search, content discovery, and recommendation in all content-selling strategies moving forward.

It was a trend I picked up on a few years back when I watched the stellar rise of Schibsted, a Norwegian content provider that offered mobile search to help users find and buy its content (and that of its partner content companies) with the help of a solution from FAST, now a Microsoft company. Back then the mobile search industry focused its efforts squarely on winning mobile operators; a perfect fit with content providers (who own the content and need mobile search - as well as discovery and recommendation - to merchandize it) wasn’t a topic.

Fast forward, and mobile content companies are beginning to understand the benefits of mobile search and, more importantly, search merchandising. Why? Because simple Retail 101 tells us customers can’t buy what they cannot find, and, with operator portals on the way out, D2C destinations can best bubble their content offers up to the surface if they are findable in the first place. Paid search schemes round out the model, allowing content providers to monetize their traffic (which can be considerable for large brands, a major reason why so many of them are beefing up their mobile search/paid search strategies).

Which brings us to this week’s news that Fox Mobile (more specifically Fox Mobile Distribution’s consumer brand sites Jamba and Jamster content sites) has sealed a deal with MCN, a provider of search management, search merchandising, and PPC vertical paid search programs. The service will initially launch with the search results of carriers in Thailand and Sweden, and will later extend to other regions. “This partnership is another step to accelerate our endeavor to have mobile content contextually integrated with consumers’ browse and search activities, and also supports our efforts to extend our global leadership in mobile content distribution,” Kaj Hagros, COO of Fox Mobile Distribution, said in a press statement.

By way of background, MCN plugs into the content at the source (the content provider) to connect users to the content (not links to the content, as is the case with other search providers such as Google & Co.). As a result, MCN has announced a raft of recent deals with major mobile operators and a growing number of content providers (nearly 200 in its roster counting Fox Mobile). Beyond making it easier for users to get to content, MCN has developed what it calls “search merchandising,” a term that underlines MCN’s role in joining up mobile search, advertising, and content sales (through its allwords vertical paid search program) by allowing content providers to bid on entire verticals (such as games and music) rather than keywords.

Put simply, search advertising combines MCN’s federated search (delivered via MobileSearch.net, MCN’s white-label search platform) and vertical paid search (delivered through allwords, MCN’s own PPC mobile content promotion program) to make content searchable, findable, and monetizable. (MCN CEO Marc Bookman told me shortly after the allwords launch last year that the program was “generating click-throughs in excess of 45 percent - it’s as high as 90 percent in the comics category - and the highest conversion [sales] rates in the industry.” I’m not sure what they are these days, but I’ll certainly raise that in my next interview/podcast with the company.)

My take: Connect the dots, and Fox Mobile has its eye on the prize: The focus here is very much the connection between mobile search, advertising, and content sales, and creating an optimal interplay between them so that good user experience inspires more searches, which result in more monetization and, ultimately, drive more usage of the services among consumers. And all that without giving over control of the content to a mobile search provider/portal provider.

I was pre-briefed on the MCN tie-up around Mobile World Congress, but Mauro preferred to go on-the-record with his broader views on search, discovery and recommendation - features and functionality that define the company’s evolving content strategy. (You’ll see it all come together around April, when the new Fox Mobile makes its debut, and Mauro walks me through the new suite of services.)

In the meantime, allow me to share an excerpt of our Q&A (below) and (courtesy of Netsize) the complete interview from the Netsize Guide 2009 that started it all (further down in this post):

MSearchGroove

Q: New branding, new company, and a renewed focus on covering the value chain from licensing through production to distribution. What is Fox Mobile’s objective?

A: We want to sit between technology industries and Hollywood - between Silicon Valley and Hollywood. That’s where we want to be, and where we can be.

Q: You were just out there with Nokia, showing clips from Ice Age 3, which is set to come out in July. What other mobile products will follow and how might you distribute them?

A: We will have Flash content ready for July when the movie is released. What you saw today is just an appetizer; it will be followed by a whole suite of products. Distribution can take a number of approaches. This can be with our D2C brand, or it can be through the Nokia Ovi store, or through a download icon on Nokia that we manage globally. It can also be on O2 (a carrier in Germany that we work with). Basically it can be on a number of platforms, which is why time-to-market is going to be critical for mobile content. Lesson number one is that we have to work with the creatives very early on in the game to be sure we get the right content for the best formats. And this you can do if you are media company, not just a mobile company.

Q: How do you create content for so many platforms and keep a lid on costs? We know from MTV, for example, that it’s in many cases a matter of shooting content several times from several angles, including one for mobile. But that can get expensive…

A: My personal advantage is that I am from the entertainment industry. I used to shoot music videos and I used to be a singer. We get around the problem of double-shooting by focusing a lot on animation. As the Jamba brand, we’ve been very strong on animated characters in the first place, such as the Crazy Frog. Likewise, the Simpsons and Family Guy are also animated characters, so the process is just working with script writers and animators to explain the format you want, or just taking snacks [from the animated movie] for mobile.

Q: With so many app stores it’s beginning to look like the early days of the portal out there. It’s a confusing and fragmented landscape. How are you going to choose the stores where you sell, or the formats and operating systems you support?

A: It is more fragmentation, you’re right. As to portals, we are seeing a repeat of that. But we will not likely see a repeat of the exclusive content contracts that made it [reach] even harder. When it comes to branded content, I doubt anyone would give an exclusive [contract for content] again. We are based in the U.S. and currently reviewing which platforms to target, because in some cases you have to double your production costs depending on the platform. So, if you produce for iPhone - you have a set of tools you can’t necessarily use on Flash or Java. Working on Flash is great. It’s a fantastic tool for content providers and it targets a lot of devices, but not all of them. With Java, you have a broader penetration but the quality of what you can do [with content] is lower. So we need to make a choice. It will always be on a ‘cost versus return’ basis.

Q: More app stores also turns up the pressure to improve search and discovery. In fact, a major gripe with app stores is people can’t find the cool apps…What is the problem and how are you going to address it?

A: Search is important, and discovery is key. We aim to be more findable on every platform that we are on, and the new brand will focus on search and discovery as part of the offer. If you look at our B2B2C strategy, we want to be the partner of choice for companies that have high traffic. Why? Because then there are more chances of being discovered. Nokia is one of them [a B2B2C partner]. We are running their download client globally and discussing branded participation in the Ovi store. It [presence in the Ovi store] gives you access to one-third of the mobile population in the world, and that boosts discovery. I have also seen some of the demos at the Nokia stand, and they have been able to cut the number of clicks to discovery.

Another way to increase discovery is to work with carriers. Many operators are sending out RFPs [Request For Proposal] for outsourcing of content verticals, and that provides another channel [for Fox] to be discovered.  These [two] are the most promising but we shouldn’t forget the importance of contextual integration with the Internet companies such as the MySpaces of the world. Web-to-mobile discovery is coming on strong, particularly in the U.S. where the messaging revolution never happened. We are active on that front and focus on being the contextual integration partner for a lot of Web companies that do not have the skills to provide mobile services. Here we are bringing together their Web offer with our mobile offer so they can be discovered through relevancy when consumers are browsing the Web.

Q: What about relevancy and recommendations? During our Netsize interview we chatted off-the-record about some cool things in the pipeline. Can you give me an update?

A: You’ll see this in the new brand and the new user experience we provide around search and discovery. Recommendation - and the cross-sell and up-sell it encourages - is also part of the new strategy. We will have recommendation engines, but I would like to talk about it when I have the whole story.

Q: What about client-based discovery? You have a major brand that would also allow you to be a destination on the handset.

A: We have a WAP store, a Flash mobile client with Adobe, and we are considering a desktop app with Adobe as well. We are active on all these fronts and you will see the products as part of the new branding. Client-based discovery is great when you have branded content, as we do, to wrap around the client. This way the consumer gets part of the content for free in order to download it for the first time. But the client and desktop [strategy] only works if you have a fantastic piece of content in the first place that you can convince a consumer to download. That way you hide, in a way, the technology behind the content.

***

NETSIZE GUIDE 2009 (Download your free copy of the book by clicking here.)

Q: You are renaming your company Fox Mobile Group. Does this new identity also signal a shift in strategy? If so, what is new besides the name?

A: Obviously, now that we are 100 percent owned by News Corp., we’re not just Jamba any more. But there is more to it than that. This also allows us to launch new brands in the future, which is what we plan to do in the U.S. soon. As a result, we can run a portfolio of brands, giving each its own legs and own possibilities as part of the Fox Mobile group. We’re also renaming because we want to be associated with [parent company] Fox on a B2B level.

Q: That’s very different from your D2C strategy to this point. Why the new focus and what are the growth opportunities?

A: The first opportunity is on-deck with the operators. In our company, we have built up competencies in content creation, content licensing, and sales and marketing. The strategy is to be part of their offer or, in some cases, to be their partner of choice if they choose to outsource the management of part of their content portal management to outside companies. If they’re a large carrier with operations in several countries and they want to centralize that outsourcing, then it’s clear there are only a few companies they can partner with globally that can manage that - and we definitely want to be one of them. It’s a strategy we are pursuing actively, especially in Europe. The trend is less progressed in the U.S. There is a massive opportunity and a difference to the way the market was a year ago. As you know, this trend [to content management outsourcing] was taking place before the economic crisis hit. Now we see it accelerating.

Another aspect of our B2B strategy is to be on-deck with some of the OEMs. Clearly, the success of the application store on iPhone in the U.S. has spurred a lot of interest among other more global [handset] manufacturers. The question for them is: Would it be better to have a third-party company [like ours] managing their activities, in terms of [managing] the applications store or [managing] content provision to consumers in multiple countries. Clearly, these handset makers have proprietary content services; just look at the example of Nokia and Ovi. However, they also offer download services, and last year [in our Netsize guide 2008 interview] we had already discussed the model in which third-parties sell their content through the download client. Today we have a situation where handset manufacturers are promoting their own services and brand. But they are also becoming a distribution mechanism for third-party companies. Because they realize they can’t possibly cover the whole spectrum of potential content and services that the consumers want with their own devices, they are making some of the real estate available to companies like us to deliver services through a client. The good news: It enhances both the value of the handset and the value of the content because it is distributed over millions of handsets.

A third aspect of our B2B strategy is about working with Internet companies that have high traffic. An example is our launch with MySpace in the U.S. at the end of September [2008]. It’s a contextual integration project in which we work with a partner to optimize their traffic and conversion of that traffic into sales of mobile content.

We are currently developing tools we can share with some of these Internet companies that would effectively allow them to start a mobile business without investing in a mobile business.

Q: What is your vision of convergence and the role of mobile TV and video in the mix? How are you positioning Fox Mobile Group to take advantage of the opportunities?

A: A cross-platform approach is important because consumers do not, and will not, differentiate between mobile and PC in the future. I think they [consumers' experiences] will start to converge in the next two or three years. For this reason, we’re exploring ways to combine TV, movies, and games consoles into one cross-platform offer.

That said, video and video streaming are high on my radar screen. The networks are mature and adoption rates of consumers in the U.S. for streaming channels are amazing - and we are on-deck [in the U.S.] with AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon providing channels for their streaming offer to consumers. In fact, the U.S. will soon become one of the hotbeds of technology because consumers [there] completely leapfrogged mobile messaging and are going straight for mobile data services.

Of course, video streaming is a technology that was hyped years ago. It never took off in Europe the way it should have, but it’s flying high in the U.S. I also think there is huge potential in approaches that combine streaming and downloads. We offer [streaming] content to carriers in the U.S. as part of Fox, and we are also looking at ways to integrate some of our product offers, such as Jamba or Jamster.

Q: On the topic of video streaming, do we “snack” video content? Or do we want a range of options that include full-length programming?

A: Will consumers want to watch a movie on their mobile phones? I’m skeptical. It’s more a combination of short clips - three to five minute snack clips - which are TV programming reformatted for mobile. There’s also a place for medium length [video] offer, but I find 10-12 minutes is the maximum [length] you want to offer, regardless of the type of content or its format. We have figured out what consumers want, but I can’t share too much of it now. I advise you to check out what Verizon and Sprint in the U.S. offer their consumers on-deck as part of the flat-rate data plans. To be clear: Flat-rate data plans are a must for any video services to happen.

Q: You mention pricing, what models are you exploring?

A: Consumers are getting smarter and they want more quality for their money. We know from our own research that a majority of people want to have mobile content. They’re just afraid to start a transaction because they don’t know what they’re getting in return, and they don’t how much they’ll be billed. That is something we want to change. It’s an area we will focus heavily on in our new brand launch this year.  Offering consumers a clear idea of what they are paying for? I think that’s going to be revolutionary in this industry; I don’t think this has ever been offered by anybody before.

The ad-funded model is interesting. However, in the mobile space, I see purely ad-funded models being very challenged in the next two years. I cannot see a solely ad- funded model succeeding in the market when the volumes out there needed to justify an ad-funded model in the first place are so small. Not only that, but we are now facing a credit crunch.

There are hybrid models [based on ad-funded], and we are experimenting with a few, as well as ways to offer a paid model that is somehow complemented by some element of ad-funded approach. But we are keeping with our premium content or paid content model for the majority of the activities that we have. Overall, it’s quite difficult today, unless a company can achieve tens of millions of impressions or unique visitors, to see how an ad- funded model could start to work.

Q: What are the key trends you see in 2009? What does the industry need to focus on in order to achieve success?

A: We hear a lot about technology, but what is missing in this business is blockbusters.What is missing is something really exciting, either on a product or content level, to shake up the industry. There hasn’t been much new since 1999, when ringtones, wallpapers, video streaming and audio streaming broke on the scene. Now we need to bring in the expertise of people who do this professionally, and that means becoming more of a mobile media company than a mobile technology company.

We have the advantage of being part of a media company and we will exploit that [advantage] by being heavily embedded in all the creative processes in the studios.  That way we can release content to the market, the likes of which have not been seen before, particularly in the area of video. In the next year, our focus is going to be on attractive content. Why? Because, for the mobile industry, the integration of mobile into the successful content in Hollywood, in movies, and in TV has barely started.

Disclaimer: MCN has been an MSG supporter; Netsize is an MSG supporter. Peggy Anne Salz is author of the Netsize Guide 2009.

An exclusive interview with Noam Raffaelli, managing director of Plaza for Qualcomm Internet Services, and a look at Qualcomm’s upcoming and exclusive event during Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. I am honored to participate in the Plaza Mobile Internet Forum in Barcelona (my presentation explores mobile Internet strategies and what media companies can do to take advantage of the widget opportunity). But the real news is the crowd of major publishers and brands, including Amazon, Turner Broadcasting System, and  Universal McCann, I will address, and a special guest whose identity I have promised to not yet divulge.

In the course of conducting interviews with some 35 industry movers and shakers for the Netsize Guide - an in-depth analysis of the mobile industry - I learned that, across the board,  senior executives viewed the march of Internet giants such as Google into mobile, and the advance of handset makers such as Apple and Nokia into content and apps, as more of a cause for concern than celebration.

Qualcomm takes a different approach, crafting a one-of-a-kind mobile Internet strategy that allows mobile operators to control their own apps store - and their destiny.  We saw it coming back in April when the company snapped up Xiam Technologies (a move, as I wrote in my post, which gave them “the corporate DNA for a full-force push into the delivery of targeted, dynamically personalized content, apps and advertising”).

But the launch of Plaza (a comprehensive widget ecosystem I detail further down in this post) and tie up with Amobee Media Systems, a provider of advertising solutions for mobile operators that counts mobile operators among its investors, paves the way for operators (and publishers!) to ad-enable widgets and measure the results. Connect the dots, and Qualcomm is pulling together a capabilities mix fully focused on helping mobile operators - as well as brands and publishers - get feature-rich widgets in front of a mass-market audience and make some serious money in the process.

What’s next for Qualcomm? In the run up to Mobile World Congress (MWC),  I caught up with Noam Raffaelli, managing director of Plaza for Qualcomm Internet Services, to discuss the evolution of Plaza (and how it can be leveraged as a monetization platform); the role of widgets; and the increased focus on mobile advertising. Special thanks to Richard George, Qualcomm account manager at Hill & Knowlton, for arranging the briefing.

Excerpts from our Q&A:

By way of background, Qualcomm launched the Plaza Mobile Internet platform last May. The platform-agnostic service provides a framework for the development of mobile widgets — Web-based applications for mobile devices - and features a catalog of mobile widgets that will be made available to mobile operators worldwide. (Good move since mobile operators have already proven content creation is not their strength. Operators’ understanding of the developer community - and how to encourage innovation - also has its gaps.) The Amobee Media System comes in to help operators monetize the use of these widgets. Put simply, Amobee’s integration into the Plaza Mobile Internet platform means operators can create and sell new advertising inventory to brands and agencies that will run on these widgets. Amobee will dynamically insert relevant ads into appropriate widgets and round off the offer with analytics tools to measure and optimize these campaigns.

Q: Advertising and widgets are a good fit. We’ve seen Nokia sharpen its focus on ad-enabling widgets - in that case WidSets - through its own mobile advertising activities. But Plaza is more than ad-enabling. It seems to be focused on creating a kind of workflow that allows any company - operator or publisher - to monetize widgets any way they want. Is that correct?

A: Correct. But let me give you some context about Plaza. Plaza is a mobile Internet platform for mobile operators that want to bring the true Internet experience to their end-users. It allows them to mobilize the Web developer communities, and address fragmentation issues [inherent in] mobile devices, applications, and platforms. What’s more, it allows operators to make short- and long-tail content available to their users. On top of that, Plaza is structured around widgets. We are therefore speaking about a platform that is not necessarily BREW dependent or dependent on the Qualcomm chipset or anything like that. It’s completely platform agnostic. That’s what the Internet is all about: To mobilize the Internet [content and apps] you need to be able to get maximum reach and get to mass-market as well as high-end phones.

Q: There’s a lot of buzz about widgets. What are they and - more importantly - what aren’t they within the Qualcomm strategy and framework?

A: There is hype around widgets. You see a lot of companies coming up with all sorts of platforms that are basically just about launching in-built device applications, and stuff like that, and they call it widgets. A widget is - in the true sense of the word - obviously a Web-based application. In other words, those are applications that are basically acting as front-end to the Internet. It’s an important point, because we see widgets as a means to enable this long-tail creativity of Web-based applications to be mobilized, and be presented and present on mobile devices. The user experience is all about the ability of the user to personalize his phone and bring just a snippet of the information they want to the phone. Sure, some are much more accustomed to the experience of opening a full Web page on a desktop or on an iPhone or high-end phone. But, when you get to the mass market phones and feature phones, it’s [opening up a full page in a browser] not the perfect experience. We think that widgets, because of the limited screen and other constraints of the mobile device, are definitely a way forward in terms of the user experience. And we also think that widgets, because they leverage Web tools and the existing tools that Web developers use, represent a huge opportunity to unlock the long-tail of Web applications out there and mobilize them.

Q: Let’s talk advertising. What business models do you enable and what role does Amobee play in this?

A: We present Plaza as a platform, and advertising is a part of it. Operators are able to choose whatever business model they desire to implement. There could be markets where operators are going to say ‘I think that I can have some free widgets to provide to my end-users’, and others are going to say ‘I can offer some premium widgets or enable some content providers that want to sell widgets’. And there are going to be some opportunities for end-users to have user-generated widgets -  widgets created by end-users as utilities. In this scenario, a student at a university will be able to create their own widget, submit it, put it on a phone, and [through Plaza] viral-share it with friends and the community.

So there are going to be different business models. If we take the case of an operator that would like to offer widgets for free, then obviously the model would be around opportunities to derive advertising revenues in return for those free services. That’s what we’re trying to do with our relationship with Amobee. If you think about it, the ability of end-users to personalize their phone with different Web online preferences opens up a lot of possibilities for [companies] to create advertising push, relevant messaging, and relevant marketing [for different segments of users]. So if I’m a user and I have downloaded a Formula 1 widget, it tells you about my preferences and - obviously - allows companies to target their marketing message [to those preferences]. It creates the same kind of model and paradigm that exists on the Internet today.

Q: Amobee is the first. Are there more deals with mobile advertising solutions providers in the pipeline? I imagine you would want other mobile marketing and advertising companies to get onboard…

A: It’s not an exclusive relationship. Amobee is important because Amobee is by far the biggest in terms of market presence and in terms of their mobile advertising platform. So we see working with Amobee [as] creating a win-win between the two platforms, and creating use cases that are exciting for publishers and advertisers as something unique. But it’s not an exclusive relationship. Operators will come to us with different network preferences.

Q: Plaza is for operators and publishers and brands. And it’s not about BREW…

A: It’s platform agnostic, and I think that’s why we’re getting the traction. We’re creating a solution that will be based on the Web tools. It’s about making it possible for Web developers to create for the Web and also for the mobile phone, and make it as simple as possible to start developing mobile applications.

Q: But it’s also about making it simple for operators to go the way of an App Store on their own rather than give it all up to Apple or Google - and any other company getting into this space. I heard Samsung is thinking about content and apps…

A: You’ve got it. It’s about creating an ecosystem of content, of content across platforms, and of content that is not part of a walled garden in that it is specific to a particular device, platform, operating system, or device manufacturer. It’s about enabling the operators to open up their network and their portfolio to the many long-tail developers out there. Definitely.

Q: And where does Qualcomm fit in the picture? What are you saying to mobile operators, for example?

A: If you look at it, everybody attacks the mobile operators and comes down very hard on mobile operators and their walled gardens. But if you look closer, the iPhone and even some of the Internet companies themselves are very successful walled gardens. So what we’re saying to mobile operators is: You don’t need to be ashamed of what you’re trying to do [with walled gardens] because at the end of the day, the ability to control and to create something is important.

If you’re mobilizing the Internet, and if you think about mobilization without any control mechanisms, well, it’s going to be the wild, Wild West in terms of quality of service. There’s definitely a need for mobile operators to guarantee a certain quality of service, a quality of service [that applies] to the applications and to the overall end-user experience. There’s also an opportunity [for operators] to open up to Web developers and create an ecosystem that also addresses the long-tail needs of the different user segments.

Q: Aren’t you asking companies to choose between Plaza and app stores? We know companies want to monetize their content but isn’t it also limiting their options?

A: You don’t have to choose, Peggy. Operators will be able to say ‘we have apps on the iPhone. It’s part of our portfolio on devices.’ But for the mass-market phones, here’s a solution that will allow them to offer and monetize long-tail content. And again, the good thing about it is, it’s not only addressing mass market, but is also is based on Web standards and Web legacy tools. If you look at the evolution of mobile, some 2-3 years ago there were a lot of ODPs. These on-device portals gave users access to apps within a kind of walled garden, and allowed them to personalize their experiences to an extent. But at the end of the day the on-device portals were very proprietary. The widget changes that, and now we see applications evolving in one direction, evolving into one [Web] standard and one paradigm of [Web] tools.

Q: Still, the business model sounds quite similar to the Apple App Store. What’s the difference?

A: We’re providing a monetization platform for mobile operators to be able to monetize apps in terms of Internet revenue streams. That’s what it is. It allows mobile operators to choose their model and revenue share deal they do with the Amobees of the world as their app platform and with the developers. We are providing the enabling platform, and it’s up to operators in different markets to decide the different models they wish to implement.

Q: So you’re giving them a platform and the nuts and bolts of what is essentially their apps store. They cut the deal with Amobee and the revenue share is up to them.

Exactly. And let me emphasize that the implementation will include Java. Just as it will include BREW. It will also include others. If an operator is to be successful in monetizing the new revenue opportunities, they need to get maximum reach. And for the non-BREW operators, [we know] you need to address their device platforms and how to put those applications on the devices.

Q: It’s the only app store approach focused at mobile operators. Do you have mobile operator clients to announce?

A: We’re already engaging with operators, and we are in very progressed stages with operators, and we will soon announce those customer relationships and the deployments.  The platform puts operators in control, and there are a huge number of use cases. It unlocks a huge portfolio of opportunities for operators, allowing them to deploy applications that use the unique aspect of mobility and mobile retailing and marketing [apps] based on location information the operators have, for example.

My take: Apple does it, Google does it and RIM and Microsoft are next in line. Operator rivals have their app stores in place, and the market is wide open for solutions that potentially level the playing field and put service providers on a more even keel with this new breed of challenger. Qualcomm’s offer covers the bases - and now it’s up to operators/publishers to respond.

That day may come sooner than we think.

Qualcomm has invited me to speak at the Plaza Mobile Internet Forum, an exclusive event at MWC on February 18, where my topic will be mobile Internet, mobile advertising, and the strategies that will likely allow media companies to take advantage of the upswing in both. I’m excited about speaking, and delighted at the prospect of meeting attendees - including executives from Amazon, Turner Broadcasting System, and Universal McCann - during the cocktail hour following the forum. My personal thanks to Julian Harris at Qualcomm Europe and the rest of his team for reaching out to me with this exciting opportunity.

The arrival of Android and the remarkable success of the iPhone have whet our appetite for mobile data services, but they don’t solve the usability issues that prevent mobile data services from becoming a routine part of daily life for many mobile users.

Granted, the iPhone and G1 tackle a laundry list of usability issues. They have been instrumental in raising consumer awareness of the mobile Internet. But what about the vast majority of users on mid-range devices? Recent research from the Yankee Group reports that almost 70 percent of subscribers have either never used the mobile Web on their mobile phones or, only tried it once or twice.

The message is clear: We need solutions that can satisfy the mass market and drive adoption of mobile data. Retrofitting the PC experience for mobile is a patently flawed approach. Put another way, after almost a decade of pushing browser technology, the time has come to reassess the assumptions and use cases.

If we want to reach the 70+ percent on mid-range mobile phones with mobile data services, then we must implement technologies that deliver a genuinely useful mobile Internet experience. Even better if the experience is personal and relevant.

This is where mobile widgets come in. But to understand why mobile widgets are the answer, we need to better understand the two primary mobile data use cases driving their widespread adoption and phenomenal popularity.

Research tells us that consumers using laptops and high-end PDAs are more likely to settle down for longer sessions to consume content (to read emails or surf the Internet) . These sessions typically last 30 minutes to an hour.

Then there are the times that we want to be truly mobile and desire to interact with our pick of mobile data services on the fly. Examples include reviewing flight details on mid-range mobile devices while standing in the line at the airport check-in, nudging a friend on Facebook, or simply checking the latest sports scores. (Typically, these content ‘snacking’ sessions last no more than a few minutes and are done in one sitting.)

In my experience these scenarios are hardly a fit with the browser-centric approach which requires us to unlock the phone, fire up the browser, and find the desired destination. (A tall order if you forgot to bookmark the site in the first place.) Overall, the experience is far from ideal. It can be time-consuming and tedious, which is why - more times than not - the consumer simply gives up.

The mobile widget turns this on its head, empowering consumers to access whatever content and services they choose on their terms. In practical terms, consumers can pre-select the services they are interested in, and have these easily loaded and discoverable on their device. And the content is fresh, relevant and interesting because widgets can update themselves in the background or push notifications when new content is available.

Widgets are paving the way to a powerful new paradigm. Consumers are in control. They can simply select the widget they are interested in and interact with it (on their terms) on the move. This also fits with our habit of “snacking” data services. An interaction like the one I’m describing here typically lasts less than 30 seconds.

Effective widget technology must also fulfil some key criteria.

First, widgets must be easily accessible. This requires excellent usability, but rapid start-up on the device is also essential. Second, they must be easily discoverable. One-click from the idle screen to the widget environment is ideal, which is why so many services choose this as their starting point. Finally, widgets must be flexible and allow consumers to personalize their individual experiences. In other words, users must be empowered to change their widget selection as frequently as they change their tastes, interests and information requirements.

On the technology side of the equation, other measures are essential to deliver a good mobile data experience to the 80+ percent of users who don’t have high-end devices. First and foremost, the mobile industry must ensure that the widget environment operates on a large range of handsets. A key requirement here is openness. Put simply, the widget environment has to be open to a broad range of developers so that users can enjoy the largest possible choice of widgets.

But don’t think it’s enough to simply have a great widget environment on a wide range of devices, with lots of widgets available - or that having a great widget environment somehow negates the role of device OEMs and mobile operators. To the contrary, they have a pivotal role to play in this.

Device OEM’s must enable widget frameworks access to the idle screen, to enable zero-click access to content and applications and to enable a kind of two-way communication between the individual user and the widgets they choose and change to match their preferences.

Apps stores and widget distribution platforms may appear to by-pass the mobile operator, but nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, operators have a crucial part to play. They must ensure that the widget framework comes properly pre-installed on the user’s device, they must manage a broad services catalogue and a selection of pricing to match (including subscription, advertising and event-based pricing), and they must come up with all-you-can-eat tariffs to increase usage and encourage consumers to explore the wealth of mobile apps and content at their finger tips.

Importantly, mobile operators enjoy consumers’ trust. Users still rely on operators to deliver quality mobile experiences. Operators are the first point of contact if users have billing queries or a question regarding services. Importantly, it’s the operators that provide users with the confidence to become familiar with mobile data services and can inspire consumers to use widgets on a daily basis.

What can we expect when widgets are widely available to consumers and consumers have the confidence to customize them and use them frequently?

For one, consumers will finally and fully take control of their content experiences, personalizing their widgets to pick up on what interests them most in their information universe. I want to keep up with my friends on the fly? It’s simple because I have a widget for this very purpose that seeks out updates and events happening in my social network and pro-actively bubbles them up to my device’s idle screen where I can read and enjoy them. I want to keep up with breaking news about the economy? A personalized widget can update me on the developments that matter - as they happen.

Widgets enable a brave new world of interaction.

They are the key to unlocking mobile data service usage and to encouraging content discovery. More importantly, widgets allow us all - not just those of us that own iPhones and high-end devices - the freedom and flexibility to choose and customize our mobile data experiences. With widgets, I can make the mobile Internet my mobile Internet - and access what I want because I want to.

Dave Evans is CTO at SurfKitchen, responsible for the strategic direction and development of SurfKitchen’s Mobile Internet Platform. He leads development of their widget framework enabling mobile operators and their partners to deliver the optimum user experience for mobile Internet and content services.

Regular readers may recall that I collaborated with Netsize last year to write the Netsize Guide, a 250+ page book that documents industry developments, identifies key trends and profiles C-Level execs from 25+ companies including EA, Google, Jamba and Nokia. (You can download the Netsize Guide by clicking the button on the left-hand side of this site.) A real highlight was an online industry survey of over 1,800 mobile industry professionals and practitioners from 79 countries.

Netsize tells me the book was a huge success, registering 5,000 downloads (double the number the previous year) and 4,000 printed copies (well distributed at a string of industry events including Mobile World Congress). I am pleased with the positive response, and so is Netsize since it has asked me to research and write the 2008 edition. (Netsize has also partnered with Informa for industry facts and figures, so I am confident this year’s edition will be even better than the last!)

During a day of meetings yesterday, I met with George Yaryura, Netsize Strategic Marketing Manager, to scope out the project and decide the key messages. The executive interviews will focus on how/why mobile companies can/must make their offers relevant to consumers. Companies sure to be showcased in the guide include a mix of mobile-only social networks (BuzzCity), mobile advertising firms (AdMob), mobile search & advertising companies (MCN), mobile content providers (Jamba) and mobile music companies (Warner).

We also discussed plans to develop a thinking space (much like MSG) where we could engage the reader community online. More about that later…

There’s also room for a few super-cool startups as well as industry luminaries. Top of my list is Ogilvy’s Jonathan MacDonald, who continues to leave his mark on the communications industry. Jonathan correctly and constantly calls on us to re-think relevancy, which is also a central focus of this year’s Netsize Guide. I expect his views will be deliciously disruptive, which is why I want him on board for a Q&A.

Blyk is another good fit. My last week of briefings (the stuff of this week’s coverage beginning today) convinced me of that!

As you can see, I am planning a book that will push a few boundaries. If you think your company/vision should be considered, then I encourage you to contact me directly. peggy@msearchgroove.com

The requests are pouring in - and that’s just word of mouth! Regular readers will know that MSG is proud to partner with bnetTV, a leader in online broadcasting in the emerging technology and growing lifestyle sectors. We’ve formally teamed up to cover news and developments at CTIA Wireless IT & Entertainment 2008 in San Francisco.

I am on board to do close-ups and deep-dive interviews with a host of mobile search and advertising companies that peg the needle, and I am delighted at the opportunity to connect with such high caliber companies and execs.Just doing the scheduling today - and it is getting a bit tight, so I encourage you to pitch your companies soonest - I see that I have blocks of interviews (each approx. 15 minutes) that run for hours. Infogin, Medio Systems, Motricity, MCN, JumpTap, V-Enable, BuzzCity, Nuance, Spinvox, DeviceAnywhere, Millennial Media, JYGY, The Hyperfactory, Acision, NewBay, Movial, Amdocs, Novarra, Transpera, — and the list goes on.

So much for the daytime. In the evenings, bnetTV traditionally catches up with cool companies at Showstoppers and Pepcom. This year we’ll both be at the Smaato Mobile Advertising Awards 2008, a special event recognizing the best and brightest in the space. (bnetTV is a media sponsor.) BTW: If you want to get the most out of mixers, blenders and networking opps, then I recommend you check out this complete list of parties, organized by Eric Chan over at Mobile Slate.

If you plan to attend CTIA and want to schedule an “on-the-ground” interview, then contact me (peggy@msearchgroove.com) or bnetTV (CTIAF08@bnettv.com ). Space is limited, but we’ll try to squeeze you in. In between filming and some fun, I am also scheduling briefings, meet-ups and coverage for MSG. I encourage you to contact my PA Andrea Henninge (andrea@msearchgroove.com) to set up an appointment.

The recent release of this valuable knowledge resource may have slipped your attention in the summer months. But with vacation over and most of us in catch-up mode, the timing is perfect to check out and download the Mobile Industry Atlas, a visual map developed by VisionMobile that provides a who’s who in the mobile industry and the position they occupy in the evolving value chain (from handset design through retailing, including development and delivery of hardware, software, SIM cards, services, and content).

The Atlas examines the handset lifecycle and looks at the key companies active in the pre-load phase (vendors involved in providing software, hardware and services to the core value chain during the design and development of the handset, and before the software is embedded onto the handset), and the major players in the post-load phase (vendors involved in providing content and services after the handset has left the factory).

It was months in the making, a job well-done by Andreas Constantinou, VisionMobile Research Director. His company brings together a team of experts to offer research, workshops and advisory services on under-the-radar market sectors and emerging technologies. I am proud to be a VisionMobile Associate and to have contributed to the Mobile Industry Atlas by identifying companies that provide content and services after the handset has left the factory, including vendors in the mobile content, mobile games, mobile advertising, mobile search, and content targeting sectors.

If you are looking for a map that clarifies the complete mobile ecosystem, then I encourage you to download it here. The cost for an A2 glossy wallchart (which looks great, by the way) + PDF (single user) is GBP55, incl. shipping and taxes.

BTW: Andreas tells me that the Mobile Industry Atlas will be updated bi-annually. The next VisionMobile report slated for publication is S60 vs. Android: Champion vs. Challenger. This in-depth comparative analysis will dissect the developer experiences and the platform strategies offered by the two industry giants. No doubt Andreas will have more about this on his blog, which you can read here or follow by signing up for an email update.