4 posts tagged “cingular”

Yesterday, inCode Telecom Group Inc. announced its "Top 10 Global Wireless Predictions for 2007".  Topping the list as the number one trend for wireless operators in 1007 is Social Networking:

"Social Networking Gets Mobilized. Mobility is added to existing Internet business models, services and behaviors, driving traffic for wireless operators. Teens and twenties accustomed to constant connectivity and habit-forming Web sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, lead a wave of membership in mobile social networks. Location social networking including friend and event finder services gain popularity, even in the professional and over-50 segments. Google, Yahoo and Skype are more compelling for users than wireless brands, which are hard-pressed to compete. As customer appetites for social data and video services spike, wireless operators offer more “all you can eat” pricing for high-end data packages. Social networking applications initially are preloaded on many mobile devices sold and later become downloadable."

On the handset side, inCode predicts that in 2007, "Multi-Function Devices [will] Become Cheaper and More Versatile".  This includes the introduction of video-capable devices to the masses.  They also predict that location-based services (LBS) and GPS will become mainstream.  According to the article:

"GPS is the location technology of choice for the wireless industry. Handset manufacturers continue to push GPS-enabled handsets as the technology evolves from popular in-car satellite navigation systems like TomTom to a broadly accepted feature in wireless phones. With Nokia having launched its first GPS-enabled handsets in early 2007 and bandwidth available to support new multimedia services, location-based service providers build critical mass. Since there are 10 to 20 times more mobile phones sold than any other consumer electronics device, wireless is a huge driver for GPS adoption. That’s great for users and handset vendors, but the benefit to operators isn’t clear."

Another of inCode's predictions is that "Mobile Advertising Breaks Loose:"

"Major brands shift from basic SMS marketing to more sophisticated multimedia advertising. RBC Capital Markets expects mobile marketing revenues to balloon from $45 million in 2005 to $1.5 billion by 2010. With the technological ability to target and measure the effectiveness of mobile advertising, brands are more strategic in their approach. Operators under increasing price pressure set limits on current handset subsidization. Brands take up the slack, subsidize handsets and services for target demographics and take direct ownership of marketing channels. Rich 3G content and video services and accuracy advancements in GPS-based location services deliver further value to brands targeting existing and potential customers in innovative ways."

This prediction, is already starting to come true, with MVNOs like Virgin Mobile USA and Amp'd Mobile planning to offer discounts to customers for viewing advertisements on their mobile phones.  Cingular Wireless, Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel have also said they're going to test the concept of mobile advertising.  And, according to CNET, mobile advertising services company, Millennial Media, which was founded by Paul Palmieri, a former Verizon executive recently received $6.3 million in Series A funding.

inCode is on the money with their predictions for 2007.  Tying together the above predictions for 2007 and thinking about the future, I predict that in 2008, mobile operators will further realize the power of social media - extending beyond simply social networking to all forms of social media.  If all goes as I predict, in 2008, Mobile Operators, MVNOs, OEMs, and ISVs will harness the power of social networking, GPS (LBS), and multi-function handsets and incorporate the power of social media, adding applications and web-based services to handsets that add value to consumers.  Services/ applications like Helio's Buddy Beacon, Dodgeball, etc. will increase.  I predict that large mobile operators and OEMs will begin to pre-load devices with social networking-focused applications that incorporate GPS.  I also believe that mobile advertising will increase and that the value of GPS to mobile operators will be realized in the ability to either charge for LBS social networking services and/or offer interactive mobile advertising via these LBS-enabled social networking applications.

Collaborative and community-based entertainment like YouTube on the go will evolve and continue to be popular.  I also expect that sites that monetize video footage (of, say, news events) that users take on their mobile phones will become increasingly popular....Think sites like: ScoopLive.com, Scoopt.com, and SpyMedia.com.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimisation (SMO) will also play a big role in mobile social networking AND mobile advertising in 2008.  Though, I expect to see real advances in and popularization of this area happening towards the end of the year and into 2009, once mobile GPS and mobile advertising are better established.  I see this happening in several ways:

• When users search for friends, that mobile advertising will be well integrated so that suitable meeting locations and activities will be suggested (e.g. restaurants, coffee shops, stuff to do, sites to see, etc.)
• Based upon users mobile searches, social networking behavior, and text written in the emails they send via mobile phones, mobile LBS and mobile ads will generate new advertising content.

These are my initial thoughts for 2008, and all of them are predicated on inCode's predictions for 2008 coming true.  If you've got any additional predictions for 2008 and beyond, post a comment!

I know, I know, this blog is meant to be about social media and social networking, but I couldn't resist writing about another piece of new technology that I know well - the Treo 750, one of the newest GSM Windows Mobile phones on the market.  On January 5th, Palm, Inc. announced the launch of the Treo 750 on Cingular.  This is the second major release from Palm in the last couple of months.

I've been using the Treo 750 as my primary phone for the past seven months (I was a business development, developer relations, and marketing consultant at Palm, Inc., so I got early access to the device**).  The Treo 750v has the same hardware as the Treo 750 but the two devices are branded differently because they're on different carriers (Treo 750v on Vodafone, Treo 750 on Cingular).  Despite having spent significant time working at Palm, I believe that the following review unbiased and fair.  In my opinion, as a power-user of mobile phones, the Treo 750v is the best smartphone on the market, but as with every product, there is always room for improvement.

Before I review the Treo 750, I feel compelled to point out something that many consumers don't realize - There are two current versions of the Windows Mobile 5 Operating System (OS).  There are important differences between these two versions, and most consumers don't know the differences. Here's an overview, which I hope will help:

• "Windows Mobile 5 - Pocket PC Phone Edition"
• Used by all Windows Mobile-based Treos (Treo 750, Treo 750v, Treo 700w, Treo 700wx) and phones from other OEMs.
• Comes with mobile versions of all Microsoft Office applications (Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, and PowerPoint Mobile)
  
• Touch Screen Enabled.  Users can use a stylus, touching the phone's screen to navigate through the user interface and make menu selections.  With some phones, including the Treo 750, it is also possible to navigate through most of the user interface using 5-way button navigation and soft-keys
• Phones using this operating system are often more sophisticated than the phones that use "Windows Mobile Smartphone Edition". They typically have larger screens/form factor and increased computing capacity.
  
• "Windows Mobile 5 - Smartphone Edition"
• Used by Motorola Q, Samsung Blackjack, T-Mobile Dash/ HTC Excalibur and other slim-style phones.
• The name of this OS is a bit of a misnomer because plenty of phones that use other OSes - including Pocket PC Phone Edition are marketed by OEMs and mobile operators as "Smartphones".  The Treo 750 is considered a Smartphone by Palm, as is the Treo 680, which runs on the PalmOS.
  
• Not as feature-rich as "Pocket PC Phone Edition":
• No Microsoft Office Mobile, so no viewing/editing of documents.
  
• No Touch Screen capability.  Users must use 5-way navigation and soft keys to navigate through the user interface.

I think that Pocket PC Phone Edition is the easier of the two Windows Mobile 5 OSes to use - especially because of the touch screen capability. This puts the Treo 750 at a distinct advantage over competitors like the Moto Q that use "Smartphone Edition".

And now, the Treo 750 review...

The Treo 750 on Cingular costs $399 with a 2 year contract.  If the thought of paying that much for a mobile phone makes your heart race, it may help to know that the Treo 750 is not your average mobile phone. Think of it as a hand held computer and phone - all in one.  Having used the phone extensively, I feel it is well worth the price - especially if you're a power-user of mobile phones.  If you're not interested in getting 3G data speeds or having the Treo ease of use with the benefits of Windows Mobile, you may want to check out the Treo 680 (a lower-end GSM Treo,  that uses the Palm OS - recently released on Cingular and also available "unlocked").

Out of the box, the Treo 750v works very well with PCs.  Using MissingSync by Mark/Space (sold separately), the Treo 750 also works great with Macs as well.  The Treo 750 is easy to navigate if you're familiar with using a PC, but don't worry if you use a Mac.  You'll figure it out quickly.  I use a Mac and found Windows Mobile easy to use with a little practice.

Overall, the Treo 750 rocks.  My favorite parts include:

• It integrates easily and almost seamlesly with Microsoft-based PCs and back-end systems.
• It is fast - very fast.  It downloads data quickly on 3G networks, making email and web browsing a breeze. 
  
• It includes MSFP, so it is push-email enabled.  It is easy to check e-mail - both corporate/ work email (Push or Pull) and consumer email like Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo (POP3 or IMAP).  Blackberry Connect (sold separately) is also supported on Vodafone, though I noticed it has not been released on Cingular.  I use gmail's mobile web-based email and find it exceptionally easy to use on the Treo750.
  
• Mobile web browsing is easy and quick.  You can do a Google search from the "Today" screen (that's what the main screen is called on Windows Mobile phones).  Most websites render very well... including popular social networking and web 2.0 sites like: Yelp. The only improvement I'd like to see on web browsing is the incorporation of Adobe FlashLite (as seen in the Nokia E60 and E62), as flash-based websites like YouTube don't render on the device.
• There is no external antenna like the earlier Treo 700w, Treo 700wx, Treo 700p, Treo 650, and Treo 600, and it is slimmer and lighter than these other models.
  
• Lots of memory - more than any other Treo.
• It is stable
  
• It is durable - I've dropped it... a lot. It takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. By far the most durable Treo design thus far.
  
• Mini-SD expansion slot supports up to 2GB cards.
  
• Streaming music and videos on-line using Windows Media Player
  
• Dial by name, number or picture. You can set up speed dials on your Today screen.  I've got pictures of five friends on my Today screen, and when I tap a particular picture, it automatically dials the preferred number I've set up for that friend.
• The ability to use the Treo 750 as a modem with a PC.
  
• There is a TON of third-party software available (make sure to ensure that the software you buy supports Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC edition and screen independence/ is compatable with a 240x240 screen). 
  
• The following sites are great sources for software Astraware (especially for games), Palm's Software Connection (Palm's store), Handango, Motricity, Mark/Space (sells Mac synchronization software and other popular titles), and Handmark. 
  
• I enjoy the following software on my Treo 750** (It is important to note that data rates may apply.  Make sure you chose a data plan with your carrier if you plan to purchase any software that accesses content wirelessly. I pay "all you can eat" data plan from Cingular that allows me to download as much data as I want on a monthly location for a fixed price.):
  
• Astraware -  mobile games
  
• ScanR Whiteboards - Take pictures of a white board using your Treo in lieu of taking notes at your next meeting. Use the ScanR Whiteboards application for Treo 750 to send any whiteboard picture to ScanR's image servers, which will cleanse that image, remove vectoring, glare, etc. and send it out in .pdf format to whomever you designate.
  
• Windows Live for Mobile (Live.com, Live Search, and Live Messenger) - So many great tools to try. Get traffic, directions, restaurant recommendations, IM with friends, create a custom mobile web page with gadgets, and more.
  
• Tube 2 maps and Rough Guides (travel guides) from VisualIT - Make sure you know where you're going with the latest transport and city maps and guide books on your mobile phone
  
• Vox for Windows Mobile - Blog on the go
  
• MobiTV - Watch streaming TV from your treo. Available through Cingular.
  
• TeleNav- GPS mapping from the Treo 750... no need to mess around swapping and loading miniSD cards or suffer through outdated maps. Telenav gives you a GPS puck which communicates with your Treo via Bluetooth and downloads maps over the wireless networks as you drive. So, your maps are always up-to-date.
  

There are a few downsides with the Treo 750, but given the upsides (and when compared to the competition), they're fairly minor:

• Certain parts of Windows Mobile 5 are frustrating - namely small, fidgety things, which are easier on PalmOS devices (like cutting/pasting items between calendar, contacts, the internet, tasks and email). 
• I don't like the way that call waiting and voice mail notification work.  When you're on a call and call waiting informs you of another call, the phone vibrates/buzzes very loudly while the ringer switch is on "silent."   If the ringer switch is on, the phone dings very loudly. Either way, the caller on the other end can hear what's the noise, which is irritating.  If you chose to ignore the call waiting by pressing the "ignore call" button and the ignored caller leaves a voice mail message, a similar loud ding or buzz can be heard when the message arrives - even if you're still on the original call.  It is frustrating to ignore a call when you're busy only to be interrupted for a second time when a voice mail is left.
• No FlashLite: Flash websites don't render on the Treo 750.  I'd like to see FlashLite included in Rom like it is on the Nokia E62.
• No Wi-Fi.
• No built-in GPS.
  
• A 1.3 Megapicsel camera. If the Treo 750v had a 2.0 Megapicsel camera or higher, it could be used as a document scanner, business card scanner, and Fax machine using ScanR.
  

For those of you who are considering getting a GSM Treo but aren't sure which one to buy - the Treo 750 or the Treo 680 (recently released as well),  the following may help you compare features**:

• Price
• Treo 750 - Starts at $399 in the US with a 2 year subscription to Cingular. (on Vodafone in the UK from free to £212.77. Pricing on Vodafone outside the UK varies by country/ Vodafone operating company.)
  

• Treo 680 - Starting at $199 (with a 2 year subscription to Cingular).

• Size
• Treo 750 - 4.44" H x 2.3" W x 0.8" D. Weight = 5.4 ounces
  

• Treo 680 - 4.4" H x 2.3" W x 0.8" D.  Weight = 5.5 ounces

• Speed
• Treo 750 - 3G Phone: GSM/GPRS/EDGE/UMTS.  It is able to take advantage of 3rd generation mobile network speeds where available, resulting in faster downloads of data

• Treo 680 - 2.5 Generation phone. It is not capable of achieving 3G UMTS speeds from 3G networks. It downloads data at slower speeds than a 3G phone like the Treo 750.
  

• Processor
• Treo 750 - 300MHz Samsung processor
• Treo 680 - Intel® PXA270 312 MHz processor
• Operating System
• Treo 750 - Uses Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition 5.2.  This is a multi-threaded operating system. (Note: Palm Inc's Treo comparison website says that it uses Windows Mobile 5.0, but the Treo 750 actually uses 5.2, which allows for push email).
  

• Treo 680 uses the Palm OS (5.4.9) and is a single-thredded operating system, which means with few exceptions, users cannot multitask with applications.  Users must close down one application before starting another.

• Memory
• Treo 750 - 128MB / 60MB persistent user storage
  
• Treo 680 - 64MB non-volatile flash memory available for user storage
• Expansion Slot
• Treo 750 -  miniSD card slot
• Treo 680 - MultiMediaCard, SD, and SD I/O cards 

• Camera

• Treo 750 - 1.3 megapixel with 2x digital zoom. Automatic light balance. Integrated self-portrait mirror. Video capture support.
• Treo 680 - Has a less-sophisticated camera than the Treo 750  - a VGA camera with 2x digital zoom.
• Email: Push vs. Pull ("Push email" means that when an email arrives at the server it is automatically pushed down to the phone.  With "Pull email," a users must 'ask' the server whether email has arrived. Email doesn't automatically "push" to the phone when it reaches the server. Users can do this manually or set up alerts for the phone to check with the server after the desired number of minutes or hours have passed.)
  
• Treo 750 - Windows Mobile 5.2 (with MSFP) included: push-email comes standard for those accessing email systems that use Microsoft Exchange Servers on the back end.  This means that unlike RIM, which charges users a monthly service fee to get "push" email and requires their eterprise customers to purchase a separate Blackberry server to get 'push' email on their Blackberry mobiel phones, Treo 750 users who work at companies that have a Microsoft Exchange Server can get 'push' email for free with no additional hardware costs.  Those users who do not have a Microsoft Exchange Server on their back-end can still 'pull' down email or check it over the web using Internet Explorer Mobile.
  
• Treo 680 - Without purchasing additional 3rd party software (like Good, Visto, etc.), users must "pull" down email from their network or check email using the Blazer browser. 
  
• Network Availability
  
• Treo 750 on Cingular
  
• Treo 680 - Available locked or unlocked to the Cingular Network.  When you buy the unlocked version, you pay more because the cost of the phone is unsubsidized.  When you buy the version that is locked to Cingular's network, Cingular subsidizes the cost of the phone because you must also sign up for a service contract.
• Battery & Talk Time
  

• Treo 750 - Removable 1200 mAH Lithium-ion battery. Talk time: up to 4 hours. Standby time: Up to 250 hours. Data preserved by persistent file system.
• Treo 680 - Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Talk time: up to 4 hours. Standby time: up to 300 hours.

• Screen Resolution

• Treo 750 - 240 x 240 color TFT touchscreen
  
• Treo 680 - 320 x 320 pixel TFT touchscreen

• Accessories
  

• Treo 750 - Includes stereo headset
  
• Treo 680 - No headset
  

• Colors
• Treo 750 - only available in 1 color (depending on carrier)
• Treo 680 - available in 4 colors
  
• Comparison of primary in-box software: *may vary depending on carrier. List shown includes some trial versions.
• Similar software: Treo 750 (WM) vs. Treo 680 (POS):
  
• Similar but different Clocks and Alarm Clocks
• Similar but different integration between Outlook Calendar and Contacts on a PC and the calendar and contacts software on Treos. (In my opinion, Windows Mobile offers better calendar integration than PalmOS, but the features are very similar).
• Similar but different Calculators
• Similar but different search capability
• Similar but different Solitaire game
• Similar but different voice command capabilities
• Similar but different Word document, Native PDF, Excel spreadsheet and PowerPoint presentation capabilities:
•  Microsoft Office Mobile Suite and also Picsel PDF viewer (WM) vs. Documents To Go® 8.0 (POS)
• Syncing with PC:
• ActiveSync® (WM) vs. HotSync® Manager (POS)
• Internet Browser:
• Internet Explorer Mobile (WM) vs. Blazer® Web Browser (POS)
• Electronic Book Reading Capability
• eReader vs. eBook Reader
• Remote File Access
• Handmark Express
• The ability to listen to cached or streaming digital music: Windows Mobile Media Player vs. PocketTunes™
• SMS / MMS Messaging with chat view
• Audible®
• Adobe® Acrobat® Reader
• Xpress Mail

• Software features available on Treo 750 not available on Treo 680:

• Games:
• Bubble Breaker
• Dynomite!™ by Astraware
• Similarity to Windows PC Operating Systems and seamless integration with many Microsoft back-end systems.
  

• Microsoft® Office Outlook® Mobile (The Treo 680 offers similar features, but in my opinion, the integration isn't as seamless to Outlook on the PC as with the Treo 750)
  

•  Email
  
• Calendar
  
• Contacts
  
• Tasks
  
• Notes
• Good Mobile Messaging stub application
• Pocket MSN
• Windows Media Player Mobile (allows users to play audio and video)
  
• Outlook 2002 for desktop
• Spritesoft backup and restore
  

• Software features available on Treo 680 not available on Treo 750
• Game: Bejeweled 1.0 by Astraware
  
• Pictures and Videos
• Tasks (similar to 750 but syncs to different program on Palm Desktop on PC)
  
• VersaMail®*
• Voice Memo
• Traffic for Treo™ smartphones (Microsoft offers a similar program via Microsoft Life Search Beta)

Do you own a Treo 750 or have thoughts/feedback on this review? If so, post a comment. If you are a non VOXer, feel free to email your comments to me, and I'll post them manually: socialmediablog@gmail.com.

**Note: I am not, nor have I ever been a Palm employee (I was an independent contractor). The facts contained in this blog are in the public domain.  The views expressed in this blog are my own opinions and are not endorsed by Palm, Inc., Microsoft, Cingular, or Vodafone.  While I attempted to verify the accuracy of product specifications prior to writing this blog, I cannot guarantee ongoing accuracy of this information.  Before purchasing a mobile phone, software, or wireless plan, confirm all specifications and product compatibility with the provider/ seller.  Please consult your mobile operator and  your mobile contract/user agreement before downloading 3rd party software to your phone to confirm that the software you use is permissible on your network and to confirm the cost of data charges.  Data charges may apply when using certain in-box and 3rd party software. Data speeds and related charges will vary, depending on your carrier and service plan. Consult your wireless carrier to pick the wireless data and voice plan that is right for you.

On Tuesday, Verizon announced that it will be adding YouTube content to its V Cast line-up, as part of its V Cast Video Service. Yesterday (Nov 29), it announced that it in early December some (not all) Revver content will also be available on the same service.  Users will need to spend $15 a month to access these video services.

$15 seems expensive for the current V Cast video lineup - even with some Revver and You Tube clips.  Keep in mind, Verizon won't be offering unlimited access to Revver and YouTube clips - just a select number of pre-selected clips.  If I were a Verizon customer, to spend 15 bucks a month, I'd expect to be accessing a whole lot of YouTube, Revver, and a TON of free cached TV shows and movies "on demand" and live streaming TV.  I'd also want to upload and download video from my phone to both services.  In the case of Revver- I'd want to be able to upload my videos from my mobile phone and cash-in on opportunities to make money in the process, which is part of Revver's business model.  In addition to offering only partial YouTube and Revver content, there is no live TV with V Cast - only video clips and a limited number of shows.  Plus, V Cast only works on some of Verizon's phones.

Paying $15 a month when you can use your phone as a modem on another mobile network, connecting it to my PC and accessing the entire internet of social media sites wirelessly for FREE sounds like a better bet.

Alternatively, MobiTV, which is available on Cingular in the US for $9.99/ month (also available via Sprint branded as Sprint TV in the US and on Orange in the UK), streams live (well, short delays) TV to your phone. Okay, so you can't see videos from Revver or YouTube through MobiTV, but you can see the very latest news, weather, etc. Similarly, if you're on other networks, there's no shortage of cheap live TV options.... Vodafone offers a great TV service called Vodafone Live.  And another ISV called ROK offers 21 channels of mobile TV and SD cards with movie and TV content pre-loaded on them.

Companies are currently using social media and social networking sites as a platform for evangelizing their own products and/or improving their image.  Even more interesting, is the way that companies (particularly mobile operators and OEMs) are thinking about how social media/social networking can:

• Make their products/services more attractive and usable to customers
• Increase customer numbers/ service subscriptions
• Connect customers to each other - driving data usage (which may be attractive to European Mobile Operators, most of whom do not offer "all you can eat" data plans, like many US-based Mobile Operators)
• and more.
  

I've been independently investigating social media (specifically social networking) for a while now because I believe it will revolutionize computing and human interaction.  In particular, I believe that social networking has the potential to transform the current mobile telecommunications landscape. 

I have a passion for mobile, and have worked extensively with mobile OEMs (Nokia, Inc. and Palm, Inc.), mobile operators, and independent software vendors (ISVs).  While none of my jobs in telecommunications have involved investigating social media, my experience working in mobile has given me an understanding of OEMs' and operators' priorities.  In my experience, operators are most concerned with driving revenue by increasing:

1. New subscriptions and renewed subscriptions
2. Sales of "sticky" paid-for services that provide recurring revenue and drive consumers reliance on the network, without overburdoning the mobile network.

Mobile OEMs seem most concerned with driving revenue by:

1. Keeping mobile operators happy and increasing sales and carrier subsidies (Note: Mobile operators subsidize mobile phones in an attempt to lure their customers into signing new service contracts.  Operators choose how much they want to subsidise each phone in their catalog, based on a number of factors.  If two phones have similar features but one has a lower price point, the phone with the lower price point is likely to attract more attention from consumers, so OEMs are eager to get the highest possible operator subsidies for their own brand of phones, in an effort to squeeze the competition on price.)
   
2. Increasing brand recognition of devices by offering "sticky" features/services that appeal to consumers as well as mobile operators
3. Selling software, accessories, and services.
   

A growing number of players in the mobile space are betting that social networking will satisfy the above objectives, generating revenue and increasing ways that consumers use their mobile phones.  Vodafone and others mobile companies are just starting to talk about their plans to push mobile social networking.  According to a recent Business Week article, Vodafone is in "talks with a number of social-networking sites, and expects deals to be completed during the first quarter of 2007."  Vodafone CEO, Arun Sarin did not say what sort of social networking services Vodafone will offer, but he's got high hopes for their ability to generate revenue.  The article reports:

Sarin says social networking, mobile advertising, mobile video, and other advanced applications are on the rise. "We expect these services to generate 10% of our revenue within three or four years," he says. Vodafone generated $29.4 billion in revenue and $6.6 billion in profit during the first half of the year, beating analyst forecasts.

A recent report by Telephia, a leading independent researcher of mobile trends, reports that while most of the mobile social networking applications/sites don't have a large enough user-base to track, consumers want to access social networking services on their phone.  According to Telephia's report, almost 1.4 million mobile customers logged onto MySpace using the wireless Web in September 2006 (Note: I couldn't find this report on Telephia's site, but several reliable sources mentioned it - Mercury News, Government Technology.).  I assume this means that users logged in to MySpace.com using their mobile browsers - as opposed to using the MySpace Mobile software application, which is distributed exclusively by Helio, a relatively small (and new) OEM.  Cingular and BellSouth both offer a service which sends customers a text message when they get posts on their MySpace pages, but the Mobile MySpace application/service is only available on Helio, which demonstrates carriers' interest in paid-for services associated with social networking.

MySpace access is not the only example of the mobile industry's interest in social networking.  Location-based (LBS) social networking services are growing.  Helio, who is big on services, now offers a social networking service called Buddy Beacon, which, using GPS, allows a customer to let up to 25 of his/her "buddies" track his/her whereabouts by using another Helio mobile... Seems a bit of a scary proposition to me, but I'm sure it's got appeal in the teen and college market.  ISVs like Google and Boost Mobile offer other location-based social networking services. Google's Dodgeball, now available in 22 US cities in the US, allows you to:

• Let your friends know where you are
• Discover friends of friends within a 10 block radius
• Meet potential love matches and be notified when they're nearby
• Find venue locations and broadcast them to friends
  

Boost Mobile offers Loopt, which allows you to put yourself on maps accessible to friends via their mobile phone, allowing them to see where you are and what you're up to and vice versa.

Besides LBS, there's potential for mobile video social networking.  Another of Telephia reports says that: "three percent of U.S. mobile subscribers, representing nearly eight million consumers, use their cell phones to take personal videos. This adoption rate for mobile video capture doubles to six percent among mobile subscribers who recently purchased a new handset, revealing a rapid upward trend."  Clearly, this has implications for the mobility of all of those video sites I've discussed in previous blogs. 

The aforementioned Business Week article on Vodafone's entry into social networking points out that some analysts are sceptical of social networking's potential to generate revenue:

Cell phones are still primarily used for personal or one-to-one communication," writes David Schatsky, president of researcher JupiterKagan, in a report. "Services relying on unique features of the cell phone offer better, though modest, revenue prospects."

Wireless phone companies have been reluctant to open their networks to third parties. In the past, they have offered proprietary, high-margin services such as text messaging. The Internet offers cheaper, open platforms such as instant messaging and social networking. As the cell phone becomes equipped with increasingly powerful Internet browsers and faster Internet connections, the migration of open Internet standards to the wireless world is all but inevitable (see BusinessWeek.com, 11/3/06, "Cingular: Giving Away the Music Store").

With companies like Google, proposing that web-based mobile applications like Dodgeball and mobile Gmail should be free to users (using an ad-based model), it may be tough for mobile operators to generate revenue on competitive "charged-for" services.  That said, if a mobile operator, ISV, or OEM is able to offer a new and unique enough social networking service, which enough users adopt:

• It will be possible to make that applicaiton free, given ad-based revenue, and/or
• Users will be willing to pay for it, to avoid ad exposure (which is sure to increase on mobile phones in time).

Either way- there is a future for mobile social networking, but this future may not be led by mobile carriers.  The "walled garden approach" that carriers have embraced for so long, flies in the face of the usefullness of social networking and will be challenged by the likes of Google and other web-based social networking mobile ISVs.  I don't think that users will accept being inhibited by who they can interact with based upon what mobile network or phone they're on.

Regardless of what happens, I am exicted to see how the mobile social networking market unfolds- especially:

• Who will lead the mobile social networking game?  Will it be ISVs, OEMs, mobile operators, or a combination of all three? 
  
• Will users want to access social networking services on their mobile phones via stand-alone applications, or will web-based stub apps prove more popular? (This may impact the way that social networking information is delivered to customers via mobile - think about the differences between the use-cases with free web-based email vs. paid-for push email.)
  
• What is the revenue model?  Will it be ad-supported or subscription based?
• How will the convergence of mobile phones, land-line phones, cable/satellite, DSL/Cable internet influence who wins the social networking game?

Stay tuned to hear my thoughts on these questions in future blogs.  And, if you're interested in mobile blogging, check out SixApart's new Vox Mobile application.