68100 - Ad-funded Mobile Directory Enquiry Service in the U.K.

One of the complaints of people who live in the U.K. is that the directory enquiries service in the country is pretty expensive. Popular companies like Yell, Maureen, and BT charge about £1 per minute which is not cheap by any stretch of imagination. Now, there is a cheaper alternative available in the form of 68100.

The directory enquiry service offered by 68100 covers both business and residential landline numbers in the country and costs only 35p per minute. Now, some of you might be thinking ‘there has to be a catch somewhere’. It is true. There is a catch. You need to listen to an ad when you call this number. It is a concept that you are all familiar with – mobile advertising. Let me tell you how it works.

1. You call 68100.

2. Your call is attended by an operator who searches for the number you request.

3. You listen to a small 20-second ad.

4. An automatic voice reads out the number you requested.

5. Once you hang up the phone, you get a text message which contains the requested number and an offer from an advertiser.

6. If you want the service to connect you to the number you requested, you can press 1.

7. If you are interested in the offer from the advertiser, you can press 2.

It is like any other directory enquiry service. The only difference is that it is available at an affordable price since a significant portion of the cost is covered by mobile advertisers.

The question now is whether people will be willing to listen to ads or not. It is difficult to answer this question. Some might avoid using this service because of their rabid aversion for ads. Some might use this service since it is cheap. I, for one, wouldn’t mind using such a service if I can save a pound or two. So, it all depends on people’s preferences.

The only problem with this service, in my opinion, is that it primarily caters to people who have low end mobile phones without internet connectivity option. If a person has a high end mobile phone, like I do, he can easily get the information he wants by visiting the website of Yell or Maureen. He does not need to use this service at all. Apart from this, I do not see any other problem with this service. This, I think, is yet another example as to how useful mobile advertising can be if presented the right way. What do you think?

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones.

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Watch 2012 Olympics on mobile TV

Olympics 2012 will mark the beginning of a significant technology that can change the very way mobile phones are being used. I’m talking about Mobile TV. Err… is there any correlation between Olympics and Mobile TV? Yes, there is.

London Olympics would be the most watched event in 2012 without a doubt and mobile operators and mobile advertisers are thinking of ways to make the most out of this opportunity. The answer for that could very well be Mobile TV.

A lot of operators are testing the waters already and they’ll be ready to help you check out Olympics events right on your mobile phone, come 2012. The most important things that could decide the way operators will bring you mobile entertainment are the auctions for L Band Spectrum, 2.6 gigahertz spectrum, and analogue television spectrum. The reason is simple – these auctions will decide which technology can be used to take mobile TV to consumers in the most effective way. Operators are already very busy working on various technologies to make 2012 Olympics go mobile. Check out this list.

Vodafone, in Italy, brings mobile television to users through DVB-H (digital video broadcasting handheld) technology, backed by Nokia.

Orange and T-Mobile use TDtv technology for mobile television and will soon launch about 24 mobile TV channels to test the market.

BT and Virgin used DAB technology for their BT Movio mobile TV, which is now a defunct service.

Qualcomm’s MediaFLO is yet another technology that can work well with the L Band Spectrum.

The only way mobile operators can profit from mobile TV is through mobile advertising. So, there are talks on that too. I’ve already stated my opinion on mobile TV advertising and I think it will open new avenues for both mobile advertisers and mobile operators. Not to mention, we, mobile users, will end up getting so many options in our mobile phone that we’ll find it difficult to choose one.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, All things mobile phones, Mobile TV.

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