On why Android makes way more sense than Google Phone

There has been a lot of talk about whether or not Google has done the right thing by developing Android. Some say developing its own phone, the so-called Google phone, would have been a better idea. Some say Android is the better idea. Now, where do I stand in this issue?

It’s very simple. Android is Google’s best chance to dominate the mobile world. The reason is very, very obvious. Just think - How did Google become the top dog in the internet? By serving ads to websites all over the world. In other words, Google made everyone use their service.

Now, think of the same scenario here in the mobile world. Instead of creating a phone which can only be used by so many users, Google has come up with a mobile platform which has the potential to reach hundreds of millions of users all over the world. Android is capable of reaching a wide range of operators and users all over the world and this is exactly the route to Google’s success in the mobile world.

With Android, operators will find it easier to make their subscribers use mobile internet as that is where the revenue is. The more the number of users that use mobile internet, the more money it will be for Google, as it will be serving ads through Android. In other words, Android will help Google replicate its online success in the mobile world.

Remember – it’s a market of over a billion users out there. There’s plenty of fish in the sea. Google, in my opinion, has both the experience and the expertise to pull it off in the mobile world, just like they did in the online world. So, wait and watch.

Categories: Google.

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An unhappy Yahoo, unsatisfied Microsoft, and a happy Google

Finally, after weeks and weeks of chaos and confusion, it’s been officially announced that Microsoft – Yahoo deal is not going to happen. Microsoft is fuming at a lost opportunity and Yahoo is having a hard time convincing its shareholders. In the midst of all this, one company is beaming. It goes by the name Google.

If you remember, a lot of bloggers, including yours truly, had predicted what could happen to Google’s dominance if the much hyped Microsoft-Yahoo deal were to materialize. It didn’t happen and now I have my foot firmly in my mouth.

Now, let’s take a look at the situation of all three entities involved – Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google.

Yahoo is perhaps the worst sufferer right now. While Jerry Yang was never interested in Microsoft’s offer, Yahoo’s stockholders thought otherwise. They wanted the deal to go through and salvage the stock price of Yahoo. It didn’t happen and you can already see the effect in its tumbling stock prices.

Microsoft is actually wondering what went wrong with their offer. They offered what was considered a very good price per stock and when Yahoo was not interested, they even raised their offer. But then, Yahoo was not convinced. Microsoft wanted this deal to go through more than anything else, as it would help them grab a significant share of the search engine market. Now, Microsoft has to settle for companies like AOL to form strategic alliances with.

Google is the real winner now, as it’s always been. First, it outbid Microsoft and acquired DoubleClick Inc. Then, it got the FCC to make it mandatory for the winner to open its network to all devices. And now, it has got its biggest competitors Yahoo and Microsoft exactly where it wants. Google is about to get into an ad-partnership with Yahoo wherein it can place its ads in Yahoo’s search engine while Microsoft is left in the lurch.

At the end of the day, Google’s number one position in online search market is safe and now it can continue to concentrate on its new venture of mobile advertising. Initially, Yahoo was going great guns in the mobile world with lots of partnerships and deals that even Google was slightly threatened about its place in the mobile world. Now, Yahoo has lots of business to take care of in its own backyard, Microsoft is not in a position to dominate either the online search or the mobile market, and Google can dutifully work on its Android platform and make it big in the mobile market too.

Given the current position of Yahoo and Microsoft, I don’t think they would be able to challenge Google either in the online search market or in the mobile search and advertising market. In other words, Google’s dominance will continue and there is not a thing Jerry Yang or Steve Ballmer can do about it.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Google, All things mobile phones, Yahoo, Microsoft.

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Will AT&T buy EchoStar to offer mobile TV services?

While Verizon and AT&T caught our attention in the FCC auction, EchoStar is one company that went unnoticed. It bought 168 E-block licenses at a hefty $711 million. This has created a buzz in the market as a lot of experts think that EchoStar will try to offer mobile TV services more effectively than ever through Sling Media.

It’s a well known fact that SlingPlayer Mobile, introduced by EchoStar, has become quite popular and by acquiring a considerable number of licenses in the E-block spectrum, EchoStar might plan to broadcast its service in a better way.

Now, here’s the scoop. Another hot talk in the market is that EchoStar might not do any such thing, as it might change hands very soon. The buyer? You got it right – AT&T. This is almost a certified rumor which has been going on for ages now, but there is one thing which makes me think it might not be a rumor after all. AT&T has decided to hold off on its mobility services. Now, this sounds too preplanned to be a coincidence. After all, acquiring EchoStar will make AT&T strong in all three sectors – broadband, mobility, and TV.

So, will it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. But one way or the other, we can be sure of one thing. Mobile TV, soon, will have a very big market not just in the U.S., but around the world.

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

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CBS joins hands with Loopt to bring location based mobile advertising

A few weeks back, CBS announced that it will experiment with location based mobile advertising and based on the results, will think about taking the advertising campaign to the next level.

It was announced that CBS Mobile unit will team up with Loopt, a famous social networking service, in this advertising campaign. The team has got two tailor-made mobile websites to run this advertising campaign – CBS Mobile News and CBS Mobile Sports.

As of now, these ads will appear on your mobile screen only if your phone has GPS capabilities and if you are a customer of Sprint Nextel or Boost Mobile, who have signed deals with Loopt. However, CBS is confident of getting more carriers sign a deal with them to reach out to a larger customer base.

Loopt’s GPS based technology will help advertisers send targeted ads based on the mobile users’ location. Now, to stay clear of controversies and privacy issues regarding location based advertising, CBS and Loopt have announced that this advertising service will be made available strictly on an opt-in/opt-out basis. Meaning, if you are interested in getting the ads, you can opt in and you can opt out of the same at any time. Also, they have announced that the mobile ads will be delivered anonymously and they will not store your location history.

Something that Cyriac Roeding of CBS said made a lot of sense to me. When asked further about the importance of adding value in mobile advertising, he said that this is a game in which the customer should win at the end of the day, for if he doesn’t, there is no game to be played. Spot on, I should say!

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

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Now, a mobile website for fishing enthusiasts

Anglers among you couldn’t be happier. Finally, you’ve got a mobile website which has every detail under the sun about fishing. Sounds great, right? Let me get down to the main news.

First Light Net, an internet advertising company for fishing related activities, has come up with a mobile site called fishingguides.mobi, which has an extensive list of over 900 fishing guides and fishing services in the country and all over the world. And the best part is, the list gets updated every day.

This is great news for fishing enthusiasts. You go on a vacation, you are on the road, and you want to get to the local fishing scene. All you need to do is take out your mobile, go to fishingguides.mobi, and check out the details of the local fishing scene in that area. It’s as simple as 1-2-3. Now, compare this with the days gone by when you had to go to the boat dock and look for a fishing guide to help you out. Gosh; it was such a lengthy process, wasn’t it?

Now, this is what I call technology helping out people in their day-to-day life. Way to go guys.

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

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