AT&T Orders 8 Million Windows Phone 7 Devices - What Does It Mean for the Future of Microsoft and AT&T?

The mobile industry is abuzz with the news about AT&T placing an order for 8 million Windows Phone 7 devices. The news comes from Michael Gartenberg, who is a well known name in the mobile industry. This news has surprised many for two reasons.

1. AT&T still remains the exclusive iPhone carrier in the U.S. The unprecedented success of the iPhone has helped AT&T increase its subscriber base significantly. In such a case, a shift towards Microsoft is seen by many as a shift away from Apple.

2. Microsoft is not a very big name in the mobile phone domain today, which is ruled by two of its greatest rivals – Google and Apple. So, many believe that AT&T will not gain much from a partnership with Microsoft.

On the surface, it looks like AT&T is taking a big risk by ordering such a huge number of Windows Mobile 7 devices. However, if you take a closer look, you will realize that it is not as risky as it seems.

First, there are rumors that the exclusive deal between AT&T and Apple might end soon. Industry insiders say that a Verizon version and a T-Mobile version of the iPhone might be in the offing, which would effectively end AT&T’s stint as the exclusive iPhone carrier in the country. If these rumors are indeed true, it makes sense for AT&T to look for an alternative since the iPhone will be no longer unique to its network.

Microsoft, due to various reasons, is still struggling to compete with Apple and Google and is desperately trying to become a dominant force in the mobile phone domain for ages. It is betting big on Windows Phone 7, which is expected to be loaded with highly advanced features. If Windows Phone 7 becomes a success, AT&T will be able to retain its position as a prominent carrier in the country and Microsoft will be able to gain a much needed foothold in the mobile phone market. So, whichever way you look at it, it is certainly an interesting move by AT&T. Will it pay off? Let us wait and watch.

Categories: All things mobile phones, Microsoft.

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Google Upbeat About The Future of Mobile Advertising

Depression or boom, good economy or bad economy, if there is one thing that you can bank on, it’s the performance of Google. The internet giant disclosed its first quarter results recently and the numbers were nothing short of incredible. The company saw a 35% rise in net profits ($1.9bn) and a 23% rise in total revenues ($6.7bn).

The lion’s share of Google’s revenues comes from online advertising, which is not very surprising. The company generated $4.4bn from ads on its own sites and $2bn from ads on third party sites. An interesting thing mentioned in the first quarter results was the success of mobile advertising.

Google considers mobile the ‘third axis’ and has asked its developers to focus on mobile advertising and technology. Eric Schmidt, in fact, has gone on record to say that the company encourages its developers to think ‘mobile first’.

Google is benefiting a lot from the growth of smartphones that can access the internet. The company also says that the launch of new products like the Nexus One has boosted the revenues considerably this year. Though no one knows the exact sales figures of Nexus One, it is said to be one of the top selling smartphones on the market today.

Google has been selling the unlocked version of Nexus One for $529 and the locked version, which comes with a T Mobile contract, for $179. Already, the phone works with AT&T Mobility and T Mobile USA’s 3G networks and other major operators like Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel are expected to support the device soon.

Google’s mobile operating system Android is also expanding its presence on the market rapidly. As of now, the OS is on 34 devices from 12 different mobile manufacturers. The company says that more than 60,000 Android devices are getting activated every day, which is quite a big number. The Android market now has more than 38,000 mobile applications and the number is growing by the day thanks to mobile app developers all over the world who are religiously working to come up with new, innovative apps.

The Google story can be summed up in just one sentence – so far, so good. Right now, more than anything else, the company seems to be focused on expanding its presence on the mobile market. While it is good news for mobile users, it is not so for Google’s competitors.

Categories: Cell Phone Advertising, Google.

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AT&T to support QR code based advertising

I’ve talked about the impact QR codes can have on mobile advertising already in this blog. Now, it seems Americans will have an opportunity to try it out. AT&T recently decided to support one such technology developed by Mobot, a Massachusetts based company.

With this technology, you can use your mobile phone camera to scan a barcode, logo, or picture and get something cool in return. It might be a discount coupon, some cool stuff to download, or a gift voucher. It is also said that depending on the response that AT&T gets, Verizon and T-Mobile might also follow suit.

Google is also very excited about this technology as it might help Google set its foot in print advertising. Google plans to place print ads with barcodes that can be scanned by mobile phone cameras. Google analytics tools will take note of things like how many people scanned the ad and what type of ads got noticed so that you, as a mobile advertiser, can get an idea of how well your ad campaign has performed.

I think this could be a terrific idea if executed well. As a mobile user, I’d always find it easier to scan an ad with my mobile camera and get the info I want as opposed to responding to a text message. What do you guys say?

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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Yahoo OnePlace - Mobile bookmarks made easy

Do you find it hard to revisit sites again and again in your mobile phone? Do you wish you could bookmark important sites, news feeds, and search results in your mobile phone? Well; Yahoo will soon have an answer for this.

In the second quarter, Yahoo will launch OnePlace, a mobile phone tool which will allow users to bookmark their favorite web pages on their mobile phone. This saves the hassle of keying in the URL every time, especially for the sites that you visit often – like flight information, weather reports, or sports pages.

Yahoo says it has reinvented the process of bookmarking and has customized it to the needs of mobile users. OnePlace will not bookmark fixed pages – instead, it will have placeholders linked to pages that have updated info, thereby making it easier for users to find out the latest information.

More importantly, OnePlace, with the help of two other Yahoo mobile services namely oneSearch and oneConnect, will customize the content behind the bookmarks according to the user’s location and preferences. Marco Boerries, the man behind Yahoo mobile, thinks this will help people get the most relevant and the most recent results from their bookmarked pages.

Methinks Yahoo is trying hard to topple Google from its top position. Yahoo has stated that it aims to reach more than 750 million users by the end of this year. It has already partnered with big names like Telefonica, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Going by the speed at which Yahoo is coming up with new products and services and partnering with the big names in the industry, Google is in for some stiff competition.

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

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