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Mobility Trends 2009

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CIOL Bureau
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By Sumeet Gugnani, Director, Mobile Communication Business, Microsoft India

NEW DELHI, INDIA: The world is moving towards a single multipurpose device which is a confluence of all means of communication.  The idea of anytime anywhere connectivity has now become a reality.

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India is one of the largest telecom countries worldwide and according to TRAI India has the fastest growing mobile market in Asia Pacific.We are now living in a world made up of multiple screens – from music players, to mobile phones, to ultra mobile PCs, to laptops, to desktop PCs, to TVs.

People want to stay in touch with each other, access information and share content from just about anywhere, no matter what screen they’re using. We believe that all these different form factors mentioned above will come together in 2009 to serve a common purpose – connecting people to each other in unprecedented ways via the World Wide Web. 

 publive-imageAccording to the latest report by analyst firm- Portio, India is the second largest market expected to show a tremendous boost in the mobile industry after China. Ironically, the average revenue per user (ARPU) in India is only Rs 200-250 as the industry is focused on the subscriber growth. Going forward, as the subscriber growth reaches a saturation point and the industry matures, new services and applications will become critical for the industry to earn additional revenue.

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Businessmen and individuals also have realized the need to remain connected and accessible. The tremendous growth of the mobility sector and the success stories of innovative applications have created widespread repercussions across organizations, changing the way people work and play.

From an enterprise perspective, mobility has emerged as a key focus area.  Enterprises have realized the benefits of mobile applications for their sales staff and mobile workforce which can dramatically improve productivity and efficiency.

Some of the trends observed commonly in this sector are as enclosed:

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Managing multiple screens, in a Cloud

Enterprise mobility has gone a step further to enable the workers manage their entire network seamlessly through a single device. With increased momentum in software services world, mobile platform has been able to effectively synchronize various communication gadgets and accessibility has taken priority in business and consumer lives equally. Microsoft has always shown undeterred commitment towards the mobility sector and with our vision to provide software and services seamlessly from one screen to another; we are determined to offer the best mobile services to the world.

For example, Live Mesh is a software-plus-service platform from Microsoft that enables PCs and other devices to “come alive” by making them aware of each other through the Internet. Currently, 90 percent of people who own camera phones or digital cameras tend not to transfer their photos out from their hardware as it is too time consuming or difficult. With Live Mesh on Mobile, it will be easier for people to share photos, music and videos residing in the cloud making it a seamless experience.

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Despite the economic slowdown, we expect there will be strong opportunities for developers in 2009 to help people better aggregate, access and manage their information as the industry continues its shift towards cloud computing.

The new face of mobility

In 2009, new generations of mobile devices have already made their way into the market, addressing the demand from people to simplify their lives. The mobile phone is now looked upon as the universal remote control, allowing people to manage all aspects of their lives. With one device, people can now connect to their office, capture photos, engage in social networking and also discover music and videos.  As a result, we have seen a shift change in user interfaces which can connect with people on a more emotional level. Today people are able to customize their phones – not just their ringtones and wallpaper, but at a much deeper level, by adding applications and services that suit their lifestyle.

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At the enterprise level, applications built for the mobile workforce is aimed to enhance productivity and minimizes cost for the complete business. Application like e-auction systems developed on the Windows Mobile platform by cranessoftware brings in easy bidding process for the farmers with no manual inputs and less hassle. Similarly applications developed by Atom Technologies on the Windows Mobile platform enable quick automation of the field force helping them to manage and monetize their leads better.

 

Weathering the economic storm through mobility

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We have already seen the effects of the economic downturn, and there is no doubt that this concern is high on the agenda for most people in 2009. With both time and money becoming increasingly precious, organizations and individuals can look at smartphones to increase their productivity, even while away from the office.  Smartphones have emerged as powerful and truly useful (even necessary) pocket computers, enabling people to connect to each other in ways that no one imagined a decade ago.  True mobile working has more often given small businesses a competitive edge against other players. 

Tipping point for social networking on mobiles

Social networking on mobiles is almost reaching a tipping point in 2009.  The mobile web surfing experience has got better.  For example, Microsoft launched Windows Mobile 6.5 at the Mobile World Congress to provide a richer user experience and advanced services bringing the mobile web browsing experience on par with what people have come to expect on their desktops.  As more and more devices with better browsing capability come to market, it will be easier than ever for people to connect to each other. 

In the coming years, this will open up more revenue opportunities for mobile operators and content providers as they bring cool services to market. The total number of mobile workers will continue to increase exponentially leading to increased market opportunity for smartphones..

Today, a huge number of enterprises have their own ERP and CRM systems, the future will be to connect these   applications to the mobile devices for true enterprise mobility.

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