The UK Mobile Report

T-shirt of the day - it's a blog thing

YouTube mobile site?

Digitmag is reporting that YouTube has sent an email detailing plans to create a special mobile site by mid-year. Ho-hum.

Vodafone to sell through Asda

I'm  going to resist the cheap jibes at the Asda demographic. I really am. After all Vodafone used to sponsor Man Utd. It knows a thing or two about partnerships. And despite not being an Asda shopper... I will say one thing - they don't irritate the hell out of shoppers by asking 'Have you got a Nectar card sir?" Arrrrrgh.

The reasonf for my Asda deliberations? Vodafone has announced that it has signed a deal to sell a range of phones through Asda. Details are thin on the ground but suffice to say the news comes days after Tesco (which sells O2 phones) reported that it is now the fastest growing pre-pay retailer after Carphone Warehouse.

Are we witnessing a fundamental shift of mobile phone sales from high street to supermarket? What works for bananas and t-shirts probably works for mobiles too. And with mobile users always having to nip back for top-ups and accessories supermarkets are probably happy to almost sell cheap mobiles as a loss-leader, I would think.

3 blogs for testers

It's always good to see tech firms creatively using blogs to reach out to punters and the media. I've just come across the 3 X-Series blog which is worth a look if you are interested in watching how 3 ramps up this offering. What's cool at the moment is that 3 are asking for testers (no pay but free software and handholding). Here's what it says:

We’re after people to help provide feedback on current X-Series services and provide input into future ones. To qualify, you simply need to be an existing X-Series customer and have a desire to help us shape the future of the mobile internet ... wow, sounds a bit like a job ad!

There’s no money involved … hmm, not a job ad after all ;-) … but you will get to put new software and services through their paces and chat with us from time to time about what you think of them.

If you’re based in London or thereabouts, you’ll be invited to our offices every so often (no more than two or three times a year at a time that suits you). If you’re not in London we still want your help and you’ll become part of a virtual team of beta testers/panelists.

To apply just send us 20-50 words on why you want to help shape the mobile internet. Send it via email to blog.xseries@three.com or reply to this post now. We’ll get in touch if you’re successful.

More on their blog here

On the matter of firms using blogs I also recently spotted that LG's PR team runs blogs for the LG Chocolate and LG Shine phones. They recently used the former to call out to bloggers to test the Chocolate. They had 12 or so bloggers sign up...I think I spot a PR trend here: Don't fight the blogosphere; feed it with chocolate and shiny things.

BBC starts 3G telly trail

The BBC has announced the start of a trial to syndicate a range of its television channels and radio networks via 3G to mobile phones with mobile operators Orange, Vodafone and 3.

The trial, which will last up to 12 months, will allow subscribers to Orange, Vodafone and 3's TV packages to watch BBC One, BBC News 24 and BBC Three (with the exception of some sport and acquired programmes) streamed on their mobiles.

They will also be able to listen to up to eight radio stations including Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4, 6 Music, BBC 7 and Asian Network. The trial will start within the month.

Ashley Highfield, Director of Future Media and Technology, said: "By making a range of television channels and radio networks available to 3G mobile phone subscribers, we hope to test not only the effectiveness of 3G as a means of distribution, but also how audiences respond to the BBC's linear services on their mobiles.

"The findings, combined with quantitative and qualitative consumer research, will inform the BBC's future mobile strategy."

Richard Halton, BBC Controller of Business Strategy, who was speaking at the Broadcast Mobile TV Congress today, said "The BBC constantly aims to make its content available to as many people in as many ways as possible.

"The mobile platform is a great opportunity for us to reach existing users in a new way and connect better with people who are not currently big users of the BBC.

"The BBC believes that mobile content is an important part of the broadcasting landscape and is looking at ways in which mobile devices will shape services of the future for licence fee payers.

"To this end, the BBC will be undertaking extensive and unique research into consumer behaviour and experience throughout the 3G mobile syndication trial. To date we have done relatively little consumer research in this area, and it will provide us with a detailed insight into consumer behaviour."

Separately, the BBC has also launched an enhanced version of bbc.co.uk/mobile, which is available to all mobile phones with browsers capable of displaying XHTML pages.

Microsoft's Deepfish browser

Microsoft has unveiled its new private beta mobile 'Deepfish' browser. It allows you see see a web page much more clearly and to zoom in (Apple-like) into parts of the page. Bring it on!

At times like this I rush over to Jason Langridge's blog (Mr MSMobile to you and me). This is what he says:

This is an incredible new browser technology for Windows Mobile  that allows you to browse real PC designed websites from your mobile device and navigate them really easily. 

The technology also includes some really smart caching capability which means pages load really fast!

There's a video on his site.

But it looks like CNET think Deepfish needs a bit of work. The Crave review is far from glowing, saying that in fact pages load a little slowly, and that it won't re-columnize the content.

Comment: Tony Pile, Royal Mail

MARRYING MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND THE MULTICHANNEL LANDSCAPE

Tony Pile, Royal Mail's Market Development Manager for Telecoms.

Companies spend millions of pounds every year on marketing. There are plenty of channels to choose from: TV, radio, press ads and direct mail -  to the cutting edge – MMS, 'bluecasting' and podcasting.

Whilst marketers are getting increasingly inventive with the way they communicate with their customers, media proliferation has become a double-edged sword and is now one of the biggest challenges they face. Since the early 1990s there has been a 560 per cent increase in the number of TV channels , a 120 per cent increase in commercial radio, 80 per cent more cinema screens and 40 per cent more magazine titles. Whereas once mass audiences could be reached through a small number of channels, now we have fragmentation.

"When it comes to targetting customers through new media, marketers are often putting the cart before the horse and making widespread use of a channel before they understand how to do this in a way that is acceptable to the receiver."

SMS is a case in point.  New mobile media such as bluecasting needs to be treated, if anything, with even more sensitivity than other new media channels.

Firstly there is the issue of security. There have been numerous tabloid stories about celebrity victims of ‘phishing’ - having phone numbers, email addresses and compromising photos lifted from their Bluetooth enabled mobile phones. And with public cynicism about both new media marketing and fraud at an all time high, many people choose to delete or block any unsolicited communication for fear of being stung. This means that, at the very least, marketing messages are ignored, but also run the risk of alienating the very audience that you are trying to win over.

Furthermore, people are much more attached to their mobile phones than they are to, say, their email accounts or their television. For instance, whilst we often accept email spam as a fact of life, we are less tolerant of unsolicited SMS messages, regarding them much more as an intrusion of personal space. In fact, ‘SMS spam rage’ is the new road rage suggests research conducted by Royal Mail, out next month.

And unlike SMS, many of those who own a Bluetooth enabled phone are unclear about what the technology can do. Indeed, for many people, their first ‘use’ of Bluetooth may be to receive a marketing message. It’s unsurprising that unwanted advertising, particularly when repeatedly targeted, can result in consumer hostility to the sending brand

As a result, any new media channel should not be approached on its own, but as part of an integrated campaign alongside more traditional and more readily accepted media. It is also worth remembering reach - not every prospect in the UK owns or has access to a Bluetooth-enabled phone - while every household in the country has a letterbox.

A recent integrated campaign undertaken by Eurostar showed how to integrate new media into a multi-channel campaign to best effect. In addition to above the line activity and direct marketing, Eurostar chose to test the use of Bluetooth technology on outdoor posters. It used the system on 15 sites around London, with a downloaded message directing people to a microsite. The above the line component ensured wide reach, whilst the direct mail reinforced the message and provided information in greater depth.

Any new media should initially be used sparingly within a multi-channel campaign to support and supplement more traditional activity such as direct mail and TV advertising. An emerging media will only become established once consumers feel comfortable being targeted in this manner. If they are bombarded immediately (as was the case with SMS) marketers risk creating a backlash that could ultimately damage the media before it reaches its full potential. 

Whinge of the Day

"Why doesn't BT convert all its call boxes to Wi-Fi hubs? Due to their locations it would undoubtedly big a huge bonus to nearby cafes, hotels and even shops," says Ken Young, editor, UK Mobile Report.

Mike King from Johnson King says:

Of course, that is partly where BT is locating its Wi-Fi APs for its wireless cities inititive that it announced last year, initially across 12 cities http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4993038.stm

Presumably, this will be expanded across more cities over time using more and more phone boxes to house the equipment.

Jahjah teams with LG Prada

Its VoIP day its seems. No sooner had a I got off the Fring story than I received an email from Jahjah saying it now has 2m subscribers, after one year in operation, and that LG Electronics and Jajah have joined forces to add the Jajah service to the LG Prada mobile phone.

What's nice about Jahjah is that it gives a clear indication of the cost savings:

"....typically 91 per cent cheaper than on a standard mobile contract with Vodafone, 67% with Orange, 87 per cent with T-Mobile and 88 per cent with O2 - and even lower rates again if both the caller and the person being called are Jajah members.

The other really nice thing is that the cost of each call is clearly displayed before the call is made. Rates are available at www.jajah.com/info/rates .

Founder Roman Scharf said "Jajah aims not only to be the smartest and the cheapest phone service around the globe, but also the most transparent. In a world where so many companies say 'service is free', customers deserve to know exactly what they are getting. It's part of brand to provide that kind of clarity to our customers, and it is one reason the Jajah global community is growing so quickly."

The VoIP war has truly been joined it would seem.

Verdict: The business model of the new VoIP businesses seems simple. Build the subscriber base by giving everything for free in the hope of becoming the new Skype/YouTube. But with Skype already gaining the upper hand through the huge cash injection of its sale to eBay, the jury is out on whether there is another big VoIP player in the making out there.

Fring opens doors to cheap calls

If you are the kind of person that wants to make lots of cheap calls, Fring, cannot have escaped your notice. It's an Isreali firm that sends your voice call over data connections to bring costs to near zero.

Fring users download special Fring VoIP software that allows them to make cheap calls over 3G or via Wi-Fi. All very well but operators have been able to block Fring use if they don't want to encourage it. Today, however, I was contacted by Fring with the following news:

"Fring is the first company to facilitate true mobile independence by enabling fring™ users to choose any SIP provider to make mobile VoIP (mVoIP) calls to regular phones. For the first time, fring™ users (fringsters) can easily pick-and-choose between their favourite SIP-based VoIP networks, even without a SIP-enabled phone."

Is this the beginning of open VoIP calling from mobiles?