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Consumers want help finding the content that matters most to them.
 Consumers want help finding the content that matters most to them.


Consumers yearn to interact meaningfully with the brands they care about.
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Consumers don’t care how they access it, they just want it anytime, anywhere.
 Consumers don’t care how they access it, they just want it anytime, anywhere.


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QIS Public Relations
QIS-PR@qualcomm.com

Moving Beyond the Applications Store

How Wireless Operators Will Win by Putting Consumers in Control of Their Mobile Content Experience

San Diego--2/16/2010

Here’s the question that Qualcomm, a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, believes its industry should be asking itself right now: Are application stores the ultimate and best means of giving mobile users control of their content and mobile experience? In answer, Qualcomm issued a white paper that challenges the wireless industry to think beyond apps and marketplaces, and to focus on innovation that simplifies the personal content revolution for users.

 “Consumers have an expectation that they are in control—an expectation that developed during the era of ‘wireline’ and ‘desktop’ Internet interfaces, “ states the white paper on the issue entitled Going Beyond an Application Store: How Wireless Operators Will Win by Putting Consumers in Control of Their Mobile Content Experience. “As wireless networks and devices continue to evolve and deliver an always-connected experience to consumers, this expectation of control is already extending into the mobile realm.”
A problem in the industry today is that current stores and operator portals are limiting the way customers discover and use mobile content. It’s not enough to just provide anywhere, anytime access from an application store. Operators need to add value to the mobile content experience to increase loyalty and win the competitive battle for customers. 
“To win the battle for consumer loyalty in mobile, the industry must think beyond an application store to deliver an engrossing mobile experience that offers more than just “anywhere, anytime” access. It also needs to be highly personalized and tailored for the individual, putting them in control of how they interact with and experience their content—all while being easy to adopt and scalable,” according Qualcomm.
To the consumer, that would look something like this: John lands in Chicago on a business trip. His mobile device knows this is not his hometown and offers him local area maps and points of interest. Unbeknownst to him, his college roommate (and Facebook friend) Mike is also visiting Chicago. John’s device informs him that Mike is in Chicago and sends him suggested restaurants and coupons to meet for dinner, knowing that they both frequently eat Italian food.   
Clearly, the control-conscious consumer wants the experience to be permissions-based and built on a mutually beneficial relationship where the operator is committed to using the consumer’s data to create the best possible user experience. According to the paper, “It is that unspoken but heightened expectation of relevance and permission that makes all the difference when crafting a mobile consumer experience.”
All told, there are three major issues at play in creating the consummate mobile content experience. They are discovery, portability and engagement.
Discovery helps consumers find the content that matters most to them. It’s personal.   Qualcomm-sponsored primary research reveals that 63% of mobile users would spend more time accessing online information or would purchase more content if it were personalized and easier to find. Traditional methods of search and discovery don’t translate well to mobile. When a consumer searches on a PC, they are most likely looking for an answer to a specific question. Whereas when mobile, they are looking for information that is more direct and personal. Since current mobile users’ cannot easily find content, the experience must shift from search to personal discovery.
Portability allows consumers to take their content, preferences and profiles with them across networks and devices. It must be available across multiple devices, it must follow the consumer when they upgrade devices, and it must be ready to be picked-up where they left off.   As mobile broadband continues to become more widespread, consumer demand for content portability will only grow, the white paper states. Those who provide this portability are destined to foster loyalty.
Engagement enables consumers to interact meaningfully with the brands they care about.   While many phones are currently competing for the sexiest interface, their true value comes from their ability to provide consumers with richer, connected services. The user experience is not about a sexy UI, but rather combining the power of the network and device to create an experience that resides with the consumer. 
In moving forward, creating total mobile experiences will require partnerships between operators, brands, content providers and service providers, and recognition of the fiercely escalating consumer expectations that drive every player in this market. But there is something else more fundamental required—innovation. There are still a number of technological hurdles the industry needs to overcome to create the best of all possible consumer experiences. At a glance they are:
• Interoperability
• Always-on mobile connections
• Security & privacy policies
• Mobile identity management
The current application store phenomenon has done much to boost consumer awareness. As this awareness grows to mass adoption, sexy user interfaces and free apps will no longer be enough to successfully court consumers. There will be a huge opportunity for those who can create the best over-all consumer experiences beyond an application store—taking into consideration all of the consumer’s content and how best to integrate the mobile portion so that it becomes a natural part of their lifestyle.
Therefore, moving mobile broadband to the next level, and fueling customers’ appetites for control, requires innovation and partnership. Those who focus on these areas, such as Qualcomm and its partners, are poised today for a successful tomorrow. 

Tags: Mobile applications | cloud computing | mobile devices | mobile digital devices | location-based content | cloud computing consumer | ubiquitous content | wireless content | wireless mobile devices | wireless content providers
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