Next Generation Wireless Applications: Creating Mobile Applications in a Web 2.0 and Mobile 2.0 World, 2nd Edition

3.8 INTERPRETING USER-EXPERIENCE TRENDS INTO APPLICATIONS

Given the previous discussion about compelling user experience, how does an operator convert this into areas of activity within their mobile applications strategy? Here are five actions:

1. Adopt a multichannel approach – increasingly convert the platform and service enabling layer to allow the user experience to extend across multiple devices and channels, including mobile, Web, IPTV and the digital home network.
2. Enhance real-time interpersonal connectivity – increasingly enrich the ‘call’ experience by utilising new modalities (e.g. video share, presence, avatars, push-to-talk) and re-invigorating older ones (e.g. adding ring-back tones, creating single-click conferencing, visual voicemail). Here I believe it is important to maintain the ‘call’ concept as a metaphor for these services, mostly because the user is so familiar with the idea. This can be easily done via an active address book that allows a multitude of interpersonal services to be launched from within it.
3. Extend connectivity modalities – add new modalities to the phone experience, such as mobile TV (broadcast), video blogging, IM, avatars and ‘remote control’ for the home network.
4. Drive content consumption – utilising more on-device portal techniques, smart preloading of content over-the-air (or during charging) and moving towards an Amazon-like retail experience on the phone (and across converged channels) with minimal clicks to buy.
5. Increase personalisation ...