Mobile Monday Amsterdam #7: Mobile Value
September 2nd, 2008 by PatriceMobile value
Yesterday it was MoMo Amsterdam time again, number 7.
It was all about creating value with mobile content and/or applications.
Before the break
During the first half three propositions were presented and put up for a vote to the audience:
• Disruptive mobile start-ups cannot mix end-user value with shareholder value. they have to go for the end-user value (or they will fail)
• There is no money in User Generated news gathering (as an example they gave skoop that went bust). Hm, the news site “OhmyNews ” in Korea is a huge hit and has managed to make some money (ok, they have competition now, but we all have to keep reinventing ourselves).
• Internet pages must be structured differently for mobile content. I hope no-one disagrees with this statement 
This was again a new formula they tried out, but the discussion which they hoped it would spark didn’t catch fire.
After the break
The second half promised to be more lively, with speakers like Rudy de Waele (.dotopen) and Ajit Jaokar (Futuretext) and Yme Bosma (Hyves).
15 tips for mobile start-ups – Rudy Dewaele
A couple of interesting tips:
• select the one platform most relevant to your users and develop your application to work on that particular platform (it’s true, one can easily waste tons of valuable time making an application cross-platform from the very start, just to notice that the target audience only uses, say Series 40 devices).
• make sure you select your monetization strategy wisely (brand licensing, api licensing, ad-supported…)
Ajit Jaokar – New radio techniques and open source software will change the mobile world
“Why is it,” Ajit Jaokar asks “that there are currently only 5 major device vendors and not 55 or more?” Interesting question indeed. He argues that this is because of the relatively high fixed costs that come with making mobile devices. Thus, lowering fixed costs will increase competition in the mobile device space.
Fixed costs can be reduced by using open source software and new techniques that combine different radio technologies into one chip.
I didn’t get the chance to ask him, but I believe that he meant that the open source software also had to be freely available (how could it otherwise lower the fixed costs?).
More on the subject here: http://www.slideshare.net/momoams/ajit-jaokar-the-asus-effect-presentation/
Yme Bosma – the mobile strategy of Hyves
The people at Hyves consider their platform a facilitator in making people communicate better whatever the channel, whatever the task.
So mobile seems a natural extension. But surprisingly Yme said that it wouldn’t surprise him that Hyves Mobile would become the primary channel in say 5 years, and that the PC site yet another channel.
They are currently working really hard to make a downloadable application.
Also an Open Social implementation is on its way, so that every developer will soon be able to create their own application (fixed or mobile).
More information here: http://www.slideshare.net/momoams/yme-bosma-hyves-presentation
Conclusion
It was again an interesting afternoon indeed. For companies like ours that have fun working in the mobile space it was interesting to see the many possible monetization opportunities, as well as the mobile value we can bring to our users.
Looking forward to subscribe to the 8th MoMo Amsterdam.