Consumers want it and providers are finding ways to deliver it: off-portal content is poised to boil over in the US. The land of the free is set to pay out: signs suggest the US market is about to explode.
Consumers want it and providers are finding ways to deliver it: off-portal content is poised to boil over in the US. The land of the free is set to pay out: signs suggest the US market is about to explode.
Content dominated last months CTIA Wireless show, with visitors buoyed by developments which fuel the belief that the US long seen as lagging Europe and Japan is poised for take-off.
So far the uniqueness of the US market has held it back: its small number of carriers, for example, limits the entry points for content providers while its lack of a texting culture has stymied the aggregators.
However, observers sense change is in the air. The markers of a shift include:
The rise of the SMS short code: Since the CTIA created a common short code, 150 companies have activated over 450 numbers, says the Common Short Code Administration.
Growing acceptance of texting: Voting on American Idol is credited with furthering the cause of SMS. Provider Mobliss processed over 13.5m messages during the last run.
New content portals: Dirty Rhino and Thumbplay launched web portals to offer content to broadband-friendly US users.
Off-portal space opening up: European provider Bango has now launched in the US to offer a managed, easy-payment channel beyond the carriers
MVNO excitement: Rumoured to be 250 to come many of them driven by the content play. ESPN, launching on a diet of sports, is leading the charge.
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Ralph Simon, chairman of MEF Americas, detects a change in climate. He said: Something big is happening. Hollywood, the music industry, VCs theyre suddenly very interested in mobile.
Are Traasdahl, president of Thumbplay, agrees. The appetite from consumers is there, so were launching with high hopes. Our portal is the first of its kind and were confident of heavy traffic, he says.
