Mobile services thrive on ecosystem of different players
HP set up its own ecosystem, called HP Bazaar, to bring together the skills and competencies of various players in the mobile scene and deliver services to end-users, he said. These include device makers, mobile operators, content developers and media owners. Music and ringtone downloads, mobile TV streaming and imaging, are just some of the services that are already gaining widespread adoption or are primed to take off.
In fact, companies are so keen to become active players in a mobile ecosystem that some have ventured into new markets, Vestabacka said. For example, carrier SK Telekom is buying a record label and Apple has made its foray into selling music. “There is a jockeying for positions that we see in all ecosystems,” he added.
To understand the role of each player, the ecosystem must look at elements that are vital to making mobile services work, he noted.
For instance, billing is a key component of building a relationship with customers, he explained, while device makers and utility providers such as mobile operators, also play important parts in delivering the services to users.
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Highlighting the example that Vodafone offers, he said content providers and media companies can run their services--under the Vodafone umbrella--by leveraging on the operator's existing mobile users.
Vestabacka also discussed the potential of "visual radio", which brings together radio and graphics to mobile phones. Highly interactive, the tool allows users to maneuver through additional visual content while the music plays, he explained.
“(It's) very visual,” he said, adding that this can help create buying impulses as users scroll through the radio station menu while the music is being played.
“There are already tens of thousands of radio station out there (in the market)," he said. So it will be a competitive advantage for providers to combine their services with interactive content to get users to purchase songs.
Contrasting it with online services, he said that users do not have to make a conscious decision to go online and buy music.
Gregory Teo is a freelance tech writer based in Singapore.