Hichem Omezzine

Mobile usage has increased substantially over the last decade. Phones are no more simple communication devices. Mobile gaming and online browsing have rapidly invaded our cell-phones since devices’ memory capacity has increased and their graphic technology has improved. Despite this increased usage, mobile entrepreneurs have found it challenging to make money out of it. In describing the challenges of monetization, mobile veterans used a cynical saying “Mobile is the future, and always will be”. The recent $750mm sale of Admob, a mobile advertising platform, to Google is a game changer. In the words of Omar Hamoui – who founded Admob while he was a first year MBA student at Wharton three years ago – this deal “will bring even more players into the space and accelerate all the innovation that is already taking place”. There is clearly no shortage of ideas on alternative uses of mobile phones. Gartner has included Mobile apps in its top 10 technology trends. For once this is not just a developed market trend but also an emerging market one. ICF’s World Bank recent IT initiative is a good example of how institutions are trying to capitalize on the reach of mobile phones. According to Computerworlduk.com, the institution IT staff “has been working to bring the Washington-based IFC’s core business applications either to cell phones or to deliver the applications, such as SAP’s, to the phones”.

These new trends will drive fundamental changes in the mobile industry. Mobile phone producers will need to optimize their devices to be more app friendly. Users will need to factor a whole range of new parameters in their mobile purchase decisions. Mobile phones are the ultimate companion of several users and will capture an increasing share of their times. An obvious implication of this increased usage is the energy impact. People will need to charge their mobile more often or optimize their energy use to benefit from all the functionalities their devices offer. It is the usual battle between hardware and software all over again. In the long run hardware tends to win. However, while hardware engineers are working hard on increasing the battery life, mobile fans can only turn to software developers to help them optimize their energy use.