This speed created demand for even greater mobility. One result of this trend toward mobility has been the rise of mobile communications. Now, leveraging technology advances and the successful data exchange paradigm created by the Internet, the push is on to equip mobile devices with enhanced data access . As occurred in the wireline Internet environment, the rollout of relevant consumer and professional content for the mobile Web, in particular mobile financial services, is considered a key requirement in the success of mobile data services. Immediacy refers to the availability of relevant data and applications, financial services or otherwise, to the end user in an always-on network environment.
Flexibility refers to the device's close personal proximity to the end user.
Portability refers to the mobility inherent in the relationship between the user and FSI, given the wireless nature of the mobile device. Together, these factors enable greater responsiveness among mobile financial professionals and enhance the breadth and depth of the relationship between the retail end user and financial firm. In reality, mobile data and mobile financial services applications cannot fully realize this promise. Different world areas have seen uneven rollout of mobile voice and data coverage and services. While mobile data services lag in the U.S., Japan's I-mode service now has more than 20 million subscribers and more than 40,000 total compatible content sites.