The provision of wireless Internet services in developed markets is being driven by the need for network operators to address the decline in both average revenue per user and the rate of annual subscriber growth. The reality of the wireless Internet is yet to live up to the hype that has surrounded it - adoption and usage has been slower than expected across all regions and this has generated a requirement for careful management of user expectations. Whilst the arrival of packet switched network functionality will address some of the causal factors it will not remove the underlying requirement for the generation of content specifically for the wireless space that offers users tangible benefits over and above competing mediums. Such 'must have' value can only be achieved by dynamically creating content with the user experience at the forefront of design, and by recognising key dimensions of the wireless space such as location, immediacy and personalisation.
Wireless content is far more than a simple extension of existing content.
Mobilising Internet content is not about getting content onto a mobile device but about recognising and acknowledging the differences that are inherent between different platforms in order to create content that is both dynamic and compelling. Those players that are quick to recognise the wireless web as an entirely new channel and are amongst the first to build a new market within that channel stand to occupy dominant positions in the future. The necessary involvement of industries with no prior role in telecommunications has evolved the structure of wireless service provision from a value chain to a complex value web. This web is in a state of flux and is likely to remain so for at least the next twelve months as component industries experiment with the potential merits of occupying various positions in attempting to reach the customer. This period will be typified by competition, co-operation and the formation of strategic alliances.