FOCUS ON THE MOBILE INTERNET The Mobile Internet, which was born in Japan, opens up serious prospects. This real technological exploit has grown considerably this year, thus creating genuine momentum among the operators who are trying to position themselves on the market. Interview with an expert from Atos Worldline to better understand the challenges and prospects of the Mobile Internet.
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Interview with Michael Rogué in charge of Mobility Offers. |
The Mobile Internet arouses a lot of interest. How do you explain this craze?
In 2008, the various hindrances that prevented the democratisation of the Mobile Internet began to disappear. This is notably due to an increase in the connection speeds provided by operators (3G, premium 3G), a decrease in costs thanks to unlimited plans, and the appearance of new terminals that are really easy to use and provide a new user experience... This new context makes it possible to connect to the Mobile Internet really easily and quickly, and has also brought a more spontaneous use. Therefore, all the existing technological and psychological hindrances are disappearing.
Therefore, can we consider that the Mobile Internet is about to boom?
Not quite and this is precisely today’s challenge. In order to greatly increase the uses of the Mobile Internet and create actual mass consumption, we must be able to provide the value-added services that Mobile Internet users expect on a daily basis. Consumers want to access all the useful mobile services on their mobile phones that will meet their "Anytime & Anywhere" needs. For instance, they want to check their bank accounts, make purchases, access their e-mails, browse information (schedules, maps, practical information)… However, most of the Mobile Internet sites available today are entertainment services. Therefore, there is still some way to go.
In your opinion, what will be the challenge to meet in 2009?
I think that one of the main challenges lies in the integration of the new-generation terminals (smartphones or touch-screen phones). In 2008, we noted that the emphasis that operators put on them generated three times as many Mobile Internet connections as other phones did. The iPhone was certainly the terminal that demonstrated the potential of these uses and triggered them off. These new terminals are more suitable for the Mobile Internet, both in terms of navigability (wide screen, touch or stylus-based navigation, simplified ergonomics…) and technology, since they can interpret standard Internet pages.
Therefore, in 2009, the challenge is to integrate these new-generation terminals into the Mobile Web strategy?
Of course! And it is very important to do so in compliance with the best practices required by the mobile environment: building a site that adapts to phones, optimising the displayed content but not minimising it, limiting the number of fields to fill in… Generally, one must "think mobile" without wanting to replicate one’s web site on mobile phones in terms of uses, ergonomics and design. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve the right compromise between one’s Internet site and one’s Mobile Internet site while wondering “What services do my customers want to access from their mobile phones? What promise do I make to users?”
So what are customers’ expectations? What can encourage them to turn to the Mobile Internet?
In the next few years, the Mobile Internet will also become attractive thanks to the embedded mobile applications that emerge here and there. The offer is pertinent and provides users with a very good experience of access to the information of a company from their mobile phones while bringing exactly what they are looking for in mobility: a service that is simple, convenient, user-friendly and useful when they are on the move. It allows companies to get into their customers’ pockets with mobile services sporting their visual identities, develop an image of modernity, and above all get closer to their customers. In the next few months, growth of these mobile applications with high added value (customer self-service, commerce, couponing, ticketing, banking, games, voting) is to be expected, which, more generally, will help to develop the use of mobile services.
In the future, how important will the Mobile Internet be in our everyday life?
The part that the telephone is playing in our lives is more and more important; year by year, it becomes the preferred terminal for all our voice or data communications. Tomorrow, we will all be able to use our phones as payment cards, transport tickets, access badges and loyalty card thanks to the mobile NC technology. Therefore, we are going to get more and more used to using our phones to perform any local and remote communication action. With such a prospect, we can easily imagine that the telephone will become the unique terminal for accessing and transmitting information, and thus the leading way of accessing the Internet. Then, it will be very important to have prepared beforehand the convergence of customer information between one’s Internet sites and one’s Mobile Internet sites (and generally all of one’s contact channels) to ensure the continuity of customer services. That said, convergence is already a reality in certain sectors such as telecommunications for instance.
And what does Atos Worldline offer?
Atos Worldline assists companies with their Mobile Internet projects from start to finish. The Studio can provide services before the project starts in order to help the company to "think mobile". The team can also provide assistance regarding the adaptation of the graphical charter of the existing site to mobile phones. This step is essential so users who switch from the Internet site to the Mobile Internet site can feel “at home”. Atos Worldline also has its own solution for developing and adapting Mobile Internet sites. It makes it possible to take into account the constraints inherent in the development of a Mobile Internet site, which differ greatly from one phone to another, and even more so since the advent of new-generation phones. This solution makes it possible to provide sites that perfectly suit the technical characteristics of each phone: browser, screen size, JavaScript compatibility… In addition, it makes it possible to interconnect to the various payment systems of mobile telecommunications operators, or to our own Mobile Internet Payment solution, SIPS Mobile. Finally, Atos Worldline hosts and operates its customers’ Mobile Internet sites, for which we can provide availability rates and response times that equal those of standard Internet sites.
INNOVATION
Coming soon to your screens : a report about innovation
PAPERLESSMobility increased with paperless solution on mobile phone
Atos Worldline provides Virtual loyalty card on mobile: innovative solution for a strengthened customer relationship management
Atos Worldline has developed an innovative solution ‘Worldline Brand in Pocket’ (Worldline BIP) which enables companies to offer their customers a virtual loyalty card on mobile phone. Through this rich application, Atos Worldline is responding to a growing need for mobility, and enabling its clients to make available the services of a brand, whenever and wherever, by integrating them directly within their customers’ mobile phone. The customer receives a virtual customer card via its mobile phone that ensures its identification at the point of sale. Data is displayed by a 1D barcode on the mobile’s screen which can be read by a CCD reader. He can also access additional services such as direct and easy access to customer services, reminder of password for web access, evouchers and information on his loyalty account … The solution also offers direct communication platform for customer relations (text, images, voice, animations, video…). Worldline BIP can also be used as a virtual payment means (electronic purse, individual or co-branded card, SEPA money transfer…) by linking it to an authentication device. This solution is meeting growing requirements in terms of sustainable development by reducing the consumption of plastic and paper through electronic card, as well as reducing CO2 emissions from logistics.
Atos Worldline paperless tickets solution delivered via mobile phone: Innovation in Air Transport
Atos Worldline offers airline companies an innovative alternative to hard tickets for their customers on the move through its new mobile boarding passes solution. This paperless solution allows travelers to check in and receive a boarding pass directly on their mobile phones. Air France has already chosen Atos Worldline to design, develop and operate this service. To access the service, passengers need simply to log onto the airline’s Internet mobile website, from which they have the possibility to check in, receive a boarding pass and access the full range of services via mobile phone. They can get real-time information on their flights, flight schedules, miles and more. The service gives travelers greater freedom and makes airline companies’ check-in management more flexible and responsive.The Atos Worldline solution complies with International Air Transport Association (IATA) directives and helps further a sustainable development approach. It fits in perfectly with Atos Origin’s strategy of innovation and paperless ticketing for the travel industry.
m-commerceAtos Worldline develops a specific m-commerce site for the new generation mobile phones i.e. smartphones
An important food e-merchant has entrusted Atos Worldline with the task of developing its m-commerce site. This will be an intuitive application whose ergonomics will have been optimised to allow customers to make purchases with just a few taps on the screens of their smartphones. This allows customers of the store to shop on an uncluttered mobile commerce site. Buyers access a simplified site that also includes a search engine, find their shopping lists saved beforehand on the site and pay through their phone thanks to the bank cards that the site remembers.
MOBILE APPLICATION Atos Worldline launches its European industrial enabling customers to take advantage of the mobile applications wave
Atos Worldline, is launching its industrial solution Worldline Padda, enabling customers to easily fulfil large-scale projects based on embedded mobile applications. Worldline Padda is an agile and upgradeable solution which makes it quick and easy to implement large-scale embedded mobile application projects. It enables Atos Worldline customers to address their end users extensively and to customise applications with new functions or with a specific design in an ergonomic, simple and comfortable environment. To date, the solution has been approved for over one hundred mobile terminals. With Worldline Padda, embedded mobile applications can be developed rapidly and efficiently, thus reducing time to market. It also ensures the ongoing maintenance and evolution of such applications.
Mobile recharge solutionAtos Worldline innovates in Mobile recharge solution
Atos Worldline has received prestigious Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award in the “International mobile service innovation» category for its ‘Worldline Global Recharge Service’, in partnership with Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (MTS), the largest phone operator in Russia and the CIS. This solution offers MTS customers on the move innovative mobile services through simplified mobile roaming top-up and cross boarder mobile payments services. The solution offers MTS customers travelling abroad a simpler way to top-up their prepaid phone accounts with prepaid vouchers obtained locally in advance, and transfer money across boarders to relatives or friends through cross boarder airtime transfers. This solution helps mobile phone operators to achieve long-term customer relationships through new innovative services available for use throughout the world.
