Disqus - Latest Comments for ricferraro

Re: 8 Questions to… Tomi T. Ahonen

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:52:51 -0000

Hi Tomi,

Thanks for you response -I appreciate the exchange of views on this.

And yes, of course, you are right in that LBS has been over-hyped and has under-delivered in the last decade but, and here lies the rub, I don't believe LBS as a sector of mobile exists anymore today.

Take Groupon, for example. Billed the fastest growing company in the US in 2010, with over $500m in revenues for that year, Groupon has built a global success story based on offering localized offers and discounts via e-coupons. And, last but not least, it became profitable after six months.

Given that Groupon is a location-based service with a full suite of location-aware applications, we could argue that it is a LBS (and a very successful one at that). But location is not the service it offers, it is merely a feature of its service (location awareness allows nearby offers to be delivered more easily).

This is not simply a question of semantics. The point is that location has allowed Groupon to unlock a great deal of value for its service by being embedded within it. In a similiar fashion, location awareness is allowing and will allow a great deal of businesses to create value within their mobile service.

Are location-aware services over-hyped today? I don't think so. On the contrary, I think most companies are only just beginning to realize the huge potential of embedding location (and accurate location, at that) within their mobile offer or service.

We can safely close the door on the world of LBS (it was a hell of a ride) and say hello to the world of 'location-everywhere' with location-awareness increasingly embedded as a feature on the majority of newly launched mobile services.

Ric

www.mobverge.blogspot.com
Twitter: ricferr_mobile

Re: 8 Questions to… Tomi T. Ahonen

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:35:42 -0000

Hi Tomi,

I like some of your insights and enjoyed reading your article, though I disagree on what you refer to as the "hype" of location based services.

As you will have no doubt noticed, Twitter and Facebook mobile apps now famously include location...this is no 'myth' (as you call it) or accident. Location is there because consumers want it.

Where there is still, sadly a great deal of misunderstanding is in the use of the term 'location based services'. This term is now outdated-services that simply provide location and nothing else are a thing of the the last decade.

We now should refer to these as 'Location-Aware applications' or location-aware services..Why? Because location is a feature not a service in its own right. As such, location is being embedded everywhere, because it is phenomenally useful on mobile devices.

As an aside, I personally enjoy augmented reality apps and the whole concept behind them enormously. However, they are not only far from being mainstream today. They are also massively over-hyped and are currently only scratching the surface of the possibilities that lie ahead.

It is also interesting to look to Japan and South Korea as global leaders in mobile applications and deployments. These countries are 5-10 years ahead of the development curve we have in Europe, for example. What is going on there in terms of Augmented Reality? Not much. Is it mainstream there? No.

Maybe we can learn a lesson from that too....

Re: Apple to launch iCar Prototype with total customisation through App Store

Ric Ferraro — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:32:08 -0000

Absolutely..well spotted!

Re: iPhone experiences of the Japanese kind

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:59:09 -0000

Hi Joe,

check out this site for more info: http://www.japanmobilerenta...

You can pre-book a standard data-capable phone (not iPhone) and pick it up at the airport when you arrive.

It seems like the best option for you.

Re: iPhone experiences of the Japanese kind

Ric Ferraro — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:22:24 -0000

Hey Christian! Too bad we missed each other -hope you had a good time!

Ah, your phone was locked-I guess T-mobile has no agreement with Softbank then if it didn't work. Maybe they will sort something our at the MWC in 2010!

Re: The $10,000 LG Chocolate mystery

Ric Ferraro — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:50:47 -0000

Could well be! At least in spirit if not in form, as the campaign definitely has a certain 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' feel about it...

Re: The $10,000 LG Chocolate mystery

Ric Ferraro — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:47:42 -0000

Hi Chocolate -it would be interesting to see if any of these phones have in fact been 'found' or not! Yes, the phone LG is giving away is the new Chocolate model, the BL40. The original Chocolate succeeded in generating a lot of 'brand love' from consumers, so perhaps it is no surprise that the brand is being 'resurrected'.

Re: Let's put Twitter's $1 billion valuation in perspective

Ric Ferraro — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 05:01:28 -0000

I understand one of the options Twitter is considering for generating revenue is to charge users to access the service on mobile -whether this is true or not, it would undoubtedly be the wrong strategy.

All evidence points to the fact that what is free on the web cannot be 'premium' on mobile-if Twitter is is to capitalise on its growing base of mobile users it will need to offer them some new, tangible value...or come up with a new business model.

Re: The $10,000 LG Chocolate mystery

Ric Ferraro — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:24:03 -0000

True, but it does appear to be more of a marketing promotion than a recall...

Re: Kevin Kelly Highlights Persistence Paradox of Social Networks

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:12:53 -0000

Many thanks Bernardo for sharing your latest research paper into the area of user motivated.

The theory that: ".. those contributing to the digital commons perceive it as a private good, in which payment for their efforts is in the form of the attention that their content gathers in the form of media, downloads or news clicked on." certainly makes a lot of sense. I would love to see more analysis that segments further the objectives of the crowd in obtaining that attention, and attempting to link that in some way to the long-tail of marketing within online User Generated Content sites....(as a light-hearted aside, I hope you feel sufficiently rewarded with the attention I have given to your contribution!). Ric Ferraro

Re: Vringo-can video ringtones crack the subscription model?

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:27:58 -0000

Hi Eric, I like the idea of Taxi Magic and the integration with location/GPS detection..I discussed the same idea with Barcelona City Council 2 years ago, but found considerable resistance to change.

I am a big believer in mobile payments and the idea of mobile wallets (see some of my earlier blog posts on the subject).I also believe that services that add value to the end user and incorporate seamless, simple mobile payment platforms are the way forward.

Re: European Entrepreneurship & Social Media @Plugg

Ric Ferraro — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:53:13 -0000

Thanks for the comment, Trent.

There is no doubt that the current business focus is on revenue generation and the discipline that this is instilling in the market will lead to more effective businesses in the long run.

Re: The Evolution Of Mobile Web

Ric Ferraro — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:37:17 -0000

Hi Victor,

I like the Zhiing concept and look and feel..at GeoMe we are getting ready to release our beta version of the GeoMe Java based mobile client..we should look into the opportunity for a European partnership.

You can reach me on this blog email:infoATmobverge.com

Ric

Re: Location Mobile Trends for 2009 LBSs

Ric Ferraro — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 12:55:39 -0000

Hi Robert,

Thanks for your comments. Location on mobile should logically be the key enabler to allow the user to make the most of what is ultimately a "mobile '' device.

In Spain, the LOPD or Data Protection Law, governs data privacy (applicable to mobile applications as well) and has some fairly stringent standards, though from experience, standards are set even higher in some other countries, notably France.

The debate around privacy and LBS is yet to emerge in Spain, as leisure or community-based LBS that store profiles are a nascent segment.

What scares potential users of LBS's is the idea of being 'tracked' and we are witnessing a backlash against this service (except in emergency related applications)..those delivering LBS's should be aware of this if they are serious about their intentions to become mainstream.

Re: Ecorio-scoops one of 10 top Android Developer Challenge Prizes

Ric Ferraro — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:49:11 -0000

Jeff -pleasure, look forward to more Ecorio updates and 'news exclusives' to report on. Best, Ric

Re: Killer Apps in Mobile Social Networking-Part 2

Ric Ferraro — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 06:02:56 -0000

Hi Sachendra,

good point -and good post on Zyb, who, as you rightly point out, have been smart enough to build their social network from what was originally a phone book back-up utility.

Re: P-Cell Technology -New locator Alternative for LBS

Ric Ferraro — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:53:02 -0000

Here is Tom's reply from Navteq:

"...the company’s site and details can be found at the following link:

http://celizion.com/main/te...

It’s an interesting new process, but I am not certain of their success in promoting this technology beyond SK Telecom’s initial interest."

Re: Diary of a Mobile Internet Startup -GeoMe

Ric Ferraro — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:54:36 -0000

GeoMe is starting a round of capital raising to fund our future product development roadmap and allow us to release our beta version to a wide audience...interested investors can contact me via email: info@mobverge.com