Typically I write about industry issues and company news pertaining to Moblico, but today is the start of something that is a little different and holds a lot of personal importance to me. A short while ago we placed a billboard on our headquarters that officially launched our “Mobile Responsibly” initiative:
Our intent is to heighten awareness around some of the issues that accompany mobile technology adoption. Moblico is constantly announcing new and exciting mobile solutions, but we wholeheartedly believe that it is our duty to promote proper and intelligent usage along with it. Afterall, success and safety/respect go hand in hand.
Or as we put it, “With empowering technology comes great responsibility.”
In the months to come we will be announcing efforts that support all of the areas we feel are a part of responsible mobile use. But for now, “Don’t text and drive!”
I have often heard people express concern about whether or not it might be difficult to get consumers to adopt certain new mobile technologies as they enter the market. But according to CNN’s Mark Ford, the issue we should be worried about is running out of room for these devices to work:
Within 18 months it is estimated that the number of new devices able to connect to the world wide web will plummet as we run out of “IP addresses” — the unique codes that provide access to the Internet for everything from PCs to smart phones.
“The Internet as we know it will no longer be able to grow,” Daniel Karrenberg, chief scientist at RIPE NCC, the organization that issues IP addresses in Europe, told CNN.
“That doesn’t mean it will cease to function, but entry could be limited to new devices.”
However, there does seem to be a solution, but businesses need to get ahead of the curve before this possible crisis becomes a reality:
…there is a replacement, IPv6, which has trillions more addresses available and ready to go. The problem is that businesses are proving slow to adapt their technology to IPv6, leaving experts fearful that we might be heading for a crunch within 18 months.
It’s a classic paradox of the Internet era — while the technology exists to leap frog the problem, human nature is naturally cautious and some businesses are reluctant to do what they know they need to do, whether due to tightened budgets or simple inertia.
So are we headed for a real disaster? Like the Y2K scramble, only time will tell:
While no globally significant computer failures occurred when the clocks rolled over into 2000, preparation for the Y2K problem had a significant effect on the computer industry. There were plenty of Y2K problems, and that none of the glitches caused major incidents is seen as vindication of the Y2K preparation. However, some questioned whether the absence of computer failures was the result of the preparation undertaken or whether the significance of the problem had been overstated.
The New York Times just ran an article entitled, “Cellphones Now Used More for Data Than for Calls.” It’s a great piece and profiles some interesting situations and trends. Take, for instance, this Massachusetts Mom’s summary of her phone usage:
She taps out her grocery lists, records voice memos, listens to music at the gym, tracks her caloric intake and posts frequent updates to her Twitter and Facebook accounts.
The one thing she doesn’t use her cellphone for? Making calls.
“I probably only talk to someone verbally on it once a week,” said Mrs. Colburn, a 40-year-old marketing consultant in Canton, Mass., who has an iPhone.
Her limited voice usage shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone who is even mildly involved in the mobile industry. Everyday we are seeing new research reports that indicate all the different ways people are using phones other than voice. The NY Times article shared this snippet from CTIA:
The number of text messages sent per user increased by nearly 50 percent nationwide last year, according to CTIA, the wireless industry association. And for the first time in the United States, the amount of data in text, e-mail messages, streaming video, music and other services on mobile devices in 2009 surpassed the amount of voice data in cellphone calls, industry executives and analysts say.
And according to wireless analyst and industry expert Chetan Sharma:
The global wireless market banked $220 billion in mobile data revenues in 2010, accounting for an average 26% of total wireless revenues. That translates into $44.56 billion in data revenue for US carriers, with Japanese carriers putting a solid $32.5 billion on their books and China taking home $20.3 billion in data revenues alone. The US led this group as the fastest growing mobile data market in 2009.
So what does this all mean? Well, for starters, Verizon’s going to need to edit its “Can you hear me now” slogan. 
And beyond that, with devices like the iPad, Android, iPhone and others like them enticing consumers to embrace all that mobile can do, there are tremendous opportunities on the not-too-distant horizon.
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