Contents - Connect-World

Mobile Data
Mobile data adoption and over-the-air device management
by Olivier Graëff, co-founder and co-CEO of Swapcom
Mobile operators in developing countries are attempting to popularise data services.
SMS, multimedia, games and such play a major role familiarising users with mobile data.
Once accustomed to data, users are more likely to use more serious, useful applications.
Nevertheless, the complexities and costs of serving these relatively unsophisticated users
challenge operators. Device recognition software permits over-the-air troubleshooting,
bug patching, service updates and service installation, reduce the costs, make usage simpler
for the customer and promote usage of advanced services.
Olivier Graff is a co-founder and co-CEO of Swapcom. After studying sociology and applied computer
science in Lyon, Olivier gained experience in the IT sector working as New Technologies Project
Manager for Prosodie, French IT and Telecoms facilitator. Mr Graff subsequently worked in the development
and sales departments of Mediaprogrs, an IT company specialised in online Videotext services.
Mr Graff was recently invited by French President Jacques Chirac to take part in an official delegation
of French businesses on a presidential tour of Vietnam. When not at work, Olivier is actively involved
in the electronic music scene and enjoys composing music.
Mr Graff holds a bachelors degree in Sociology and Applied Computer Sciences.
In the telecoms industry, new technologies
are emerging all the time and
so are marketing opportunities, along
with the hitches, the bugs and the costcutting
guidelines.
When designing end-to-end mobile
solutions, one must cast a wide net and
draw on experience to gain an accurate
vision not only of emerging opportunities,
but also of emerging headaches
within the mobile technology sphere.
That means listening attentively to
operator needs, weighing the constraints
and opportunities linked to
size and demography, then trying to
respond in the most effective and efficient
way.
The challenges facing multimedia
take-up in areas of low literacy, for
instance, are certainly far from those
facing operators in the western world
where converging technologies are
calling for more profiling, more
remote CRM (Customer Relationship
Management) and more transmission
tools to ensure seamless data delivery.
From the poorest regions in the world,
to the most hi-tech, delivering mobile
multimedia services in the most appropriate
way is an important concern.
The majority of mobile networks in
developing countries are attempting to
make their first GSM data services
popular. In these regions, SMS is playing
a major role in familiarising users
with mobile data.
In many areas of sub-Saharan Africa,
Asia and the Pacific, the poor understanding
of technology and the low
level of literacy are major drawbacks in
promoting data applications.
However, strong interest in mobile
phone culture is encouraging young
subscribers to read and use digital
information.
Local mobile content providers are
well aware of the constraints of cultural
awareness. They are often astute in
defining trends and starting fashion
crazes. Even simple mobile messaging
content, such as ringtones, is an exciting
way for young people in regions
new to mobile telephonywho have
never had even landline telephones
to communicate with each other.
It is a means of drawing youth towards
information technology. Music festivals
and roadshows are a way of drawing
young people to see demonstrations
of mobile services. In Kenya for
instance, young music fans have been
enticed to use SMS services by the
opportunity to download a preview of
a music clip by a popular rap artist.
These are the youths who will become
the prescribers of mobile culture and
who will teach peers and family how to
use them.
Another means of raising data awareness
among these communities is by
running SMS voting in connection
with with television programmes.
Unaccustomed viewers learn how to
follow a logical sequence of commands
from instructions displayed on the TV
screen. By selecting the keys one, two,
or three and scrolling to vote, they gain
confidence in their ability to use modern
IT tools. What SMS is actually
doing is taking the fear of technology
away by making it fun to use.
Mobile entertainment is a first step
towards modernising daily life. Some
countries exploring mobile multimedia
content development are choosing
to provide more useful daily services
over the mobile. A mobile information
portal implemeted on a network can
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