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Blyk, the pan-European free mobile operator for young people, funded by advertising, announced that it will launch in the UK in mid-2007. Blyk is a mobile media that offers brands an opportunity to directly interact and engage with young people and receive real-time feedback.
The global market for mobile sports content and services will grow from just over $1bn in 2006 to $3.8bn in 2011. Key drivers will be the increasing availability of 3G services and support for high quality video, the globalisation of sport personalities and improved flow of digital sports rights for mobile distribution.
Walled Gardens, at least the Internet-related version, do not seem to get the respect their owners might think is their due.
Of course walled gardens are created with the economic interests of the owners in mind. They do give value to those who visit the walled gardens but those outside the walls may naturally be somewhat jealous. .. and even those inside may resent the restrictions on their freedom they must accept.
The subject is getting increased intention particularly on the Mobile Web. The walls seem to be lowering or even disappearing. For example at the NMS – Connect 2006 Americas Conference, R. Brough Turner noted the differing views of Cingular and DoCoMo in his note on Open or Walled Garden. Docomo follows the Open model, while Cingular so far is resolutely walled, although there is internal discussion on this.
Now Ajit Jaokar suggests that the future is bright .. The future is 3 .. He’s clearly declared which camp he’s in by the name of his blog, Open Gardens. .. and he’s delighted that Hutchison Whampoa are going Open with 3 and also adopting a fixed fee policy. Their announcement read as follows:
The X-Series from 3 marks the beginning of the Internet via mobile broadband, and heralds a new way of doing business for mobile network operators. It will extend several of the core applications and uses of the broadband Internet to the mobile handset, with a new pricing model. The X-Series from 3 will be supported by the leading Internet companies, cutting-edge handsets from the world’s leading mobile manufacturers and premium customer service. Customers will be able to make unlimited calls from their mobile using Skype, watch their home television via their mobile using Sling, access their home PC remotely using Orb and have access to the best of internet and messaging services from Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger and Google. The X-Series from 3 will be priced like fixed line broadband. It will offer use of mobile Internet services free at the time of use, for a flat fee.
As we all work towards the Ubiquitous Web, we should trumpet the news as the walls keep tumbling down.
Tags: walled gardens, ubiquitous Web
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I feel the ‘Walled Garden’ approach is something that was created with vested interests in mind, keeping people away from content that’s available as freeware (from images to music) to sell them the same stuff for an undeserved quick buck but this approach seriously hampers the growth of what we call truly wireless future. The steps taken by hutchison to provide unlimited open web for a fixed fee are welcomed, its good to see that personal interests centric walled garden approach going down with time.
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