For the uninitiated, Augmented Reality isn’t a made-up science fiction technology used by Tom Cruise in the film, Minority Report. Applications are being produced right now which capitalise on its premise.

For mobile, Augmented Reality makes use of a device’s camera, GPS location and if available, in-built compass features. Together, these are able to calculate very exactly where you are and in what direction you, or you’re camera is facing: in other words, what you’re looking at. It then uses what you can view through your camera to superimpose, layer and tag information over the top. Andy’s winning on Court 1, here’s the score; your nearest toilets are here; get some strawberries and cream here; Centre Court is this way.

Plus all the additional add-ons you might expect, such as up-to-date travel information, handy fast food outlets, nearest exits are all included and intuitively accessible.

The application smoothly demonstrates the potential of Augmented Reality technology when well executed by a powerhouse like IBM with the readily available resources and an appropriate event such as Wimbledon.

Most mobile Augmented Reality development is currently concentrated on the Google Android operating system, capitalising on its compass and GPS functions to calculate relevant data. As such penetration is still obviously extremely low and the technology will remain niche at best for some time – which might make you question the incentives of IBM and the Wimbledon organisers; (are they just showing off? Chancing one of those baseline through the legs shots which look quite neat but are never winners?)

Either way, you can’t help but wonder at the long term potential; the reach of such an application with larger scale sites, such as Glastonbury. Or even whole city venues for major tournaments, festivals and the 2012 Olympics. There have already been a few early stage examples elsewhere, others which seem to have AR at the heart of their model, and the occasional spacier looking twist on the concept for industry, away from mobile.

While the brazen coolness and obvious virtue of such an application make it easy to get somewhat carried away with, it could be a tricky sell to the the less tech enthused.

These people might reasonably suggest just speaking to somebody, in real life, using their voice, unattached to a mobile phone. Which may be quicker than flicking out a mobile, opening up a camera, launching an application and pointing in what you hope is the right direction, before slowly shuffling round in ninety degree increments to find it’s behind you. I can’t see my Mum getting on with it first time anyway.

Let’s ignore those killjoys for now though.

Providing all the relevant technology ingredients reliably blend, develop and ultimately converge across multiple devices and platforms, Augmented Reality might give us another excuse to never ask for directions again

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Originally published at A Composed Communication blog where you can also find the following new posts:

Approaches to Mobile Regulation: Principles Vs Prescriptions
Vodafone’s new Homescreen

There was much baiting at Informa’s recent Smartpipe event from developers apparently adamant they should be nothing more than dumb pipes and simply concentrate on providing robust connectivity.

Some smart pipes

But as an operator, why would you do that?  If you’ve constructed as much as the operators have around their connectivity, their subscriber base, their third party partners, contracters and clients.  The potential for profit and commercial expansion using existing business models is still immense. 

For now anyway. 

Long-term sustainable growth

Reneging on the non operator specific pledge for a moment, an IDATE analyst event featured a presentation from Steve Pusey, Chief Technology Officer at Vodafone.  You will never find Vodafone anywhere referring to themselves as a “carrier” (the popular American synonym for mobile network operator), he told us.  Because they do not and will never consider themselves mere “carriers” of services, but service providers.  And most established operators would probably reflect this stance. 

Established operators have spent significant effort building up assets which they are largely trusted for and can build on.  Their global systems allow them to be both an infrastructure and a services provider.

The (Vo)IP threat

Are they threatened or will they be ultimately made redundant by IP (internet protocol) or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services like Skype?  Only when it becomes a compelling reason for being a disruptive price model, according to Pusey.  This is acknowledged and is being addressed now.

Pusey expertly deflected a question from the floor which asked about the threat of VoIP and Skype.  Did the questioner still use a VoIP solution when they could use a landline to make the same call for effectively free?  It still all comes back to user experience.  When they are all a cinch to set up, smooth to use, have plenty of added features, assure a consistent user experience and begin to get proper penetration, maybe.  Not yet though.

Let’s not forget that IP is used extensively already though.  If you pick up any phone, somewhere in the darkest technical back-end, there’s already basic IP fuelling the connectivity.  LTE, (long term evolution), the next infrastructure stages on from 3G and 4G connectivity, is designed around this.

It’s the Internet, stupid

Operators will not become dumb pipes anytime soon, and nor should they.  They’re wide awake to their ongoing connectivity responsibilities to service providers, together with the challenges which their evolution presents, including potential disruption along the way. 

Services like Skype will play a key role in driving innovation, and pressing the gap until complete transferral to IP, when strong enough technical architecture has been constructed.  The virtues of an eventually global, IP-based mobile communications infrastructure are obvious. 

At that point, whenever it is, operators’ sustainable growth and profitability will depend more on the strength of the value added services they offer, rather than the connectivity pipes they provide. 

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After finishing the above post but before originally publishing, I came across this Fierce item…

“Net neutrality backers launched a campaign last week urging the FCC (America’s Federal Communications Commission) to make sure any national broadband strategy, which is supposed to be finalized by February 2010, includes open access provisions. Their campaign is called “It’s the Internet, Stupid,” and argues that if net neutrality rules aren’t imposed, broadband connectivity is worthless.”
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Originally posted to Composed blogsite 16/06/09

The group, which represents O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone and 3, periodically publishes its own Code of Practice independent of regulators, Ofcom or PhonepayPlus. It does, however, appoint and support an Independent Mobile Classification Body (IMCB), to provide a framework for classifying commercial content unsuitable for under 18s.

(This excludes premium rate voice or messaging services which rest under the jurisdiction of the PhonepayPlus Code of Practice.)

“Successful in protecting minors from inappropriate content.” This was the code review’s resounding verdict, which is attributed to effective access controls and filtering.

It’s not quite as open and shut as that because Age Verification remains a sticky issue. The MBG acknowledges these difficulties but essentially delegates the issue back to the individual operators it represents, saying it has “never been specific” about methods, and it’s up to each operator to judge.

The revised Code also newly defers to the Internet Watch Foundation as the preferred UK hotline for the public reporting of illegal content.

Age Verification (AV) is still significant because the nature of its enforcement influences, and some might argue inhibits, the emergence of new mobile services which require the user to be over 18 years old. Such as gambling and some location services. And complicated verification procedures can put users off.

Because such verification procedures are compulsory in order to access “adult content” (the terms also spark controversy), the vast majority of mobile users in the UK are technically considered minors, according operators’ records. I *think* the last statistic I heard was that roughly 10% of all mobile users are confirmed to be over 18.

Having never before played with Mark Curtis’s trailblazing mobile internet service, Flirtomatic, there was a small sense of obligation to explore before he presented at our

Here’s my journey over a couple of days and several attempts:

1. I clicked a link which gave me an SMS keyword to Short Code instruction
2. I sent the appropriate message
3. I received a free-to-receive Wap Push message back from Flirtomatic
4. I visited the link which took me to Planet3, my operator’s portal
5. I think the idea was that I should go straight to the AV section within the portal but I didn’t. The process broke down somewhere, not helped by shaky 3G connections.
6. I persevered, and at the third or fourth time of asking finally reached the credit card details submission page.
7. I submitted the card details and was taken to a new screen to create and confirm a random pin number.
8. I received a confirmation text from 3, subtly worded to make me feel like a dirty old man: “Just a quick reminder to let you know that the service you have recently registered for is now available.”
9. I went back to the Flirtomatic site and I still wasn’t age verified. Clicking on the link to verify myself presented the same instructions I’d already followed. I tried several times and definitely wasn’t verified.
10. I tried clicking the link in the original Flirtomatic Wap Push message again. Yes! At last! A Flirtomatic screen told me I was now verified.

It was all too reminiscent of the blissful relief felt when actually turning 18.

There is no identical, unified experience across all of the network operators. And, although I haven’t tried on every operator and some experiences are probably better than others, I doubt any would claim to have nailed it.

User experience parallels with app stores and mobile payment demonstrate that if there are numerous stages and commands, the drop off in users will be huge. And up to ten foggy stages is lunacy.

So you can see why this might irk providers of services which require users to prove they’re over 18. In his consultation response to the MBG, Boh Tjarks of Useful Networks, a provider of Location Based Services, pointed out that their Social Network Integrated Friend Finder (or SNIFF) service was marketed in the UK heavily, but about 70% of users failed to make it past the age verification process required of the service. This was put down to simple AV implementation reasons. As a result, the service has not yet been able to emulate its success in the Swedish and Danish markets.

Boh also contended the naming of the “Adult content filter,” which has ill-fitting and off-putting connotations for users who simply wish to access Location or Chat services.

Clearly it’s vital that minors are protected from inappropriate mobile content, and groups have just cause to make sure efficient mobile content filters remain in place. Equally, those who really, really want to access over 18 content can and will get it. And specific market revenues indicate that there’s a not inconsiderable number who do.

But, as is also demonstrated by Apple’s zero tolerance approach to any potential application which is remotely borderline in content, it’s possible to suspect a high level culture of looking after what works and not really addressing what could work, but might be tricky to manage.

If the UK’s MBG won’t or can’t take control of implementing a smooth, uniform Age Verification implementation and operators won’t prioritise the issue, how much hope is there for the future trade of innovative new services which simply require that users be over 18 years old? 

Furthermore, American attitudes towards over 18 content have traditionally been as sensitive as any.  So it seems reasonable to suggest that regulation could be denying and disqualifying any number of creative, profitable services which have the potential to generate serious revenues and could help drive the industry forward.

 This was originally posted over at my more frequently updated blog.

In these days when anyone with a passing interest in the emergence and development of mobile technologies is bombarded with stories about iPhones, app stores, mobile advertising and brand campaigns, it’s easy to forget others are quietly, yet effectively exploiting mobile technologies for different gains.

Gains which help facilitate the smooth operation of industry. How many of us consider the mobile technologies at play when we open the front door to a meter-reader, give way to a security van or wander past a building site?

The operation of mobile technologies in the vertical sector has seen a steady upward turn in adoption over recent years, which has presented a burgeoning market.

A 2008 survey by Forrester showed that between 40% and 60% of enterprises in North America and Europe identified a formal mobile strategy, extra mobility support to employees and implementation of fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solutions as critical priorities.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions, together with the application of telematics and enterprise mobility solutions in sectors such as construction, automotive and fieldworker tracking have emerged to help to give better transparency and improve how organisations manage their time and efficiencies. They help to reduce paperwork and travel expenses, lending extra environmental credibility.

While these technologies operate largely away from the public eye, their significance is recognised by private and public sector organisations which are continuing to invest in the area.

Orange Business Services recently unveiled an International M2M Centre to concentrate on the development and supply of M2M SIM cards and connectivity products. Meanwhile, O2 established an M2M Centre of Excellence over a year ago and Vodafone is reported to be developing M2M solutions through partnerships with businesses like TomTom, as location integration with M2M is key.
Through schemes such as the Transformational Government Strategy, the public sector is dedicating increased time and attention, both at local and national scale, to the ways that mobility technologies can empower operations to work smarter and greener.

Integration with compulsory smart metering systems promise to be with us before too long, with government consultations on energy and metering on the horizon, and mobile is considered a critical logistical tool around planning for the London 2012 Olympics.