Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mobile Marketing Gurus?

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

I’ve long been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers - admiring their music, their eclectic personalities and their album (yes, album) artwork over the years. They (and their management) have also proven to be great at cultivating the band's image through the years. I guess it should have come as no surprise then to see that they’ve managed to take a creative and effective turn at mobile marketing in promoting their latest album I’m With You.

RHCP fans know that the ‘asterisk’ has long been associated with the band, appearing on many of their albums and a lot of their tour merchandise.

To promote I’m With You, they’ve created a QR (quick-response) code in the shape of an asterisk that has been appearing on various promotional materials.

Scanning the code takes you to a mobile-friendly website (see below for a composite image from my iPhone) where you can buy the album, listen to tracks and watch music videos. You can also sign up for their email newsletter, access their latest tweets and share a link to the mobile site on Twitter and Facebook.

I’m not usually a fan of ‘custom’ QR codes as too often the ‘customization’ results in a code that doesn’t scan (check out this article by CNN for examples of “cool” QR codes – most of which unfortunately don’t scan or go to non-mobile friendly websites).

Here, rather than removing sections of the QR code and overlaying a logo as many brands do, they’ve largely extended the QR code outwards to form the Asterisk.

Kudos to RHCP for a great illustration of using Mobile Marketing to both reinforce a brand (band?) image and effectively engage their mobile audience. And probably sell a few albums.

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or follow me @toddshingler on Twitter.

Siri May Well Change Everything

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

My new iPhone 4S arrived in the mail yesterday. I spent about 30 minutes backing up my old iPhone 3 and then activating and synching my new iPhone 4S. Having heard so much about Siri, I decided to take her - and the other voice recognition functions of the iPhone 4S for a spin.

I consider myself a smartphone 'power user' - I do more internet surfing, email processing, texting, Skyping, Facebooking, Tweeting, etc., on my iPhone than I do on my laptop.  I had no problems text messaging on numerical 'triple tap' phone keypads, I took quickly to typing on my old Samsung Blackjack, and I quickly adapted to the touch keyboard on my first iPhone.  I've also spent a lot of time over the years helping companies develop mobile websites and applications - and have always advised them to stay away from data entry if at all possible - even on smartphones. 

Now, after only a couple hours of acclimating myself to Siri and to using the voice recognition 'dictation' feature (powered by Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking) now present via the microphone icon on the virtual keyboard, I can only conclude that my iPhone usage is going to increase even further.  I also suspect the way I use my iPhone will fundamentally change - and that there will be major ramifications for mobile website and mobile application developers.

For example, previously if I wanted to know the temperature, I would flick through my applications and launch my 'Weather Channel' app. Then I'd wait for it to find me and update the weather. Now, I can simply hold my phone up, press the microphone when Siri awakens and say 'what is the temperature' - Siri tells me it is 48 degrees and shows me a weather forecast. Incidentally, NOT using the Weather Channel app I've been using for over a year to access the weather. Thus, I'm also not seeing any 'ads' that Weather Channel may be surfacing (and hoping to make revenue from).

Siri can also tell me how the stock market is doing, how many ounces are in a cup, what time it is in Melbourne, Australia and any number of other things that I might previously have determined from an installed application or that I might not have even taken time to check if I had to manually initiate a search using the Safari internet browser. 

Even more 'involved' tasks are easier. Previously, if I wanted directions to a restaurant, I'd open Safari and Google the restaurant name. Hopefully, the search results would include a map that I could click on and Google Maps would open and I could then seek 'Directions to here' from my 'current location'. Now I ask Siri and get to the Map faster. I can also 'speak' the address I want directions from if not my 'current location'.

Siri will make some simple applications obsolete or at least impractical or unprofitable to maintain.  At minimum, it will cause application developers to ensure they are offering real 'value exchange'. Why would I launch the Target mobile application to find the closest store when I can simply 'Ask Siri' instead? If I knew that I was likely to be offered a mobile coupon or other incentive if I searched using the Target application, maybe I still would. (Interestingly, Target's iPhone app has a 'speak to search' option that is also powered by Nuance. However, I found it was actually faster to use the iPhone's built-in speech recognition to fill in the search box than it was to use Target's 'speak to search' feature).

While Siri says she 'wishes she could help me with' Facebook or Twitter (surely a feature for the next version?), if I open these apps myself and go to the search field or status field, I can still use the built-in voice recognition to 'speak' a Facebook status update, a tweet or search string text rather than typing it. Even when the recognition wasn't perfect, I found it easier and faster to fix a couple of errors than to type a full sentence myself.  I also found myself speaking complete sentences in Text Messages and iMessage where I might previously have entered a message via the keyboard using 'text message shorthand' - and possibly reducing confusion on the receiver's end!

A few other things Siri made easier: I was able to text and call people directly without searching for them first in my contacts, I was able to search for - and reply verbally to - an email without opening the email application, I was able to play music simply by asking Siri to play the song title or play an artist, I was able to ask Siri if I had upcoming appointments in my calendar and to set reminders.

Clearly, Siri will raise the bar in terms of application user interface - consumers (at least iPhone users, and the other phone manufacturers are likely already scrambling) will soon expect 'voice recognition' to be a given. Likewise, whereas touch screens and physical keyboards made completing forms on mobile websites less painful than on numerical keypads, voice completion makes form completion even less of a barrier. 

Of course, noisy environments and privacy issues will still require support for manual entry - but it can only be a matter of time before applications (or the phone?) can determine whether the user is in an environment where speech recognition is likely to work! 

I for one hope the rumored Apple reinvention of the TV includes Siri and voice commands - then people won't look as silly when they are talking to their TVs...and maybe they'll even be able to control or influence the storylines!

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or follow me @toddshingler on Twitter.

QR Codes: Great Potential, Often Poorly Executed (Part 2)

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

Note: QR Codes: Great Potential, Often Poorly Executed – Part 1 discussed a few common examples of poor QR Code presentation and provided tips on how to avoid them. Part 2 is focused on the post-scan experience, provides examples of well-executed QR code campaigns and provides a few recommendations to help with your own QR Code campaigns.

Have you ever scanned a QR code or Microsoft Tag and (presuming it worked) been completely underwhelmed by the result?  I scan just about every QR code and Microsoft Tag that I come across and I am constantly amazed at how poor the resulting experience is.

More often than not, a successful scan launches my browser to a full (non-mobile optimized) website, takes me to a flash video that won’t play, or does nothing discernable (presumably not the intention).

When this happens, I generally end the engagement as I have no desire to pinch, zoom and scroll my way around a desktop website or to try to and figure out why the video didn’t work or why nothing seemed to happen. I also consciously or subconsciously associate the brand with having wasted my time and am unlikely to attempt to further engage the brand. And I’m not alone – in announcing that mobile site optimization is now a factor in how ad quality is scored for AdWords campaigns that drive mobile search traffic, Google quoted an internal study that found that 61% of users are unlikely to return to a website that they had trouble accessing from their phone.

Every now and then, the scan results in a positive, often interactive experience, increasing the likelihood that I’ll continue the engagement, recall the brand and react positively to future engagement opportunities.

QR codes are clearly being used more today than they were even 6 months ago.  In the car of the train I was on last week, there were nine advertisements that I could see from my seat. Of these, 5 included QR codes - but only 2 of the QR codes led to a mobile-optimized website or targeted mobile campaign with the other 3 leading to non-mobile optimized sites.  Interestingly, of the 4 ads without QR codes, one included a URL that actually led to a mobile optimized website. It was also interesting to note that the 5 QR codes were printed in 4 different sizes ranging from 2x2 to 6x6 inches and that none of the ads included any explanation what to do with the QR code or what to expect upon scanning it. Clearly, as per my last post, there is a lot of room for improvement in the how QR codes are presented in print advertisements.

So how does one ensure they are creating a positive mobile marketing experience using QR codes? Most important is to ensure the resulting experience is mobile-optimized and contextually appropriate. Without getting into ‘value exchange’ of mobile campaigns, here are a few suggestions depending on your goal:

• If your goal is simply to get consumers to your website, make sure your website is mobile-optimized or detect mobile users and redirect them to a companion mobile website with content and features tailored to a mobile user. For example, the QR code on an ad for Food Genius took me to this mobile website:

• If you don’t have a mobile-optimized website, then you should create a mobile-optimized micro-site in support of the QR code campaign.  A good example of this was the QR code on an ad for Power2Switch.  They don’t have a mobile-optimized website, so instead created a mobile-optimized micro-site promoting the benefits of their service and asking “on-the-go” users to provide their email address so Power2Switch could send them an email “later this evening with instructions about how to get started”.
  
  Power2Switch not only provided a mobile-optimized experience, they also got their key points directly communicated, acknowledged that the mobile user was on-to-go and offered to engage them later on a different medium where the mobile user could continue the engagement at their convenience.
• If you are trying to increase Facebook ‘likes’, Twitter ‘followers’ or FourSquare ‘check-ins’ – state that as your goal and then use QR codes to direct mobile users to the mobile version of your Facebook page, Twitter profile or FourSquare check-in - where they can immediately ‘like’ you, ‘follow’ you or ‘check-in’.
• If you are promoting a specific product, sale or event, ensure the QR code takes mobile users directly to related information. Don’t simply drop them into your mobile website and make them search again for information they should have received directly.  They’ll most likely simply disengage. A good example of this is Best Buy’s use of QR codes on their in-store product fact tags that take customers directly to each product on Best Buy’s mobile website for additional product information and customer reviews.
• If you are encouraging subscriptions to email or text updates, ensure the subsequent confirmation process is mobile-optimized, simple and in-line with the Mobile Marketing Association Code of Conduct and FCC CAN-SPAM Guidelines.
• If you are promoting a mobile application – use the QR code to detect and redirect mobile users to the appropriate app store for their mobile device. For example, an email blast for the upcoming Bricks + Mobile mobile commerce event encourages scanning a QR code to download the Guidebook application ahead of the event. Scanning it took me directly to the Guidebook app on the iTunes app store.

There are many other great ways to use QR codes to complement a marketing campaign. Just remember to ensure the post-scan experience is engaging, mobile-optimized and encourages subsequent engagement. If you can’t ensure this, you’re better off leaving the QR code out altogether. Likewise, if you can’t define and accomplish a specific objective by including a QR code, leave it out. Lastly, until QR code usage gains mainstream traction (or is rendered obsolete by NFC?), consider complementary Text Messaging campaigns to expand the reach of your mobile campaigns.  

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com (or scan the QR code below from your mobile)

 

or follow me @toddshingler on Twitter (or scan the QR code below from your mobile)

QR Codes: Great Potential, Often Poorly Executed (Part 1)

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

In a previous post, I mentioned that I’d started noticing QR codes (those black and white squares like the one shown) popping up in ads on the trains here in Chicago and that I’d have something further to say about them in a future post. After a much longer delay than intended, let’s talk about them.

Over the past few months, I’ve become a little obsessed with the placement and function of QR codes – particularly on the trains and at train stations around Chicago, but also in magazines, emails, etc. My conclusion? It’s a shame to see something with so much potential used so poorly. 

When used properly, QR codes let a brand / organization / company / person extend an initial engagement with a mobile consumer beyond the printed page or ad - providing additional detail about an event or promotion, enabling consumers to easily ‘like’ a brand on Facebook, ‘follow’ an organization on Twitter, subscribe to text or email updates, or easily access a mobile application they can download to their mobile phone to further extend the engagement.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that many QR code campaigns, while well-intentioned, suffer from poor execution. Either the QR codes are presented in ways that make them difficult to scan or the result of a successful scan leads to a subsequent poor experience for the consumer. As with other marketing mediums, a poorly executed QR code campaign reflects negatively on your brand and can instead lead consumers to disengage completely.

A few (unfortunately common) examples of poor QR code execution and how to avoid them:

Fail #1: Not sizing QR codes for the environment in which they will be placed or placing them where they are hard or inconvenient to scan.

• On the trains in Chicago, ads are above the windows. To scan a small (1 inch square or smaller) QR code, you have to stand up and reach over anyone sitting in the seats or around anyone standing up and then try to get the scan to work.
• Multiple ads in the train stations had the QR codes at ankle level – so you basically have to kneel or bend-over and hold your phone by your feet to scan them.
• Many magazine ads emails include QR codes that are too small, too dense, or on a colored background making them difficult to scan.

How to avoid: Consider where your ads will be placed and the perspective your target audience will have. Then size, place and frame the ads appropriately. I’ll include links to a number of best practices articles and publications in next week’s post.   

• Tip: If you are creating a QR code that is a link to a website, use a shortened URL such as from bitly.com instead of using the full URL. The less data that needs to be encoded, the less dense the QR code will be - increasing the likelihood for successful scans.
• Bonus: Bitly automatically generates QR codes for shortened URLs (go to the Info Page for the shortened URL to see and save it) and you can also track how many people scan the QR code vs. access the link directly (e.g. from a Twitter post) on the Info Page.

Fail #2: Not including a call to action or explanation of what to do with the QR code.

• Many ads simply have a QR code with no explanation what to do with it. Not everyone knows what a QR code is and most mobile phones in the US (other than on Sprint) don’t come with a QR code reader pre-installed. Many people think they can simply take a picture of a code with their phone and something will happen.

How to avoid: Until QR codes are fully mainstream, you should always at least tell people that they should scan the QR code with a QR code reader. Better yet, recommend to them a good QR code reader and tell them where they can download it.

• Tip: I’ve had great success with Scanlife’s QR code reader, downloadable at http://getscanlife.com from your mobile web browser.

Fail #3: Not explaining why someone should scan the QR code or what will happen when they do.

• This would seem intuitive given how often you see verbage such as “To learn more, visit our website at <company>.com”. Even most Text Message campaigns say something like “Text Info to 46876 to register for updates”. But for some reason, many QR codes are printed without an explanation of why the consumer should scan the QR code or what they will get out of scanning the QR code.

How to avoid: You should always include text indicating why the code should be scanned or what will happen, e.g. Scan this QR code to follow us on Twitter or Scan this QR code for to learn more about this promotion.

Including QR codes in print ads, on in-store promotions and signage, on billboards, on business cards and elsewhere is a great way to engage and extend the dialog with mobile consumers. Guiding the user towards a successful scan is only part of a well-executed QR code compaign, however.

In my next post, I’ll discuss the importance of a well-executed post-scan user experience (Hint: Redirecting the consumer to a website that is not mobile-optimized is generally an Epic Fail). I'll also provide links to a number of QR code best practices resources that I’ve found beneficial and include pictures of a some well executed campaigns that I’ve come across here in Chicago.

To tide you over, a great example of both use and framing of a QR code is shown below, taken from an email I received about the upcoming Bricks + Mobile (Mobile Commerce) event in Chicago in October.

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or follow me @toddshingler on Twitter.

A Day Without My iPhone

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

I recently had to go downtown for a client meeting and I realized part way to the train that I'd left my iPhone on the charger at home (next to the bed, of course).  Already running late, I concluded I'd just have to go without it.  Really, how bad could it be?  As it turns out, I've become pretty dependent on my iPhone.

Since moving back from Europe 5 years ago, we've only had mobile phones - the only number anyone has for me is my mobile phone number.  So....immediately, I wouldn't be getting (or making) any calls. Likewise, I wouldn't be texting anyone or getting any texts.  Hopefully, I was going to be on-time and the meeting wasn't going to be moved or cancelled.

I also wouldn't be tweeting or reading other tweets - while relatively new to Twitter, I had already become accustomed to checking and posting to Twitter from my phone. Same with Facebook.  As well, on a typical 30 minute train ride into town I would usually listen to music, check and reply to email, and check the latest news on my iPhone. Occasionally, I'd play a game.

Luckily (and unusually for me), I'd already looked up (on my iPhone) the address where I was going before I left the house and determined which stop I would need to get off the train. Normally, I'd do this on the train using Google Maps on my iPhone.  Once off the train, I'd use Google Maps again to get my bearings and figure out the 'walking' part of my route. If early for my meeting, I'd use my phone to search for the closest Starbucks and then use the Starbucks mobile app to 'pay' for a coffee.  Just two days before, I'd seen a QR (Quick Response) code on an ad on the train, downloaded a QR code reader and scanned the code out of curiosity just to see what would happen (which is a subject for a different blog post!).  

So...now that I was on the train without my phone, what would I do?  Mostly, I observed what everyone else was doing...which was looking and using their phones (mostly) or iPads (4) or eReaders (2) - probably in much the same way I usually do.  I saw one other person on a packed car *not* engaged with their phone or other electronic device. There was very little conversation and I don't recall making eye contact with a single person. I could have been in a foreign country and wouldn't have known it by the people on the train.

It also occurred to me that billboards along the train route were likely not as valuable as they used to be with everyone looking down instead of around. I noted that none of the billboards we passed had QR codes or 'Text for more info' calls-to-action that mobile users could have engaged with (had they been paying attention). The train did stop for 5 minutes due to construction delays and some people did look around briefly to see what was going on before quickly retreating to the devices in their hands.

Interestingly, 3 ads on the train that day did have QR codes. I didn't see anyone attempt to scan  them though - a difficult enough task without having to reach around other standing passengers to get close enough to scan them.

Without the distraction of my phone, I found that I had time to organize my thoughts for the meeting. I also realized my watch still tells time - usually it is on the stopwatch setting for my runs and I look at my phone to check the time. When I got off the train, I was (a little surprised, to be honest given how infrequently I go downtown) able to quickly get my bearings by looking at the which landmark buildings I was near and noting which way the lake was. I also found a great little coffee shop with Intelligentsia coffee that gladly accepted my cash.

I was early for my meeting and the receptionist called to let my client know I'd arrived (normally, I'd have texted or called myself). 

The meeting went great too...except that my client occasionally would get distracted by a text message, incoming email notification and two phone calls. 

On second thought, maybe it would've gone better if he had forgotten his phone as well!!

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or follow me @toddshingler on Twitter.

Why the Isis Mobile Wallet Could Replace Your Leather Wallet

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

By many accounts, 2010 was the year Mobile Commerce finally took off.  According to ABI Research, Mobile Commerce sales grew 143% in 2010 to $3.4 billion.  However, the vast majority of these payments were closed-loop online transactions – with consumers purchasing items from retailers directly on their mobile phone via applications or the mobile web rather than using their mobile phones to pay for goods at retail points-of-sale (POS).

A number of retailers, such as Starbucks with their Starbucks Card Mobile iPhone application, did launch mobile payment solutions on their own in 2010.  Generally, these applications consisted of some form of 2D barcode that the consumer pulls up on their phone so it can be manually scanned at the register.  In the case of Starbucks, consumers have to first register a physical Starbucks card online and then they can use the mobile application to pay and to add value to their card.

While there is growing consumer interest in mobile payments, the typical requirement to download and install Retailer-specific applications, the lack of a simple and common user experience from one application to another, and the lack of compelling value-add beyond payment has resulted in low adoption to date.

Meanwhile, contactless bank cards saw resurgence in 2010, with Eurosmart recently forecasting that global shipments of contactless bank cards would surpass 22% of the 1 Billion cards issued in 2011.
As evidenced by the many announcements of support at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, the wireless industry is converging on NFC, or near-field communication, as the contactless payment technology of choice for Mobile Payments.

• RIM announced that virtually all of their new devices moving forward would include NFC.
• Google’s Nexus S was the first Android phone supporting NFC and it is widely expected that Apple’s iPhone 5 will support NFC. 
• Many of the world’s leading mobile operators jointly announced their commitment to NFC and expect to launch commercial services by 2012.

Eurosmart has forecast that 15 Million NFC-enabled SIM cards will already by shipping in 2011.

In November 2010, AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless announced the formation of a joint venture chartered with building ISIS, a national mobile commerce network that aims to fundamentally transform how people shop, pay and save.  Isis will allow consumers to use their smartphone to make point-of-sale (POS) purchases using Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Jim Stapleton, Chief Sales Officer for Isis, to get an update on Isis' plans.  Please visit the Bricks + Mobile 2011 Distillery for an article I subsequently wrote to read more about Isis' plans:

Exclusive Interview: Why the Isis Mobile Wallet Could Replace Your Leather Wallet

It will be interesting to see how the Mobile Payments marketplace shapes up as Isis competes with solutions from Visa and Mastercard, as well as the likes of Apple, Google and many others for the virtual mobile wallet.

For the very latest insights into Mobile Commerce, please join me and an impressive list of other speakers at Bricks + Mobile 2011, a live one day educational event focused on mobile commerce and retail at the Spertus Institute in Chicago on March 30, 2011.

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or visit Mobile Perspectives on the web at http://www.mobile-perspectives.com/

A Mobile Perspective on Cloud Computing

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

If you’re reading this, you’re Cloud Computing!

Psst….did you know you were cloud computing?  What?  You didn’t mean to?  Don’t worry…you’ll be ok.  In fact, you’ve probably been doing a lot of cloud computing and didn’t even realize it.

Do you use Gmail, Yahoo email or another web-based email service?  What about Picasa, Flickr or another online photo-sharing service?  Netflix?  How about salesforce.com or Zoho CRM at work? Is your company using Google Apps or Windows 365 online for email, document processing, and collaboration or Microsoft SkyDrive for online document sharing?  If you answered yes to any of these, you were already cloud computing before you read this article.

I recently put a training course together on cloud computing for enterprise account reps at a large US Telco.  While developing the course, I was surprised how many services / applications / companies now promote themselves as cloud-based.  Companies that used to be ‘hosting providers’ or ‘managed services providers’ were now ‘cloud computing companies’.  As I dug into it further, it quickly became apparent that there were almost as many definitions of cloud computing as there were people defining it.

At its simplest, think of cloud computing as internet-based software, servers, or storage that you use on a subscription basis (or for free) rather than owning and managing these computing resources directly in your home or enterprise.  You can generally access these services from wherever you are - using the web-browser or an installed client on any computer, smartphone, tablet or other internet-capable device.  Individuals and businesses benefit by sharing the cost of equipment and management of the IT resources with other users.

Consumers like you and me get access to lots of great services and software programs without having to actually buy, install and maintain them.  There are no software upgrades to worry about, no running out of disk space, no worrying about porting applications from one computer to another; in fact, you don’t even need your own computer for many services.  Sure, there are some drawbacks – like needing an internet connection to use the services and in certain cases concerns over security and privacy.  For most people, these concerns are outweighed by ease of use, lack of required maintenance or computer skills, and access to online forums to share in the collective intelligence of the user community.  

Taking advantage of cloud-based storage, where your data is regularly backed up and in a protected data center is rapidly gaining popularity.  I know many people (and businesses) that use Carbonite or Mozy for automatic remote backup of their computers so they don’t have to do it themselves on local backup drives.  Others now use services like MobileMe as their desktop or primary hard drive in the cloud.

Cloud computing services have been enthusiastically embraced by the non-profit sector.  Schools, faith-based organizations, community groups and charitable organizations can cost-effectively manage budgets, documentation, internal communications, develop and maintain organization web-sites, foster community outreach, and coordinate donor and volunteer efforts all through various cloud-based services such as Google Apps for Non-Profits, Microsoft SkyDrive, QuickBooks, DonorPerfect, SurveyMonkey, SchoolReach and MySignUp.

Enterprises of all sizes are also adopting cloud computing - to reduce their day-to-day IT costs, to improve employee productivity, and to gain access to computing resources they may otherwise not be able to afford or manage themselves.  Enterprise cloud computing services such as Microsoft 365, salesforce.com and Amazon EC2 (Elastic Cloud Compute) allow enterprises to remotely configure and manage services for their employees and to quickly develop and launch services for their consumers that can rapidly scale as usage grows.  They do so with subscription fees that are deterministic and with availability and performance governed by Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Small businesses in particular can benefit by quickly establishing a professional IT infrastructure at a low entry cost and with predictable ongoing fees.

What’s the Mobile Perspective on Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is a great enabler of mobility – no longer are individuals tied to physical locations or specific computing platforms.  Individuals, enterprises and organizations can leverage Cloud Computing services to cost-effectively improve productivity, communication, and accessibility.

At the same time, a new challenge for cloud computing providers arises from the plethora of internet-connected mobile devices. The increased processing power, growing screen sizes and graphics capabilities available on the latest iOS and Android-powered smartphones and tablets  - combined with the growing ubiquity of Wi-Fi networks and faster mobile operator data networks raises user expectations. 

Ideally, users should be as productive and effective from mobile devices as from desktop or laptop computers but with a user experience tailored to their mobile context.  Mobile device screens aren’t as big, user inputs range from full physical or touch screen keyboards to stylus, trackball, and older numeric keypads.  Data speeds and network coverage can vary significantly as users move around.  Being ‘mobile’, users also need to be able to accomplish tasks quickly and if necessary in an interrupt-driven manner as they walk, change locations, navigate airports, or ride on public transportation.

For cloud computing service providers, this means that simply taking the full web-browser experience and piping it down to a mobile browser is not sufficient. They need to focus on mobile-enabling those services and tasks that can be reasonably accessed or accomplished from mobile devices and with a user experience that is optimized to the capabilities of each individual’s mobile device.

Services should be simple and intuitive to use, with a minimum amount of scrolling, zooming, pinching, and data entry and without being cluttered by features or information likely to be irrelevant to mobile users.   Phone features such as geo-location, contacts, caching, and click-to-call should be leveraged where they enhance or simplify the user experience.  At the same time, the mobile version of services should strive to attain a familiarity with the web version and place-shifting (starting a task on one environment and continuing or completing it on another) should be supported whenever possible.

There are many mobile solution providers out there with technologies to optimize mobile user experience such as New Media Innovation and MobileAware.  Organizations may need to look beyond the cloud to ensure an appropriate mobile strategy for access to their services and information.

So are you cloud computing now, and is it mobile optimized? 

Yes, you are. Mobile Perspectives blog is hosted on Blogger. I post articles from my web browser, by sending emails from my Gmail account, or by sending text messages from my iPhone.  You may have accessed the blog from my website (which is hosted on Google Sites), by clicking a link in a Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn post or as a result of a Google search.  If you are reading this from a mobile device, I hope you are reading it on Mobile Perspectives’ mobile website (which is hosted on Amazon EC2 servers) where it was pulled in via RSS feed from Blogger and optimized for mobile device viewing using technology from our partner New Media Innovation.  Unfortunately, Blogger itself has not been mobile-optimized!  Not yet anyway.

As you can see, my head is clearly in the cloud; lucky for me, you’re right there with me!

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com or visit Mobile Perspectives on the web at http://www.mobile-perspectives.com/

Contrasting iPhone ads by AT&T and Apple today

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

Interesting contrast in Ads for the iPhone today.

In the Chicago Tribune, AT&T took out a full-page ad for the iPhone simply stating in very large font 'talk and surf at the same time'.

During the Bears/Packers game, Apple ran a commercial with two iPhones side-by-side accessing a series of applications at the same time. The commercial ends with both AT&T and Verizon logos and the tagline 'two is better than one'.  Notably, they don't show both iPhones making a call while using an application or surfing the web since only AT&T's iPhone can do that.

Unfortunately, most consumers won't understand that while Verizon is heavily promoting their '4G LTE network', the iPhone they are initially bringing to market only runs on their older CDMA network. Unlike AT&T's 3G network, which is based on GSM technology, Verizon's CDMA network doesn't support simultaneous voice and data.  This means users can either use data or place phone calls, but can't do both at the same time.

No doubt, Verizon will sell millions of iPhones. I can't help but wonder how many of them will be returned when people figure out that they can't make phone calls and browse the web or use applications like Google Maps while on a call like all their friends with AT&T iPhones can.

I'm surprised Verizon didn't wait until they could bring an LTE-based iPhone to market (availability date currently unknown). Then the focus would be on Verizon's claims of having a better voice and data network than AT&T, thus bringing iPhone users a better user experience. Instead, Verizon finds themselves having to defend putting an inferior user experience into the hands of their customers.

For months I've heard disgruntled AT&T iPhone users talk of rushing to Verizon when AT&T's exclusivity expired. I certainly hope they don't spend money breaking contracts without understanding what they are in for.  First, they'll have to buy a new Verizon iPhone as their current AT&T iPhone won't work with Verizon's network.  Then, they'll realize they can't do simultaneous voice and data with their new Verizon iPhone for the foreseeable future. Finally, they'll have to buy yet another iPhone when Apple and Verizon eventually bring out the LTE iPhone.

Given Apple's singular focus on user experience, I'm a little surprised they are complicit in bringing a CDMA iPhone to Verizon.  Of course, 'two is better than one' if you are counting iPhone unit sales.

Comments below, email me at todd@mobile-perspectives.com, or visit Mobile Perspectives on the web: http://www.mobile-perspectives.com/

Using Starbucks Mobile Card application for my first "in-store" mobile payment...could've been better!

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

Like many of you, I’ve used various mobile web and on-device applications on my iPhone to find stores, look up product information, do price comparisons, and even to make a couple of purchases.  What I hadn’t yet done, at least until today, was use my iPhone to make a mobile payment at the register in a retail store.

Yesterday, I saw an article on CNN that Starbucks was rolling out support for mobile payments via an iPhone application to all Starbucks locations.  In the article, Starbucks said they had decided not to wait for widespread NFC support to launch mobile payments as customers had expressed interest in mobile payments now.  They also claimed that in comparison testing, using the Starbucks ‘Mobile Card’ application was the fastest way for their customers to pay.  Naturally, I decided that my next coffee was going to be purchased using the Starbucks iPhone application. 

Only, it wasn’t quite so easy.  First, instead of the mobile payment feature being added to the ‘Starbucks’ application already on my iPhone, I had to go and download a new Starbucks ‘Mobile Card’ application.  Admittedly, I had only used the original Starbucks application once after finding it incredibly sluggish and having no real interest in knowing how many calories are in a non-fat latte.  Anyway, installing the ‘Mobile Card’ application was quick and easy. 

It got less easy after that.  I’ll leave out the details from the 15 minutes it took to get the Starbucks card that had been languishing in my wallet with $.93 registered with the application. After adding $15 to it (online), I was ready for my first purchase.

This morning, as I walked to the Starbucks near my office on ice-covered sidewalks in 18F weather, I was looking forward to using the new Starbucks ‘Mobile Card’ application to pay for my Venti Bold Coffee.

There was only one person in front of me, so I quickly pulled up the application so I would be ready to pay. Only my iPhone wanted me to register on the ATT WIFI hotspot. When I hit cancel to stay on AT&T’s 3G network, the Mobile Card application died. After repeating this process 4 times and asking Dan behind the counter to go ahead and help the person behind me, the application finally decided to stay up and I was ready to go.  I ordered my coffee and while Dan filled my cup, I pressed the ‘touch to pay’ button and the application displayed a barcode with my Starbuck’s card number on it. NOW, I was ready to pay. (Note to Starbucks: why not have the barcode display when I open the application so I don’t have to press ‘touch to pay’ and then ‘touch when done’ to go back?).

Anyway, Dan held my iPhone to his scanner and announced it had worked.  I hit the ‘touch when done’ button, the application reverted to the main screen and automatically updated my balance. I had completed my first mobile payment!

Unfortunately, the 10 people now waiting in line behind me weren’t nearly as excited as I was.  I can’t help but think that NFC will make the experience faster and simpler.

As an aside, as I sipped coffee on the way back to my office, I launched the application again to double check the balance. I was presented with an ad saying that if I use a Visa card to add $25 to my Mobile Card, I’ll get an extra $5 credit ‘while supplies last. See terms of use’.  I clicked on the ad to see the terms of use and nothing happened.  

So, while it wasn’t the best user experience and the application could certainly use some improvements, I’m sure I’ll be standing in Starbucks ready to pay with my Mobile Card again tomorrow…you might want to get there before me!

Mobile Commerce – More Than Mobilized Online Retail

(Click here for easier mobile reading)

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kelly Stickel, Director of Bricks + Mobile 2011 - a Retail Mobile Commerce event coming to Chicago on March 30th.

Bricks + Mobile is planned as a day of education for Retailers to come together and discuss various topics around Retail Mobile Commerce (i.e. the focus is on Mobile Commerce for Bricks & Mortar Retailers, not online shopping sites like Amazon, eBay).  The agenda can be found here : Bricks + Mobile 2011 Agenda

I also contributed an article for the Bricks + Mobile Distillery blog. Rather than reposting it here, you can read the article on the Bricks + Mobile 2011 website at: Mobile Commerce - More Than Mobilized Online Retail.