So honestly, when I went into writing the last couple of postings about widget platforms I did not know about the webinars that had been scheduled by the folks at FierceWireless or AT&T about browsing platforms, but it’s comforting to know that I’m not the only one trying to get my head around exactly what is and what isn’t possible (and where things are headed) in the browser container and beyond.
Last week, there was a ‘panel’ including Mark Donovan from [url=http://comscore.com/]ComScore[/url] (one of the leading Web Data Analytic firms), Phil Parry from [url=http://www.orangepartner.com/site/enuk/home/p_home.jsp]Orange[/url] (the global operator), and Adrian Hall from [url=http://www.bytemobile.com/]ByteMobile[/url] (a software provider to operators) that was focused on ‘Building a Better Mobile Web.’ It was a bit difficult to sort out who the audience really was, and what each of the panelists was trying to get across, as there really was no call to action from anyone.
The speaker from ComScore provided some interesting statistics about the growth of mobile web usage over the past year, asserting that 35% of US mobile consumers are actually using data services beyond just messaging, while another 30% are using messaging services. Further, 48% of those who purchased a new mobile in the past 6 months were using mobile data services. OK, good news for all of us, and encouraging for mobile web developers. On the down side, we have the reality that there are over 1000 different devices active on the data networks, and fragmentation is still a huge issue. Despite all the hype and excitement, iPhone accounted for 6% of the data usage, and the aggregate of the top 10 devices cover 22% of the data usage. OK, no simple answer. Interestingly browsing pattern of top 20 sites for smartphone users (excluding RIM and iPhone) mimics closely that of the top web properties. Ok, users want to visit the same sites on the go as they do at their desk. That should be good motivation to deliver a mobile optimized experience, because even when the desktop site can be rendered on a smartphone, the user experience is often less than desirable.
Phil Parry from Orange encouraged developers to think about putting more focus on context specific information for end users, taking advantage of both location information (when available) but also just acknowledging the mobile context and the likelihood that a user is going to be out and on the go when visiting your site from a mobile, so your standard desktop information and tools may not suffice. He did also acknowledge several barriers still for more widespread mobile adoption, including the need for predictable data tariffs (he notably did not say the words ‘flat rate’). He did also point to fragmentation across device features, browsers and OS’s. Interestingly enough he posited that the more advanced the device, the more suited it will be for ‘enhanced web experiences’; read “widgets.” He suggested that the mobile browser space will be more attractive to developers and customers because there will be a consistent platform. Notice the use of the word “will” in those statements. He presented a couple of charts comparing native APIs available vs. web container APIs showing that there really is a long way to go, but also stated that Orange is committed to advancing the WRT environment. He expressed optimism that the players are coalescing around some yet to be defined subset of[url=http://www.w3.org/TR/widgets/] W3C Standards,[/url] and that operators will be responsible for enabling success.
Adrian Hall from Byte Mobile gave a presentation that seemed much more like he was pitching a product to an operator rather than to a developer audience, which would make sense given the target market for ByteMobile. He talked about how operators could introduce the value and power of a widget platform into today’s devices without the need for installed software. Basically, the WidgetBar gets inserted by a network element into markup seamlessly. Good for the operators because it provides another potential revenue stream (sell ads into content) and adds browser tool bar functionality without any device side logic. Pretty slick, but content developers and owners are not always keen on transformation engines and adaptation frameworks mucking with their code. He also spoke to the bandwidth optimization features of the ByteMobile platform which allow operators to squeeze the most out of existing infrastructures and provide snappy experiences to end users. Good for everyone. Another interesting point, albeit a bit anecdotal on his end, was that many of the approximately 50k apps in the Apple App Store either could just be browser based, or do just initiate some browser like interactions, so at the end of the day, if there were a more robust and reliable browser container, apps might not be quite so popular.
So, what should you do today?
- Again, continue to monitor [url=http://www.w3.org/TR/widgets/]widget frameworks[/url], and [url=http://www.forum.nokia.com/Technology_Topics/Web_Technologies/Web_Runtime/]WRT technologies[/url] as they evolve and proliferate, but don’t put all your eggs in that basket.
- Optimize your websites for mobile, even for high end mobile (Android, WinMo, iPhone), because just because the high end phones can digest your site doesn’t mean there’s not room for improvement in the experience for end users.
- If you want access to native device features, you’re still going to have to go native (or native-ish like J2ME w/access to APIs). The WRT platforms will get there eventually, but they’re not ready yet.
Next week AT&T will be presenting about “Mobile Web 2.0: Dramatic Developments in Mobile Web Technology” which one can only surmise will be ‘widgets’ yet again. We don’t know it all yet, but we’re working on it. I’ll keep you updated on their pitch/strategy as it evolves, and please do the same with what you’re seeing from your perches as well.
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