Mobile search
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mobile Search is an evolving service centred around the convergence of search engines and mobile phones. The services allow users an easier way to browse for the growing quantity of content that is being specifically written for, or adapted for, mobile phones.
Research from Bango indicate that the most popular mobile content services are
- Music (including Ringtones) 32%
- Pictures 15%
- Adult Services 22%
- Video 7%
- Games 14%
- Information services 10%[citation needed]
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[edit] Forecasts and Importance
Mobile Search is important for the usability of mobile content for the same reasons as internet search engines became important to the usability of internet content. Early internet content was largely provided by portals such as Netscape. As the depth of available content grew, portals were unable to provide total coverage. As a result internet search engines such as Google and AltaVista proved popular as a way of allowing users to find the increasingly specialist content they were looking for.
There is a similar situation developing in the mobile content industry. Given early adopter usage of mobile services, there has been a vast increase in the depth of content developed for mobile phones. There are now few large organisations that do not offer a mobile service of some sort. Most of the operators run their own portals that showcase the best available content. See OrangeWorld. However, given the limitations of a mobile phones screen size and general navigablity, most of available content that has been written for mobile users is effectively invisible to users. Research from Qpass suggests that less than 36% of an operator's portal is within 30 seconds navigation distance for the user - this being the expected time users expect to find content in.
The early deals are taking place as cellphone operators recognize that wireless Internet search is an inherently different business than its wired counterpart. Whereas people might use a Web-connected personal computer to search for information about an 18th-century British author, they are more likely to use cellphones to find targeted information like news, weather and sports. Cellphones also offer much less space to enter in search terms and smaller screens to display results.
Some of the advancements by the major portals in Internet search, such as Google's famous page-ranking scheme, don't apply in the wireless world since people aren't searching for Web sites as much as answers to specific questions. Alltel's group president of operations, Kevin Beebe, says the Internet search giants aren't yet delivering the kind of results he wants. "What they're trying to do is take that core search capability and just jam it onto the phone," Mr. Beebe said. "That's probably not the right approach."
[edit] Mobile search services
Within the broad umbrella of Mobile Search (the ability to browse for mobile specific content), there are a range of services. Given the relative immaturity of the market, not all of these can be expected to become the industry standards.
1. Mobile Directory Search. This service is known by different names dependent on country and operator. It can also be known as 'Find My Nearest' or 'Mobile Yellow Pages' services. The basics of the services allows users to find local services in the vicinity of their current location. The services often use location-based technology to pinpoint exactly where the user currently is. An example of usage would be a user looking for a local cab or taxi company after a night out. Services also usually come with a map and directions to help the user. An example is the service offered by Yell in the UK which is powered by MobilePeople's technology.
2. Mobile Discovery Services. These services offer users recommendations on what they should do next. An example would be recommending a user a similar ringtone to the one that s/he has just browsed for. They operate, in a mobile context, in a similar way to the recommendation engines provided by internet retail shops such as Amazon.com. An example of real usage is the Directory Enquiries (DQ) service operated by Orange in the UK. Callers to the Orange landline DQ service are given the business and residential numbers they have requested verbally by an operator. In addition, Orange sends the information in text format to the users mobile phone. The information contains a text reminder of the requested information as well as links to local businesses, services and other interesting information in the local area that the user has searched on.
3. Question and Answer services. These services allow a user to text a question to a central database and receive a reply using text. A usage example would be a user that wants to know the answer to a very specific question but is not in front of his/her computer.
4. Mobile Navigation services. These services provide the indexing structure to the portals provided by mobile operators. They index the content already on the Operators' portal (say Orangeworld) but also provide users access to mobile specific content that is available outside the confines of the portal.
[edit] Main Providers
- 4info Founded by Stanford graduates this company gives the user answers to search queries instead of multiple links.
- AskMeNow Gives users the option of searching for information using an SMS short code or mobile applications. Uses natural language search that allows users to ask a question and receive an answer. AskMeNow has a carrier deal with Rogers Wireless in Canada.
- Fast Search and Transfer. Has deals with 3 operators in Italy and Vodafone throughout Europe to provide Mobile Navigation Services.
- Google Offers Google SMS which allows users to obtain information by texting in structured syntax to an SMS shortcode. Limited to the categorical information they offer. Google has carrier deals with Britain's Vodafone, China Mobile, and KDDI Corp. in Japan but not specifically for the SMS product.
- Microsoft Released Windows Live Search Mobile in November of 2006. Gives users the option of searching with mobile applications, an SMS shortcode, or a WAP page.
- Yahoo Has launched its own version of mobile local search that is offered via mobile applications. Yahoo has a search deal with British carrier Hutchison 3G UK Ltd.
[edit] See also
- Mobile local search - article on mobile search for 'local things' such as nearby businesses, events, traffic reports etc.
[edit] External links
- Goobile (current analysis of mobile search and mobile content distribution strategies)
- Danny Lange's blog on Mobile Search
- Article talking about the success of the Orange Mobile Discovery trial
- Forrester research on Western European Mobile interent usage
- Mobile Web Americas Expo
