Mobile Search - The WAP Problem

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WAP will not be the way mobile phones access websites in the years to come. With XHTML being relatively more viewable than HTML, WAP should (and probably will) be pushed aside, since it violates the end-to-end principles of the Internet. What all this means is that a new protocol may also have to be created apart from the new software. The current situation, in which the mobile phone has a gateway middle man between it and the web, is basically inefficient and is one of the major problems for mobile Internet.

Not Only Apps And Devices, But Carriers

Applications need to be modified depending on the telecommunications carrier. Several networks carry 3G , but others have some other standard that may be incompatible with the device. Carriers cripple the functionality of their phones. Software has to be modified to accommodate that carrier. Early users of mobile devices suffer with rendering problems, awkward interfaces, and unfriendly key pads. The carriers, the devices, and the software are all part of an incompatible morass of details that simply (right now) don't work together.

Follow the Money

Right now the money is in voice. But with ten billion devices projected to be online in two years time and two billion cell phones around the world right now, all the major players in the telecom industry (and the search industry) are looking into making money from cell phone ads. Well, apart from the ads that could make networks billions, there is the increasing number of people who are just breaking into the cell phone market in developing countries. And there's even the possibility of poaching slower telecom companies' subscribers, if one of the telecom companies come up with a distinct and clear competitive advantage.

Mobile ads are the next Internet gold rush, with companies hoping the current model, which locks clients into long term contracts, will allow them to win big. The worst thing that could happen to the telecom companies is if the current system is broken open and mobile becomes a free-for-all like the current Internet market. Right now, the oligopoly of companies pretty much set the prices without rocking the boat. And they are in no serious hurry to cut each other's profits to compete seriously.

When web search becomes a norm online, the network that goes in first is going to steal a march on the rest of the competition. And yet...one company hoped to popularize it with the iPhone; instead, we hear more and more about iPhones being unlocked to run on other networks. And both Apple and its partner have come in for a storm of criticism for locking it down.

Web search is a problem. Web applications for mobile devices are a problem and the system seems set to give consumers a raw deal. But this article is not about the amount of money this service will cost, it is about searching for clear and present solutions to the issue of mobile web search and how to effectively optimize a website when that day arrives.

Next: The Other Problem >>
 

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