By Arthur Leggett
In light of the overwhelming response to the Mobile Future post, I am going to respond to seven frequently asked questions about my views on the mobile future. To the curious minds who emailed me from Israel, India, Ghana, Singapore, Chile, Brazil, Indonesia, China, South Africa, England, Côte d'Ivoire, U.S. and a few other countries, your generosity of time and mind is greatly appreciated.
A wise teacher once shared that I should absorb knowledge and comments, not react to them ~ Thank you Mrs. Barrett.
Seven Intelligent Questions:
What about privacy?
The greatest trick ever masqueraded in America is the llusion of privacy. If you have an email address, myspace page, facebook page, linkedin page, grocery discount card, plane ticket, library card, hotel reservation, bank account, or google history, you have voluntarily traded the commodity of your privacy in a “quid pro quo” manner with marketers, grocers, airlines, libraries, hotels, banks, Google and the government to acquire their goods and services.
The majority of us don’t read the fine print, I meant find the small print:) We fill out every registration card, accept every cookie on our hard drive, and sign up for every store discount card without ever thinking about the privacy implications and ramifications.
Remember the salmonella scare earlier this summer, how do you think they tracked down who bought what tomatoes?
How will mobile transactions be secured from fraud?
Consumer fraud occurs when a thief uses another’s identity to purchase goods and services. Given that mobile devices cameras will allow for the use of biometrics to confirm identity before a consumer uses m-commerce, I believe that fraud will dramatically decrease in the mobile future.
There are clearly privacy--the flipside of security in America-- issues involved in using voice, face, retina, fingerprint, and electronic signature in security applications. Some of you are already asking the intelligent question: How will companies acquire biometrics databases? The simple answer is myspace, facebook, linkedin, atms, airport retina scans, driver’s licenses, etc. Everyday, we trade biometric privacy for myspace celebrity, homeland security, a quarter off a bag of chips and so on, without batting an eye.
How many mobileers are there in the United States?
I forgot to include these statistics in the original post last Friday. As of June ’08, there were around 263 million US mobile subscribers. The US mobile market penetration rate was around 84%. Also, 15% of US households is mobile only. Remember, each mobile device has tremendous marketing potential.
Why is Africa the region to watch?
I believe that Africa is the region to watch because China’s and America’s GDP growth depends on Africa.
Africa is one of the only places in the world where so many resources are still up for grabs. It holds 90% of the world's cobalt, 90% of its platinum, 50% of its gold, 98% of its chromium, 64% of its manganese, and one-third of its uranium. Its forests are still considered the most pristine in the world. It is rich in diamonds, has more oil reserves than North America, and is estimated to have 40% of the world's potential hydroelectric power. It already supplies a third of the oil fueling China's economic boom.
Let’s face it, China is going through an industrial boom. Industrial revolutions require raw materials to fuel the factory orders. With 1.3 billion people going through an industrial revolution and more mobileers (400 million) than any other country in the world, China has turned to Africa for natural resources and for work for its surplus workers.
So the next time you see the Made in China tag on a wood dining table set in Walmart, remember that the wood is probably timber from Mozambique ($5); that the table and chairs were manufactured in a Chinese factory ($100); and, that Walmart imported it to their showroom and charged you $429.55.
How does this all relate to the mobile future? Research shows that mobile devices are critical to the economic development of Africa. For example, an extra ten mobile devices per one hundred people can increase the country’s GDP growth by close to 1%.
Last night, I received an email from Patty. She works for a Chinese wireless company in Togo. I’ll let her words speak:
Mobile phones have turned the African markets around giving birth to innovative market ideas such as the mobile payment firms in the African market currently. Africans are now paving new ways of making financial transactions, billing and purchases easier on consumers.
I have heard that in parts of Africa they use their mobile numbers as home addresses. Now that’s a mobile home :)
What are some the barriers preventing marketers from spamming mobile devices with advertising?
I believe that the three surmountable barriers preventing consumers from being besieged with mobile advertising: size of the mobile screen, technical mechanics, and low user adoption rates will not hold out much longer. Currently only 15% of text messages is advertisements.
The Apple iPhone has reversed the trend of mobile device screens getting smaller and smaller. Now, we are seeing the introduction of more mobile devices with larger touch screens.
Third party companies are working with advertisers and wireless providers to streamline the mechanics involved in mobile advertising.
Marketers are sweetening the offer to consumers. For example, in London teenagers are offered free mobile service if they agree to receive ads in exchange. You don’t need a crystal ball to predict that mobile advertising will become more prevalent, like spam.
When will we instill a mobile etiquette?
I received a thoughtful note from Sarah this week. She noticed the annoyance of ringing mobile devices in traditionally quiet places like classrooms, courtrooms, places of worship and, so on. Sarah, perhaps we need to install disrupting devices in walls to defeat mobile devices’ transmission in these quiet areas.
Personally, I’d like to see a mobile device etiquette and manners movement. Given the private/public nature of mobile calls, Sarah or someone else should write a piece on the Top Ten Mobile Do’s and Don’ts. Do #1: Always respect no mobile quiet zones.
Why do I write this blog?
I am often asked this question, which is more than a “soup question.” I write this blog not only because I am stirred up in the middle of the night by these thoughts, but also because I believe that knowledge is only good if it is shared. Altruistism is not my motivation. I am driven by the sustainability of our country. Our great country, on the greatest planet in the universe is a rotting shell of itself. It is slowly perishing from two main corrupters: excess and ignorance.
As you continue to absorb knowledge and share your emails, I hope that you detect the essence of your own voice. I hope that you feel the foremost obligation to take decisive action to ignite a social change movement to save our future.
Thank you for sharing my thoughts. And, a special acknowledgment to Sherry. Sherry feeds me the best books and sources, and she also serves as an extra set of eyes.
Last, I'm always open to connecting with kindred spirits and to imbibing disparate ideas. If you are close by, let's meet up for coffee or tea, swap stories, and share common interests. If you're around the world, we can be pen pals. Feel free to drop me an email. I respond to all emails within 36 hours.
Or maybe you found something "wrong" or "misspelled" on my blog? Or perhaps you have a suggestion or question? Tell me I'm wrong. Or tell me I'm right.
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