5 Trends in Mobile Computing for 2011

This article will not focus on the apps that run on mobile computing (such as iPhone apps, Chatter, productivity and social media applications) but rather the overall trends in mobile computing.

1. Mobile Advertising

I worked for a webhosting and ecommerce company way back in 1997.  Web hosting back then was expensive, remember? But it wasn’t until June 18, 2003 that the web (and web sites) was changed forever.

Anyone remember that day?

Yes, the day Google brought out Adwords and Adsense.

Mobile advertising is going to grow. Make no mistake about it.

Some are still trying to figure it out on how to capitalize on it, like Google’s YouTube.  Currently, it’s just not profitable.  Expect more and more acquisitions in the future and more commitments from brands and advertisers.

If it took 5-8 years to really capitalize on the killer app for ad revenue, then we can expect to see that in the mobile industry, which is moving much faster.  We’re just not sure what it is right now.  Will it be Flash based?  HTML5?

 

2. 4G and WiMAX

3G (and Wi-Fi) is pretty mainstream now on today’s smart phones after 8 years of maturity, but it wasn’t too long again when 2G and EDGE were commonplace like my good old Blackberry Curve.  (Hey, it worked!)

I don’t know about you, but I‘m pretty excited to see data rates of 100 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s on mobile devices.

Heck, I was excited when we upgraded out data closets from 100Mb to Gigabit Ethernet!

Enter Sprint-Nextel with their implementation of WiMax or IEEE 802.16e which technically isn’t a true 4G.  But at 40 Mbit/s, that’s still better than 3G any day.

In the meanwhile, Telco providers are fighting to get into the iPhone market share.

 

3. Microsoft to Steal Market Share

Speaking of market share, yes, Microsoft is late in the game, but the game isn’t over.  There’s room in the pie for everyone.  Anyone with deep pockets, mind you.

It wasn’t too long ago when RIM was the leader in mobile OS (next to android and Apple’s iOS)

We know where that is now.

Enter Windows Phone 7.  There are still a lot of Microsoft devotees who’ll support this.  Too bad their latest advertising campaign is a little silly.

 

4. Security (and the Ability to ZAP your phone if lost)

One of the reasons why I still love Blackberry is along with BES (Blackberry Enterprise Server), if I lose my BB device, I simply call my Sysadmin, and within seconds, my lost BB will be wiped from the perpetrator who stole it.  Or the kind old lady who found it.

You phone contains too much personal and business data, especially as you start relying on these smartphones more and more, and less on your laptop.   Expect to see more security in this arena.  And we’re not talking fingerprint recognition, retinal scans, and voice recognition to authorize and authenticate.

Something you have and something you know.

5. It’s not just Mobile

People who focus on mobile will end up being left behind.  At the end, mobile is simply an extension to your computer or laptop or netbook or tablet.

The big focus should be your core business apps as that is information to extract timely and accurate data.

Half a century ago, the wrist watch you wore defined the person you are.  (I guess it still hold true today, though West Coasters rarely wear watches anymore)  That’s why Rolex is still popular and why you see Rolex imitations in your SPAM mail.

Mobile devices today are cool and sexy.  It’s an ice breaker in conversations.

But let’s not forget the information behind it.

Part 2 of this article will focus on the top 5 Enterprise Application trends for 2011.