So what is mobile 2.0 and who is using it?

If you bring it down to basics, Mobile 2.0 is all about a new wave of interesting mobile services finally emerging to replace the premium ringtone, wallpaper and games sites. It's about the mobile web beginning to get mass market take-up and a critical mass of usage. However, sometimes it is easier to define something by looking at examples of it, than trying to describe it in abstract. So, without further ado, here is a list of seven things which might help to explain the exciting potential of the "mobile 2.0" wave. In no particular order, mobile 2.0 is all about ...

1. Mobile focused social networks like Mocospace and itsmy.com beginning to build massive user bases and generate huge amounts of traffic. According to Opera, UK users of their mobile browser are more likely to visit mocospace than myspace. Mobile social software is no longer a buzzword at conferences and in research reports - it's a reality.

2. Silicon Valley bringing its immense financial and engineering resources to bear on the mobile market with the big players all rolling out "dot m" sites like m.facebook.com, m.youtube.com, and m.twitter.com. These mobile sites are creating a new benchmark for usable, functional mobile design and helping to introduce swathes of new users to the idea of mobile web.

3. In developing countries mobile is becoming the primary gateway to the internet for hundreds of millions of people. Already, South Africa is the 2nd biggest traffic driver on admob and Nigeria accounts for the largest amount of traffic on the BBC mobile news website. There is amazing potential for new mobile services to help transform the economies of developing countries and enable internet access for all the world's population. Could mobile internet be the glue that finally ignites economic growth and good governance in Africa?

4. At last, operators are breaking down their walled garden portals and providing affordable data tariffs. In the UK, 3 has shifted from trying to be some kind of 20th century media company to providing cheap flat rate data packages, mobile broadband and open internet access. Vodafone has virtually shut down Vodafone Live! and is now focusing on pushing mobile internet services. This shift could have a similar or greater effect that the move from dial-up to broadband on the PC web as mobile bandwidth and access opens up.

5. Users are finally starting to trust mobile services again after being burned by subscription scams and are willing to provide their phone number to get a link sent to them or register on a mobile site. Mobile is beginning to mean more than rip-offs, lost credit and sms spam. The nuclear winter that followed the spread of TV-driven ringtone services in 2006 finally seems to be ending.

6. It is now possible to provide mobile content and web services free to the user and funded by advertising, rather than pushing premium downloads or ridiculous subscriptions. With the relatively high CPMs being paid out by the likes of admob and google mobile it's feasible to explore completely new products that go well beyond adult content, games and personalisation.

7. Last but not least, mobile is becoming socially acceptable, even trendy, and people are beginning to spot a bandwagon to jump on. Just as with web 2.0 there's a real danger of the huge economic and social potential of mobile 2.0 getting lost in a blizzard of buzzwords, bullsh*t, waves of dumb money and chancers looking for the next big thing. Let's hope "mobile 2.0" doesn't turn out to be yet another false dawn ...

James Coops
More @ blog.mjelly.com