This post originated from an RSS feed registered with Java Buzz
by Fred Grott.
Original Post: Mobile Social Networking
Feed Title: ShareMe Technologies LLC-The Mobile Future
Feed URL: http://www.jroller.com/shareme/feed/entries/rss
Feed Description: A Weblog about Java programming and digital convergence on mobile devices in such areas as P2P and collaborative technology.
There are several things that are the opposite of what you want belive as a developer in the mobile area. For example, Sequoia Capitol is funding social mobile networking companies.
Now, you would think with the experts at Sequoia Capitol's reach that they might get this right, right? The biggest blind spot for mobile developers is the mobile ecology of mobile networks, device OEMs, infrastrucutre OEMs, and etc. In that start-ups do nto realize that you have to take the least cost way of partnering as no one gets theri foot into these sales channels going it alone.
A clearer example? I know of a start-up, let us say letter R no w letter F, that wants to use LBS to do mobile social networking. They talk big to every coder, hey we will get Sprint as our partner and first carrier.
Well, first of all CDMA carriers charge hefty fees for LBS data access and second they do not partner with no name start-ups with no millionso f users as the service/product from the carrier's viewpoint is to sell the carriers user plans and devices. 6 month's later and Sprit and Verizon went with Facebok, this start-ups competitor, whooops!
Of course following a tiered marketing plan of potential gsm users, mobile software catalogues, and etc would have worked better and was in fact suggested to the CEO 6 months ago.
Basically, the strategy is suppose to get mobile users to ask their carriers if this service is providded and thus trigger carrier interest and partnerships that work to the start-up's advantage because we would be playing one carrier against another to prevent lock up. No tomention that GSM carriers geenrally do not lock up LBS data in excessive access LBS data fees like CDMA carriers.
Of course this start up is pointing to BoostMobile as their carrier but BoostmObile is a division of Sprint and Sprint just signed an exclusive deal with Facebook's mobile services which competes with this start-up, whoops!
When will a start-up listen to my past experience in this area? Whic start-up is this that might have been in wired? 5 numbers, 354xx....
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