Mobile Groove

Mobile apps isn’t the only game in town. Developers need think big-picture and focus efforts on multi-platform apps capable of connecting our devices and our experiences. This is the trend to watch for 2012 and why Mike Johns, CEO of Digital Mind State, and his views on the vast opportunities at the intersection of apps, TV and social media are more pertinent than ever.

We catch up with Mike to talk about his success brokering profitable business relationships between brands and urban/hip hop artists to deliver a 360 degree entertainment experience combining social media interaction and TV (Social TV) and mobile apps.

Smart developers understand that selling apps is a serious business. The are exploring their options (developing for several platforms simultaneously), choosing commercially successful distribution channels (apps stores rather than third-party aggregators, for example) and preparing for a multi-screen future where the smartphone is just the entry point to a fluid app experience that flows across set-top boxes, tablets and a wide range of connected devices.

It’s a profound shift that market analysis and strategy firm VisionMobile has expertly identified and documented in Developer Economics 2011, a landmark, must-read report that

It’s exciting times at MobileGroove. Last week I finalized the last chapters of the Netsize Guide by Gemalto (the new edition of the mobile industry analysis I have authored on behalf of my client, Netsize, for the last four years), and I learned that Dancing With Digital Natives: Staying in Step With the Generation That’s Transforming the Way Business is Done — a book that includes a chapter on mobile marketing I wrote outlining how (and why) companies can effectively engage with Millennials — was named an “Award-Winning Finalist” in the Business category of The USA “Best Books 2011″ Awards, sponsored by USA Book News.

The contributors to this book include the editors Michelle Manafy and Heidi Gautschi, as well as Mary Ann Bell, Shashi Bellamkonda, Sarah Bryans Bongey, Jami L. Carlacio, Albert M. Erisman, Brynn Evans, Susan Evans, Lance Heidig, David Hubbard, Richard Hull, Marshall Lager, Christa M. Miller, Emilie Moreau, Carolina M. Reid, Michael Russell, Arana Shapiro, Dan Schawbel, Rebecca Rufo-Tepper, and Robert J. Torres.

Google’s well-publicized philosophy includes the promise to “Do No Evil”. With that in mind, is the company out to do good or make money with the launch of GoMo, an initiative positioned as a driver to better mobile web sites produced for brands?

In practice, businesses can go to Google’s GoMo website at howtogomo.com to access a so-called GoMoMeter. This tool lets companies see how their sites look and perform on mobile devices, and offers “personalized” recommendations to assist businesses in the task of developing a more mobile-friendly experience for their sites.

People are increasingly relying on mobile for assistance to make a wide variety of product and purchase decisions, a seismic shift in behavior that spells opportunity for brands across all industry verticals, including automotive, retail, travel, finance, entertainment, pharmaceuticals and telecoms.

But there’s a catch. Marketers must develop solid advertising strategies that understand who their customers are, how they use their mobile devices and where campaigns can reach the…

Hands down, the most anticipated presentation for all of us in the mobile and Internet space comes from Mary Meeker, a former analyst at Morgan Stanley and now a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Silicon Valley.

Over the years, Meeker has been quoted in a variety of sites and publications worldwide. And her most repeated forecast — the prediction that more people will access the Internet on a mobile device than on a personal computer by 2015 — is a key data point that continues to get play in industry presentations, conferences and research around the globe.