Mobile Marketing Association » mobilegroove

In brief: MSG and the Founding Members of a new initiative supporting non-profits – The Mobile Movement – announced today they have formed a coalition committed to bringing mobile capabilities to non-profits in order that they may reach millions more people in need by leveraging mobile devices, networks and

Regular readers will know that a high point of my year is collaborating with the Netsize team to collect the information, ideas and insights from industry authorities and +25 c-level execs that make the Netsize Guide the industry's number one reference work. This year is no exception. To the contrary, I'm proud to report the Netsize Guide 2010 – the 9th Edition of the Netsize almanac– is widely regarded as the best edition ever (!).

One reason for the heightened interest could be the sharp focus on the future of mobile and mobility. The Netsize Guide, aptly titled Mobile Renaissance, pushes the boundaries and examines the

An important update on the Mobile Premier Awards (MPA), the number one global mobile innovation competition organized by Rudy de Waele and the team at dotopen. After sifting through a record 600 submissions from four continents, the list is now down to 48 startups. These startups represent the best in grassroots innovation as chosen by their peers in partnership with MobileMonday, the global community of mobile professionals. The nominees were chosen by participating MobileMonday chapters from over 250 participating startups.

As a media partner and a member of the international jury I look forward to joining the other judges on the panel this week to select 20 finalists from the list. Only these 20 finalists will pitch their idea, application or project at the Mobile Premier Awards event that takes place in the Petit Palau of Palau de la Musica on February 15, 2010 in front of investors, operators, media companies, peer entrepreneurs, and press and influential bloggers.

Are you a company in a vertical industry (banking healthcare, retail etc...) that has implemented mobile in a new way to improve processes and achieve positive results? Or are you a vendor company with a compelling customer case study to share? If your answer to either is "yes," then reach out to me directly. For the third consecutive year I have been commissioned to research and write the Netsize Guide, a comprehensive mobile industry almanac published by Netsize, a mobile commerce and communications enabler. Following on from the phenomenally popular future-focused chapter that wrapped up last year's Netsize guide (a chapter I was proud to co-create with Stan Chesnais, Netsize CEO), this year's publication will continue to explore the personal experiences and business opportunities emerging as our virtual and physical worlds converge supported by 25+ interviews with C-Level executives and influencers.

In brief: Inma Martinez - a leading digital media strategist, "free radical" and advisor to venture capitalists - is back for the second in the series. Following her last take on Blyk she comes back from lunch with Antti Öhrling, Blyk Co-Founder, with deep insights into the Blyk model. Other topics/companies include: VouChaCha and other startups high on the radar; social media buzz and Vodafone 360; a review of Mobilize and Mobile Marketing Forum Europe; the new mobile brain drain; and why developers need to tune into women. We salute Mark Curtis, founder of Flirtomatic; Dagmara Brylack (for innovative and thoughtful mobile campaigns at P&G); and Mark "Mr. Mobile" Wächter, for his work to take the partnership between the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and the German Federal Association for the Digital Economy’s mobile division, the BVDW Section Mobile, to a new level. Mobile Groove, the monthly podcast that focuses on the news and companies that matter most in mobile -- is back with a great line-up of topics and the usual mix of insights and outspoken observations from co-host Inma Martinez, my über-connected and always professional partner in crime. (We missed posting on Friday, but the reason for the delay will be clear when I take the wraps off an all-new MSearchGroove, so watch this space.) Mobilize, the conference Inma attended in September, left a lasting impression. Her SWOT analysis: a great line-up of startups and a high level of energy and VC activity in the Valley. Where does this leave Europe? Inma (also based in London) connects the dots in some recent investor reports and concludes Europe may see its best and brightest in mobile "defect." Is the U.S. the place to be if you are a mobile entrepreneur? Listen in and let us know what you think. Speaking of startups, Inma also outlines the highlights from Seedcamp, a program created to jumpstart the entrepreneurial community in Europe by connecting next generation developers and entrepreneurs with over 400 mentors from a top-tier network of company builders; including seed investors, serial entrepreneurs, product experts, HR and PR specialists, marketers, lawyers, recruiters, journalists and venture capitalists. One company that stood out: VouChaCha, a U.K. startup that delivers vouchers to your mobile phone. Where is the hold up in Europe and why aren't coupons a de facto part of our daily mobile routines (as they are in the U.S.)? You tell us! Other success stories Inma shares: Flirtomatic, iScoot and eBuddy. CONTEXT MATTERS? Will location-based services excite women? Well, we beg to disagree.

TAPTU MOBILE SEARCH GENERATING 1 MILLION MOBILE SEARCHES a day. The exclusively mobile search engine has revealed new statistics in preparation for the launch of its iPhone application. With 3.4 million unique users in April, generating a million searches a day, Taptu offers users results from sites that have been optimized for the mobile Web. The company's blog reminds us that when Taptu started out, it counted some 10,000 searches on a mobile device. In a press statement, Steve Ives, Founder and CEO of Taptu, reads this development as a clear indication that "there is a distinct need for a mobile-only search engine with results best viewed on mobile devices." Source The bottom line: It's encouraging to see traction for this particular approach to mobile search. Peggy adds: The question remains: Will mobile-only search, which essentially promotes a subset of wealth of content/apps/stuff out there, continue to flourish? Or will it be Web search scenarios, enabled by the usual list of suspects all over again. I have some positive views on the potential of social search in mobile, and share these via podcasts (such as this one) and my contributions to mobile search white papers. And while we mull over the prospects for mobile search, I invite you to consider the graph below from StatCounter Global Stats (based on aggregate data collected by StatCounter on a sample exceeding 4 billion pageviews per month collected from across the StatCounter network of more than 3 million websites) showing the companies that lead in online search . Charles Knight - my esteemed colleague and the "voice of alternative search" at MSG partner site AltSearchEngines - has launched a contest and asks: What is the one word that best describes Google's lead? (Google is the read line at the top.) "Alarming" is my pick... Since AltSearchEngines doesn't focus on mobile search (which is why we have partnered), allow me to share the StatCounter Global Stat chart for mobile search, and likewise ask your views. Why does Google lead the pack? (Particularly when the mobile experience offered by Google is known to be unsatisfactory...) What do YOU think?