Today Movile, the leading mobile services company, announces Zeewe 2.0 (go.zeewe.com), the new version of the pioneering HTML5 app store and directory for smartphones and tablets. Zeewe has more than 1.5 million users worldwide, and these users typically use at least 5 web apps that they discover on Zeewe.  Movile also announces the launch of several exciting new features for Zeewe including off-line mode which enables users to use the Zeewe store and select apps without an internet connection on iOS devices. Beside this, Zeewe also now offers developers a payment API that enables them to charge for Apps and transact in-app purchases.

In the ten months since Zeewe launched, a robust community of users and developers has embraced it as the best place to discover, share and recommend cross-platform, HTML5-based mobile apps including games, music and videos, books, entertainment, business and more.

Eduardo Lins Henrique, Head of Innovations at Movile and Zeewe Product Lead describes Zeewe’s viral growth:
Since Zeewe’s launch last December, many well-respected companies have developed cross-platform HTML5 web apps including: The Financial Times (ft.com), Google (plus.google.com and Chrome Store), Pandora (Pandora.com), and others. Many more companies, including Facebook, are rumored to be next. Movile is accelerating its leadership position in Smartphone, Tablet and converged web applications by investing in Zeewe and other products that leverage HTML5.

Zeewe 2.0 uses HTML5 offline resources based on cache features to enable a seamless offline HTML5 app browsing experience, initially for iOS Safari users with support for Android users coming soon. Zeewe also now supports HTML5 apps designed to work offline like Block Dream, Blast Effect, Checklist, Card Flip. Movile expects this enhancement will significantly improve the Zeewe experience. Henrique continues:

Zeewe users will interact more with our application because the time to load each page in the system is 10 times faster than before. In user tests, this dramatically improved the Zeewe navigation experience and click through rates.

Dario Sciacca, DS Effect´s CEO says,

This announcement is very important for the HTML5 market. We tried Zeewe 2.0 and we agreed that the user experience is much better than the first iteration. About billing, all developers are interested in monetizing their business. At DS Effect, this is not different and we will certainly use Zeewe payments APIs soon.

Zeewe 2.0’s new billing APIs, which launched today using Movile´s own connections and Zong, a PayPal service and a leading provider of payments through mobile carrier billing. It is initially available in the United States of America and Brazil and will roll out to additional countries including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, and Mexico in the coming months.

According to PayPal’s Senior Director of Mobile Stephane Kasriel, “It´s fantastic to have an App Store based on HTML5 technology in Zong´s portfolio. HTML5 web apps are a growing trend amongst mobile developers and they are being widely adopted in the market. We’re excited to to be Zeewe’s exclusive in-app payments solution.”

Movile believes that the future of mobile apps is based on the open web standards of HTML5 and driving cross-platform mobile experiences that leverage the social graph. Zeewe is boosting the discovery and usage of HTML5 apps and enabling mobile users to share and pay for experiences seamlessly across OSes.

Zeewe by Movile is a cross-platform mobile app store based on the open web standards of HTML5. Zeewe is the best place to discover and share cross-platform mobile apps for smartphones and tablets. Any mobile user with an HTML5-enabled browser can visit: http://zeewe.com and start using free apps in seconds, without registration or credit cards.
Zeewe’s “FriendZee” feature provides push notifications and social discovery through Facebook and Twitter, so users can easily see which apps their friends are using and try them out.
Zeewe launched in late December, 2010 and just achieved 1.5 million users worldwide, with most users in the US, UK, Mexico, China, and Brazil. Zeewe was developed by Movile, the leading mobile services company based in Latin America.
Zeewe is simple to use:

• Visit Zeewe.com from an iOS or Android device, and discover tons of free apps.
• Click on an app that sounds interesting and see ratings and comments from other users.
• Download apps in seconds.
• Share apps with friends, and invite them to play games with you.

UPDATED: Feb 10, 1:25 pm Pacific: Mobile World Congress is coming up in Barcelona, Spain February 14-18, 2011, and it’s time to start planning your networking calendar.  So many parties, so little time!  I’ll be updating the following list of networking events and parties as I hear about them in this post. Check out the “agenda” view on the SocializeMobilize “Events” calendar to add these events to your calendar.

If you have a party or event you’d like me to add to this list, please send me the details and RSVP requirements.

If you need strategy, business development or marketing support surrounding Mobile World Congress, please contact me.

Sunday, 13 February, 2011:

Endomondo Sports Tracker Run
(New! Added Feb 5)

• About: We’re inviting everybody attending MWC to go on a run with us Sunday afternoon before the conference. During the run, we will showcase how Endomondo Sports Tracker makes sports more fun by turning your mobile into a full-fledged personal trainer. We’ll run about 3.5 km near the Olympic Stadium but you don’t have to be an Olympian athlete to join us – you’ll be consulted before we set the pace. Make sure to bring your GPS phone!
• Time: 13 February, 2011: 5-6 pm
• Location: Next to the Espanya metro entrance at Plaza de España, Barcelona
• RSVP: Send a tweet with #MWCRunUp or register on Endomondo if you want to live track the run: http://www.endomondo.com/event/mwc2011

Mobile Sunday

• About: “The sixth annual Mobile Sunday – An unofficial, informal and generally cool and funky gathering of mobile bloggers and their chums…We again will meet in one of the coolest new bars in Barcelona, the VINTAGE – around the corner of the venue last year – for more space and a jazzy, loungy athmosphere, with different rooms and salons. We’ll be able to host 500 people in a relaxed atmosphere with drinks and bites, including sofas, private salons, four screens, a heated terrace and a dancefloor for the ones who like to kick off the busy week with a swing.”
• Time: 13 February, 2011: 7pm onward
  
• Location: VINTAGE: Fusina, 7 – 08003, Barcelona
• RSVP: Required. Stay posted for updates.
  
• Cost: Attending Mobile Sunday is free to all registered users of dotopen.com who will also get their company’s logo and pitch shown on the many screens visible at the event.

Monday, 14 February, 2011:

Special Mobile Monday
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “A special event « Mobile Monday » will be organized on the Demo Area of the French Pavilion“
• Time: 14 February, 2011:3:00-3:50pm
  
• Location: French Pavilion, “Demo space” on 2E47, Fira Barcelona
• RSVP: None required. More information here.
• Cost: Free
  

Mobile Premier Awards

• About: “The Mobile Premier Awards are among the most influential events in the mobile industry and the point of reference in early-stage innovation during the Mobile World Congress.  An international jury of the most recognized mobile industry experts will select the 20 finalists from all the local AppCircuses held during 2010 to showcase their app in a 3-minute pitch at the event in Barcelona in front of investors, operators, media companies, peer entrepreneurs, and press and influential bloggers.“
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 3-8pm
  
• Location: “Diagonal 00″ – the new Telefonica R&D Catalunya Headquarters, Metro: El Maresme | Fòrum, (from fairground Espany with red line L1 towards “Fondo”, change at Urquinaona into yellow line L4 towards “La Pau” and exit at El Maresme | Fòrum)
• RSVP: Required. Register here.
• Cost: Free for dotopen members

Teleca Destination Innovation: Daily Cocktail Hour
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “We’ll be serving drinks and snacks every day during the show between 5 and 6. Visit us at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain between February 14-17 and see how our solutions give you an edge in the mobile world. We offer device manufacturers, consumer electronics and automotive companies ways to greater profit and shorter development times in Mobile Linux smartphones and tablets, In-Vehicle Infotainment and end-to-end applications. It’s your destination for real innovation.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 5-6pm
  
• Location: 8B79 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required
• Cost: Free

Alepo Daily Happy Hour
(New! Added Jan 30)

• About: “Alepo, maker of control plane & business management solutions across all next generation services and technologies, will host a daily happy hour, from 4 – 7pm at Booth 2H12. Alepo welcomes anyone interested in learning about innovative policy and charging control solutions for 3G and 4G networks, including PCRF, OCS, OMA DM and more.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 4-7pm
  
• Location: Booth 2H12
• RSVP: Not required, but for more information, contact: Danielle<dot>Russell<at>alepo.com
• Cost: Free

Mobile Valentines Day
(New! Added Jan 23)

• About: “Each year in February we get together to celebrate our true love to mobile devices by taking part in Mobile World Congress, which starts this year on February 14th. To share your passion to mobile we are happy to invite you to Mobile Valentine’s Day party at MWC 2011.  Bring your good mood, networking skills and friends with you.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 7-11:30pm
  
• Location: Alsur Cafe el Born: Carrer dels Carders 17, Barcelona.  A remarkable location, which is very popular gathering place for mobile bloggers and telco people in Barcelona.
• RSVP: Required. Register here.
• Cost: Free. “This event is sponsored by Mobile Europe Magazine, SPB Software and Camerjam, who make sure there will be enough food and drinks for all.”

European Leaders and partners present the: HOT TOPICS PARTY at MWC 2011
(New! Added Jan 24th)

• About: “European Leaders and partners present the: ‘HOT TOPICS PARTY at MWC 2011′.  It’s where some outspoken names will meet to discuss what’s not in the press releases: David Pringle – Mobile World Live TV, Qualcomm Ventures, Antonio Rodriguez – Matrix Partners, Pieter Knook – Former Internet Services Director Vodafone, Carol Realini – Executive Chairman of Obopay Eric Abensur – CEO Venda, Mark Zawacki – Milestone Group, Srinivas Krishnamurti – Head of Mobile VM Ware, Rod Randall – S1 Capital Partners Brian Modoff – MD Deutsche Bank Securities.  We will be hosting two panel discussions with networking amongst 100 mobile influencers.  If you wish to attend then please EXPRESS YOUR INTEREST to Sarah.Moralee@europeanleaders.com and include your signature.  Official invitations will be sent from European Leaders prior to the event.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 6-9pm
  
• Location: Hotel OMM, OMMSESSION CLUB, Rosselló 265, Barcelona, 08008 ES
• RSVP: You must request an invite. More information here.
• Cost: Free, but you must request an invite (instructions above)

Block Party (RIM, NTT Solmare, VELTI and Mobclix)
(New! Added Feb 7)

• About: “RIM, NTT Solmar, VELTI, and Mobclix are having a block party at FIRA, and you’re invited.”
• Time: 14 February, 2011: 5-7pm
  
• Location: Our stands in Hall 7 (#7B52, #7C44 and #7C58)
• RSVP: Please RSVP to dkontopoulou<at>velti<dot>com
• Cost: Free

Tuesday, 15 February, 2011:

MWC 2011: Celebrate with Redknee!

• About: “Redknee would like you to join us for drinks to toast to a successful Mobile World Congress 2011 and year ahead.  Come and join Redknee executives, our global operator customers, media and analysts for an informal meet and greet.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 3:30pm
  
• Location: Redknee Stand in Hall 1, Stand 1E37
• RSVP: For more information and to RSVP please contact Amy Wong at amy.wong@redknee.com.
• Cost: Free

Cocktail Reception – Swedish Trade Council Pavilion
(New! Added Jan 20th)

• About: “Since 2002, the Swedish Trade Council has managed the Pavilion at Mobile World Congress. In addition to the featured companies, the Pavilion will host a cocktail reception on Tuesday, February 15 at 4 p.m. The featured guest will be Dr. Marianne Treschow, the former Director General and member of the Board of the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) and current Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) Associate for Scandinavia. There will also be opportunities to talk with some of Sweden’s leading mobile and telecommunications leaders regarding their plans for Mobile 3.0.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 4:00 pm
  
• Location: Swedish Trade Council Pavilion, Hall 2 F1, Fira
• RSVP: RSVP to mwc@swedishtrade.se
• Cost: Free
  

Enterprise Ireland
(New! Added Jan 19th)

• About: “You are invited to attend the Mobile World Congress “Get Connected Reception” hosted by the Ireland Pavilion.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 4:30-6pm
  
• Location: Hall 1, Stand no. 1F17, FIRA Barcelona Spain
• RSVP: Not required.
• Cost: Free

Women in Mobile Data: Cava and Canapes
(New! Added Jan 18th)

• About: “Women in Mobile Data are excited to announce that Amdocs are kindly sponsoring their MWC2011 ‘Cava and Canapes’ networking event.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 5-7pm
  
• Location: Amdocs stand: B101 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required.
• Cost: Free, sponsored by Amdocs

Teleca Destination Innovation: Daily Cocktail Hour
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “We’ll be serving drinks and snacks every day during the show between 5 and 6. Visit us at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain between February 14-17 and see how our solutions give you an edge in the mobile world. We offer device manufacturers, consumer electronics and automotive companies ways to greater profit and shorter development times in Mobile Linux smartphones and tablets, In-Vehicle Infotainment and end-to-end applications. It’s your destination for real innovation.”
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 5-6pm
  
• Location: 8B79 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required
• Cost: Free

Alepo Daily Happy Hour
(New! Added Jan 30)

• About: “Alepo, maker of control plane & business management solutions across all next generation services and technologies, will host a daily happy hour, from 4 – 7pm at Booth 2H12. Alepo welcomes anyone interested in learning about innovative policy and charging control solutions for 3G and 4G networks, including PCRF, OCS, OMA DM and more.”
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 4-7pm
  
• Location: Booth 2H12
• RSVP: Not required, but for more information, contact: Danielle<dot>Russell<at>alepo.com
• Cost: Free

Scottish Development Whiskey Reception
(New! Added Jan 28th)

• About: “We would like to request the pleasure of your company at the Scottish Development International Whisky reception during the GSMA Mobile World Congress 2011 show in Barcelona.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 5-7pm
  
• Location: Fira, 1E64, Hall 1
• RSVP: not required
  
• Cost: Free

Cocktail France
(New! Added Jan 24th)

• About: “UBIFRANCE & the French exhibitors are pleased to invite you to the Frenck Cocktail.“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 6pm
  
• Location: French Pavilion, 2E47, Fira, Barcelona
• RSVP: not required
  
• Cost: Free
  

The Congress Party and Awards Celebration

• About: “The party is the culmination of the Global Mobile Awards 2011, with the highlight awards presented during the evening. Take advantage of this opportunity to build and expand your network as you converse with your fellow attendees in a fun, informal setting. This year we’re pleased to feature Grammy and Brit award-winning singer/songwriter Duffy.  Duffy won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album for Rockferry in 2009, and she was nominated for two other Grammy awards. That same year she won three Brit Awards: British Breakthrough, Best Female Solo and Best British Album.”
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 7:45pm-12:00am
  
• Location: National Palace in Montjuïc
• RSVP: Required. Register for Glogal Mobile Awards Ceremony when you register for MWC.  If you’d like to attend the Myriad After Awards Party, click here to register.
  
• Cost: The afternoon Global Mobile Awards Ceremony is included in the Gold and Platinum Passes. The evening Congress Party & Awards Celebration is included in the Platinum Pass only, but may be added on to Gold, Silver and Exhibition Visitor Passes for an additional fee.

GoMo News Blender at Mobile World Congress

• About: “The GoMo News Blender now in its fourth year has become a symbolic, yet legitimate path of the institution that is the Mobile World Congress.  Last year at the Blender – we drank the bar dry; twice! In 2010 our readership on GoMo has more than doubled and we our hitting over 300K page views a month so everyone in mobile advertising and marketing – lets up the revolution and push for anarchy… So, please bring your networking shoes, your business cards and have a great time networking and doing business at our popular yearly blender.”
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 6:30-11pm
• Location: Incognito BAR, Calle Fusina 6, Barcelona, Spain
• RSVP: On Facebook
  
• Cost: Free “Huge thanks to Smaato and Diffusion PR for sponsoring the GoMo News Blender for a second year running and also doubling the sponsorship dollars so there will be more food and drink for all.”

La French Mobile Février Barcelone:
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: More information (in French) and RSVP here.
  
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 6:30 onward

GSMA MWC 2011 Party (Jan 28 update: This party is now full. RSVP’s will only be accepted from people representing companies in the mobile messaging and International Airtime Transfer space, or media)
(UPDATED Jan 28th)

• About: “Tranglo and Silverstreet present our GSMA MWC 2011 Party“
• Time: 15 February, 2011: 9pm til late
• Location: Hyde Club: Pasaje Domingo 3, 08008, Barcelona, Spain
• RSVP: RSVP before Feb 9th 2011 to barcelona<at>tranglo<dot>com. (This party is now full. RSVP’s will only be accepted from people representing companies in the mobile messaging and International Airtime Transfer space, or media)
• Cost: Free sponsored by Tranglo and Silverstreet

Tweetup at The Mobile World Congress 2011
(New! Added Feb 5th)

• About: @johnproano is orgnizing a tweet-up
• Time: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 4:30pm
• Location: Tweet up begins at the ANADIGICS booth in Hall 2, Stand 2C19 where you can enter the drawing for an Amazon Kindle!! Then we head off to the Free Drinks reception at Fjord and Foursquare located in Hall 1,Stand E19 starting at 5 and ending at 7pm.
• RSVP: For more info, visit http://plancast.com/p/3r1d and click the “Count Me In” button if you think you’ll be joining
• Cost: Free

Inside Network Happy Hour – Barcelona
(New! Added Feb 10)

• About: Meet-Up with a selected SV/Euro crowd at MWC.
• Time: Tuesday, February 15, 2011, 5pm
• Location: La Clara Tapas Bar, Gran via de les corts Catalanes, 442
• RSVP: RSVP on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128631800538285
• Cost: Free

Wednesday 16 February, 2011:

Teleca Destination Innovation: Daily Cocktail Hour
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “We’ll be serving drinks and snacks every day during the show between 5 and 6. Visit us at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain between February 14-17 and see how our solutions give you an edge in the mobile world. We offer device manufacturers, consumer electronics and automotive companies ways to greater profit and shorter development times in Mobile Linux smartphones and tablets, In-Vehicle Infotainment and end-to-end applications. It’s your destination for real innovation.”
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 5-6pm
  
• Location: 8B79 in Hall 8
• RSVP: Not required
• Cost: Free

WIP Jam Party: Carnival of Nations

• About: “This is  “THE” Developer Party at MWC so make sure you come and connect with all the members of the mobile ecosystem.  This won’t be just any boring old party.  By popular demand, we are bringing back “Jameoke” for the third time – bigger and better than ever!  Best practice up for the fun!”
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 7:30-10:30pm
  
• Location: Marmalade: Riera Alta 4-6, 08001, Barcelona
• RSVP: Required. Register here.
• Cost: Free thanks to sponsorships!

Swedish Beers Mobile Networking

• About: a relaxed evening, no formalities, no presentations, no business cards thrust in your face as soon as you arrive. Just come with an open mind, be prepared to talk nonsense to strangers, enjoy a drink or five and have yourself a good time. Oh, and leave the ties at the door please.
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 7pm until late
  
• Location: Dostrece, Calle Carme 40, Barcelona
• RSVP: Stay posted by joining the Swedish Beers group on Facebook
• Cost: Free sponsored by Amobee, Adfonic, Mesaplexx, MX Data and AQL

MWC Beach Lounge with UK technology journalists and PRs
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “To end Mobile World Congress 2011 in style, UKTJPR (UK Tech Journalists & PRs) is having its biggest event to date. Thanks to Qualcomm and Huawei, we are hosting an Ibiza style party at the trendy Bestial Beach Lounge restaurant.  The party will kick off at 20:00 – beer, wine and buffet food being served between 20:30 to 22:30. At 22:30 the fully free open bar starts, and the party gets into full swing. We have a DJ to provide the tunes, a large outdoor heated and covered terrace and relaxing indoor chill-out areas.  Qualcomm will be providing shuttle buses to bring people to and from the venue. Numbers are limited so if you are able to attend, send us your hotel details and we will arrange for the buses to pick up from convenient locations.  There will be a special Huawei-sponsored giveaways at the party with details to be revealed soon… The doors will close at 02:00, but for those still standing the venue is next to club Opium with easy access to taxis.“
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 8pm-1:30am
  
• Location: Bestial Beach Lounge Villa Olympica C/ Ramon Trias Fargas
• RSVP: Required. More information here.
• Cost: Free sponsored by Qualcomm and Huawei

Android Party MWC 2011
(New! Added Jan 31)

• About: “Wind down from the hustle and bustle of the MWC 2011 and join us for an awesome night of music, drinks, food and lots of dancing! Offering a rare opportunity for senior execs and budding entrepreneurs and developers to mingle and also the perfect ambiance to Invite new customers to continue networking after the event.“
• Time: 16 February, 2011: 7pm – 2am
  
• Location: 5 minute walk from Placa Catalunya, 2 blocks from Passeig de Gracia, “Gran Foc”
• RSVP: RSVP here.
• Cost: 15 Euro + 1.65 processing fee

Tech Cocktails Barcelona
(New! Added Feb 1)

• About: A cocktail of tech enthusiasts
• Time: Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (live music entertainment starts around 9:30 p.m.)
• Location: Club 41N
• RSVP: RSVP here
• Cost: $15 earlybird / $20 standard / $20 door (Includes complementary drink tickets and you must be 18+ to attend)

Mobile Capital Duesseldorf Reception
(New! Added Feb 7)

• About: Mobile companies from Duesseldorf are part of a panel presenting and talking about Mobile Security (Secusmart), Future of Trading (METRO), Value added Services (net mobile).
• Time: Wednesday, February 16th, 2011 – 9-11 am
• Location: German Pavilion in hall 1 B13
• RSVP: RSVP to juergen.gerreser@duesseldorf.de
• Cost: Free

Thursday 17 February, 2011:

Teleca Destination Innovation: Daily Cocktail Hour
(New! Added Jan 24)

• About: “We’ll be serving drinks and snacks every day during the show between 5 and 6. Visit us at Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain between February 14-17 and see how our solutions give you an edge in the mobile world. We offer device manufacturers, consumer electronics and automotive companies ways to greater profit and shorter development times in Mobile Linux smartphones and tablets, In-Vehicle Infotainment and end-to-end applications. It’s your destination for real innovation.”
• Time: 17 February, 2011: 5-6pm
  
• Location: 8B79 in Hall 8
• RSVP: not required
• Cost: free

Alepo Daily Happy Hour
(New! Added Jan 30)

• About: “Alepo, maker of control plane & business management solutions across all next generation services and technologies, will host a daily happy hour, from 4 – 7pm at Booth 2H12. Alepo welcomes anyone interested in learning about innovative policy and charging control solutions for 3G and 4G networks, including PCRF, OCS, OMA DM and more.”
• Time: 17 February, 2011: 4-7pm
  
• Location: Booth 2H12
• RSVP: Not required, but for more information, contact: Danielle<dot>Russell<at>alepo.com
• Cost: Free

Barcelona MLOVE Party
(New! Added Jan 26)

• About: “In celebration of MWC, you are invited to take part in our first Barcelona MLOVE Party on the 17th of February – the final after work party!  To dance and talk the night away, please check-in to reserve your space in the prestigious and secret party location.
  With a focus on small format conferences, local meet-ups and “camps” – MLOVE brings together mobile passionistas in an atmosphere of inspiration, communication, learning and understanding. MLOVE participants debate about the future of mobile and how little things can make the world a better place. The second MLOVE ConFestival 2011, www.mlove.com will take place June 29th to July 1st in an ancient castle in Europe.”
• Time: 17 February, 2011: 7-10pm
• Location: During MWC, the location details will be announced
• RSVP: On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130601037001088#!/event.php?eid=177300312303628
• Cost: First drinks free. “Many thanks to friendticker and MxO for sponsoring the MLOVE party.”

The Points of Control map is a fun idea- particularly for arm-chair corporate development and business development types.  It’s the kind of thing that could suck hours of a social media and mobile geek’s free time.  The latest feature on the map is “acquisition mode,” which lets users suggest and rate the potential of web and mobile acquisitions.  So far the conversations are limited, but I can see it taking off as more companies are added to the map.

As I looked at the landscape, I noticed a few things that are missing… For starters, Photobucket (my current consulting client) should be on the map in:

• Plains of Content
• Land of Search
• Cliffs of Media Access
• Subcontinent of Advertising
• Location Basin
• Union of Social Networks

Here’s why:

Plains of Content and Land of Search

Photobucket is the largest independent photo sharing site on the web, with more than twice as many photos as Flickr and nearly 26,683,225 monthly unique visitors – that’s more than Flickr, Shutterfly, Kodak Gallery, and Snapfish (as seen in the chart from Compete.com, below).

As far as I’m aware, it is the largest repository of clean, findable images on the web (outside of search engines), and it is one of the most significant single sources of images for search engines like Google and Bing.  Photobucket Corp has:

• 100+ million total registered users
• 26.5 million total uniques/mo, US*
• 7.8 billion digital assets uploaded
• 4.3 million images and videos uploaded daily
• 3.2 billion images and videos served daily

Cliffs of Media Access and Union of Social Networks

Photobucket was once part of Fox Interactive Media (NewsCorp) (same company that owns MySpace, etc.), but it now an independent company (merging with Ontela in December 2009).  Photobucket Corp owns three media sites (as seen in the below Compete.com graph):

• Photobucket.com, which as seen in the chart above has the most monthly visitors
• TinyPic.com, which, though not plotted on the above chart, has X monthly unique visitors – more than Shutterfly, Snapfish and Kodakgallery.com
• Twitgoo, which, is a media sharing service for Twitter, not unlike TwitPic and YFrog.  It was recently incorporated into the “New Twitter” (i.e. the re-vamped Twitter.com site)

Photobucket.com is more than just a massive image repository for clean, findable images and video, it also hosts and serves billions of images to millions of websites all over the web it is at the intersection of the “Union of Social Media”.  Photobucket enables users to keep their photos and videos in one place and easily syndicate that media content to their favorite social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.  One of the most interesting piece of I.P. that Photobucket owns is a patented, zero-click uploader that allows users to automatically back up their photos from a mobile device to any site requiring authentication.  This brings me to mobile…

The Photobucket service is also available in the form of a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, and mobile internet. It is  pre-loaded and/or natively integrated with a variety of mobile phones including all phones with Motorola’s MOTOTBLUR service,  T-Mobile’s new G2 (2nd generation Android device), and many more devices.  Photobucket is integrated beyond just mobile phones and is include with many consumer electronics products including the Sony Dash, many of Sony’s TVs, Sony Cameras, many HP printers, and more.

Cliffs of Media Access and Subcontinent of Advertising

Photobucket generates revenue in two primary ways – advertising and subscriptions.  Users can sign up for a free Photobucket.com account in exchange for seeing advertisements (typically branded campaigns from big advertisers) and get 500MB of media storage a month, or they can pay $24.95 a year (or $39.90 for two years) for a Photobucket Pro Subscription, which offers unlimited storage and bandwidth to users.  Photobucket has its own, dedicated as sales team, and its advertisers include major brands doing homepage and other branded advertising campaigns.

Aside from Photobucket, I propose two additional areas and corresponding companies be added to the map including:

• Facial Detection and Recognition:  Apple (which recently acquired Polar Rose, Face.com (one of my former clients), Viewdle, etc.: Watch this space… It’s going to be huge.  For example… I think it’s really interesting that Facebook, for example doesn’t prohibit 3rd party developers like those above from identifying people and photos and storing maps of their faces so that those faces can be recognized on other sites/areas of the web.
• Interactive, Connected TV: From GoogleTV to Samsung Apps, major players in the world of consumer electronics are making a play for an internect connected living room.  As I’ve said in a previous post, I think TV apps could just be the next big thing in convergence.

What do you think of the Points of Control Map, and what would you like to see added?

• Finding outstanding carrier sales/ business developments people is difficult…Your best bet is to poach someone from another company.   The best BD people in the mobile space are usually employed and well compensated with cash, equity, and benefits. Getting them to leave their current job is difficult, but worth it for the right fit.  Also, there are a lot of great BD consultants out there, but great BD consultants don’t come cheap.
• Many of the candidates out there that claim to be mobile “experts” aren’t… When screening candidates for mobile BD positions, look for specific examples of sales/BD success and specific carrier names
• When someone says they “drove deals with operators,” it can mean a lot of different things… At the interview stage, it’s important to assess how good the candidates relationships are with key decision makers. Get references.  Talk to those decision-makers, and ask them how they enjoyed working with the candidate and validate that the deal described in the resume was real.
• Relationships are the key to business development success in mobile. Hire someone who has an engaging demeanor and strong relationships with operators, OEMs, or your key partners.  In ISV / Operator / OEM business development, things get done more quickly between friends and/or colleagues that enjoy working with each other and there is a feeling that you’re driving mutual benefit/value for each other.  Be wary of candidates that can’t describe who they know at your key target companies and/or candidates that come from a company that has a bad reputation among your target audience (i.e. a failed start-up that left an OEM or operator stranded).
• If you’re unable to find a great candidate within a week or two, be prepared to pay for a seasoned contract recruiter with strong mobile experience to help you.  Find out who they’ve worked with, who they’ve placed, and talk to a few of their clients before agreeing to work together.

Since I know a handful of companies that are looking for full-time carrier sales/ business development talent at the moment, I thought it would be useful to poll my readers… Who is the best carrier sales/ business development person you’ve worked with and what makes them successful?  Post your thoughts as a comment below.

I am thrilled to be one of the five judges of the 2010 MEX User Experience Awards, the winners of which will be announced at the MEX Conference in London on May 19th.  This is the third year of the MEX User Experience Awards which seeks to recognize companies with the best user-centered design in mobile.  42 companies, freelancers, and students entered the competition this year, and today, MEX announced the shortlist of nominees up for the following Awards:

• 2010 MEX User Experience Innovator of the Year
  • topsee london Designed by… lastminute.com labs
  • MX series Designed by… frog design
  • On – life is better on Designed by… Orange Vallee
• Professional category
  • Woobius eye – Real-time visual chat Designed by… Woobius
  • MX series Designed by… frog design
  • dxtr – 3 button mobile interface Designed by… Ribot
• Freelance category
  • BlazeBroker Designed by… Kai Brunner
  • Telepresent Robot Designed by… Vincent MK Lau
• Commercial category
  • On – life is better on Designed by… Orange Vallee
  • SPB Mobile Shell 3.5 Designed by… SPB Software
  • topsee london Designed by… lastminute.com labs
• Student category
  • ‘Freedom’ Interactive Map Designed by… Adrian Bliss
  • Pulse – Communication for Kids Designed by… Simon Smith
  • Viva: Stay connected Designed by… Heeral Roy Sharma

The announcement has received some great press so far.  If you’d like to read what the press thinks, check out these articles:

• Mashable: http://mashable.com/2010/05/03/facebook-photo-tagging/
• TechCrunch: http://techcrunch.com/2010/05/03/7-billion-scanned-photos-later-face-com-opens-up-to-developers/
• VentureBeat: http://social.venturebeat.com/2010/05/03/face-com-takes-its-face-recognition-technology-beyond-facebook/
• CNET: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20003936-248.htmlhttp://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20003936-248.html
• Techmeme:  http://www.techmeme.com/100503/p31#a100503p31
• Wireless Week: http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2010/05/Mobile-Content-Facial-Recognition-API-Face-Mobile-Applications/
• Inet Evolution: http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=466&doc_id=191302&
• Wireless Week: http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2010/05/Mobile-Content-Facial-Recognition-API-Face-Mobile-Applications/
• Peta Pixel:  http://www.petapixel.com/2010/05/03/face-com-launches-facial-recognition-api/
• WebProNews: http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2010/05/03/facebook-photo-tagging-goes-web-wide
• TheNextWeb: http://thenextweb.com/apps/2010/05/03/face-recognition-web-facecom-api/

There were several interesting predictions in the Morgan Stanley report:

• “Mobile Ramping Faster than Desktop Internet Did and Will Be Bigger Than Most Think.”
• “Mobile Will Be Bigger Than Desktop Internet in 5 Years.”
  
• “Rapid Ramp of Mobile Internet Usage Will be a Boon to Consumers and Some Companies Will Likely Win Big (Potentially Very Big) While Many Will Wonder What Just Happened.”

Meeker and her colleagues attribute the steep growth trajectory of the mobile Internet  to five converging trends: 3G, Social Networking, Video, VoIP, and so-called “Impressive Mobile Devices” (i.e. sophisticated smartphones like iPhone, etc.).  Another of  the reasons why Morgan Stanley believes mobile Internet is growing so quickly is because users are apparently more willing to pay for content on their mobile devices than on their desktop computers.  The Morgan Stanley report cites several reasons for this:

• “Easy-to-Use / Secure Payment Systems… (like carrier billing + iTunes)”
  
• “Small Price Tags – Most content / subscriptions carry sub-$5 price tags”
• “Walled Gardens Reduce Piracy – Content exists in proprietary environments, difficult to get pirated content onto mobile devices”
• “Established Store Fronts – Carrier decks / iTunes store allow easy discovery / purchase”
• “Personalization – More important on mobiles than desktops”

I agree that the mobile Internet is growing phenomenally quickly and that the convergence of all five of the trends that Morgan Stanley mentioned mentioned is critical.  I also believe that small price tags, established storefronts where it’s easy to pay, and users’ desire for personalization all play a role.  However, there are plenty of challenges.  As I discussed in an October 2009 post, creating virality and spreading content through mobile is more complex in mobile than web.  Likewise, so is the discovery of mobile apps and content.

I was surprised that the Morgan Stanley report didn’t site discoverability as a challenge to the growth of the mobile internet, much of which appears to be fueled by the growth of smartphone apps (both web and native).  As I pointed out in the aforementioned October 09 blog post on mobile virality, “the number of available apps for [Smartphones] is, in my opinion, outpacing demand, and app discoverability is a growing problem.”

In the same way that Yahoo listed web pages in a directory format in the early days of the web before they made things better with advanced search, mobile applications are currently being listed in app stores in a taxonomy-like format.  With the number of mobile apps – both native and web-based – skyrocketing, it is getting more and more difficult for app stores to index apps in a way that makes them easy for users to discover.  This is one of the reasons, why I’m really excited to be working with my latest client, mobile app discovery engine, Chomp.  Chomp is starting to solve the mobile app discoverability problem and fueling virality on iPhone by recommending apps to users based upon other apps they’ve reviewed and the people in their social network.

I predict social networking will play an enormous and continuously growing role in helping users discover and use content from the mobile Internet.  Social networking seems to play a large role in the escalating mobile Internet demand. Morgan Stanley says an increasing number of users expect to be able to access content from their social networks from their mobile devices.  The number of social networking users surpassed the number of email users in July 2009 (at the time, just over 800 Million users), and social networking usage surpassed email usage in November of 2007 (at just over 100 Billion minutes a month globally).  The report says that the following five countries make up 48% of social networking users including, in order of usage:

• China: 384MM users (up 29% year on year)
• USA: 238MM users (up 4% year on year)
• India: 130MM users (up 23% year on year)
• Brazil: 67MM users (up 14% year on year)
• Russia: 39MM users (up13% year on year)

As I read through this report from Morgan Stanley, I couldn’t help but be excited to hear that the opportunities between mobile and social web convergence that I’ve been exploring since my first post in November 2006 are alive and well.

Today, I started a new consulting project with a mobile app discovery start-up called, Chomp, Inc.  I’m excited to be working with a team of smart, motivated, and fun people.  I’ll be leading mobile business development for Chomp – evaluating opportunities for growth.  I’d love to tell you about but can’t.  Here’s what I can tell you…

If you’re not familiar with Chomp, it’s a recommendation engine for mobile apps, which makes it easy to discover new apps you’ll love. Chomp is currently available for free on iPhone here. Chomp uses a proprietary algorithm to recommend apps based on your sentiment about other apps you’ve reviewed.  The more you “chomp” on apps, the better Chomp gets at recommending new applications to you.  To date, Chomp has had more than 1 million iPhone app reviews.  You can follow me on Chomp and see my app recommendations here.  You can see screen shots of Chomp’s iPhone app here:

In March, Chomp launched a developer program called “Chomp Connect,” which lets mobile app developers prompt their users to review their app on Chomp—all within one click, without leaving their app.  In contrast, Apple only prompts users to review an app on iTunes when they delete that app from their iPhone, which often creates a negative review bias on the iTunes app store.  With Chomp Connect, developers are able to leverage Chomp’s engaged community of users, who are more likely to review apps regardless of whether they love or hate them.  This reduces negative bias, making app reviews on Chomp more balanced and realistic.  With Chomp Connect, Developers can:

• Automatically prompt users to review an app after it launches a specific number of times, OR let users choose when they’d like to review the app.
  
• Drive positive reviews of their app from Chomp’s engaged users, rather than risking that the only people to review their app are those that delete it.
  
• Boost downloads of their app… The more reviews an app gets on Chomp, the more exposure it gets in the activity feed, which improves app discoverability.
  

As an Apple Affiliate, Chomp helps users discover the long tail of apps that are not in the Top 25 slots on the App Store, which benefits users and boosts app downloads and sales for Apple.  Chomp makes money by taking a percentage of the sale of every app its users discover through Chomp and purchase on the iTunes App store.

I’ve tweeted about Chomp before, and their history to-date has been well chronicled by TechCrunch, which describes it as “sort of like a Yelp for iPhone apps:“

• Chomp Closes In On 300,000 Users, Launches App Review Site And Chomp Connect (March 9, 2010)
• Chomp Now Live And Ready To Bite Into iPhone App Recommendations (January 11, 2010)
• Chomp Reveals Itself To Be A Yelp For iPhone Apps (January 6, 2010)
• Chomp Eats Up Some Seed Funding. Next, Will Bite Into The Mobile Space. (Nov 6, 2009)
• Chomp’s profile on CrunchBase
  

Since its public launch in January, 11 2010, Chomp has accumulated more than 300,000 users.  You can keep up-to-date with the latest information about Chomp:

• Follow Chomp on Twitter.
• Fan Chomp on Facebook.
• Read the Chomp Technology Blog.

I just downloaded Sandvine’s 2010 Mobile Internet Phenomena(1) study, a whopping 35-page report that details data trends from more than 40 of the world’s leading mobile operators, who serve more than 200 million subscribers worldwide.  Sandvine is a bit of a ‘traffic cop’ on the figurative ‘mobile highway.’  It provides network policy control solutions to mobile operators around the globe.  Sandvine’s Mobile Internet Phenomena study is jam packed with good information about what consumers are doing online from their mobile devices around the world and plenty of reasons why mobile operators need help managing mobile traffic.  Intrigued by the findings in Sandvine’s report, I couldn’t help but think about what traffic on the mobile highway looks like today and wonder what the future holds for the mobile ecosystem amidst growing  congestion…

What is driving mobile traffic?!

Among the most interesting findings in Sandvine’s report is that mobile “social networking applications represent between 4 percent and 9 percent of the network’s peak bandwidth.“   For the purposes of the study, social networking is defined as “Websites and services focused on enabling interaction (chat, communication) and information sharing (photos, status, etc) between users.”  According to Sandvine’s research:

• Facebook accounts for 3 to 6 percent of peak period traffic, and nearly one out of every five mobile data subscribers accesses Facebook regularly.  (I suspect this number will grow further in 2010 as mobile data usage increases, since in 2009, Facebook’s site traffic equated to 1.5% of total Internet traffic on cable and DSL networks.)
• MySpace accounts for between 1.5 and 2.5 percent of peak period traffic on mobile networks.

In this report, Sandvine tracks social networking activity across networks including but not limited to sites like: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Habbo, and Bebo.  In the charts below, you’ll notice that social networking is among the top categories of mobile traffic among the normalized user profile in North America, Europe and the Caribbean and Latin America.  These figures validate my long-held perception that mobile social networking is important to mobile data consumers.  Surprisingly however, among all three regions covered in this study, the Caribbean and Latin America see the highest normalized level of Facebook and MySpace traffic.

Among “Top Subcribers” (most of whom are laptop users connecting via wireless aircards) in the three regions covered in Sandvine’s report, social networking is only a top mobile traffic driver in Europe.  Universally, across all three profiled regions, browsing and Peer to Peer (P2P) filesharing are the top wireless traffic categories for Top Subscribers, and these categories comprise nearly 2/3rds of all traffic among these users.  According to the report:

The Top Subscriber’s profile differs from the normalized average in one significant way – the high levels of P2P filesharing traffic.  Service providers who assume that subscribers will not use P2P applications on wireless networks will be dismayed to see that subscriber behavior is fairly consistent regardless of the network technology being used.

Further,

The devices that subscribers use to connect to the network exert a huge influence on the levels and make-up of traffic.  A single laptop can easily account for 100 times the byte usage of an average smartphone, and this reality has major implications for service providers.

What could all of this mean for the future of mobile?

Talk is cheap, but delivering heavy mobile data isn’t, and operator revenues are projected to decline…

According to Sandvine’s report:

It’s generally accepted that in 2009 there were between 300 million11 and 600 million(2) people experiencing the Internet on a mobile device, accounting for roughly $60 billion(3) in data revenues.  While significant, these numbers are dwarfed by projections suggesting between 1 billion(4) and 2 billion(5) users by 2014, and revenues well in excess of $100 billion(6).  And therein is one of the points of concern for wireless providers – while the number of users is expected to triple or even quadruple in the next five years, revenue is predicted to only double.

Check out declining the ARPU rates on voice vs. data in the US:

As a growing number of converged devices pull down more and more data over mobile networks, plenty of operators are concerned about the impact that increasing bandwidth demands has on both the reliability of their networks and their bottom line.

Last week, at CTIA, I had several conversations about the the future of mobile data – specifically – how mobile operators might combat the expense and network constraints of “bandwidth suck.”  Most of the people I talked to felt that the cost to access mobile data will rise for users as mobile data usage increases.  Others, surmised that operators will eventually phase out “all you can eat” mobile data plans.

If either scenario plays out, “Top Subscribers” will likely be the first to feel the pain – presumably around the launch of 4G devices and corresponding data plans. Why?  One of the biggest consumer benefits of 4G is the increased speed of downloads, and this speed will most likely appeal to heavy data users and come at increased cost.  It’s also conceivable that mobile operators could cap data usage and/or download speeds for 2G and 3G consumers in order to entice more subscribers to convert to 4G.

Opportunity knocks…

If consumer data costs rise, mobile developers may feel increased pressure from consumers to reduce “bandwidth suck” without hurting user experience.  If so, there will be an opportunity for developers to create tools to help app owners better understand user behavior and optimize a for better performance… Mobile analytics companies like Flurry, Motally, Medialets, Mobclix and others could evolve to service this need, or we may see new start-ups in this space.  Additionally, there may be an increased need for mobile apps and/or utilities that help mobile users manage their traffic usage (similar to those that existed in the early days of WAP).

There may also be increased opportunities for developers of “bandwidth sucking apps” to partner with operators on Software As A Service (SAAS) rev-share deals (i.e. $X a month for unlimited data usage of a specific app, etc.).  We’ve seen plenty of deals like this in the past – especially for services like mobile TV, but the appeal of this model may grow with both consumers and app developers if mobile data plans get more expensive and/or “all you can eat” data plans dissolve.

Regardless of what happens to the price of mobile data, the cost of increasing mobile data usage presents a growing opportunity for companies to help operators control data costs.  In particular, based on what I’m seeing, the market for customer insights, mobile traffic management/ policy control, mobile analytics, and mobile optimization products, etc. is heating up…

Early last week I talked a bit about how Openwave and Nielsen are working together to help mobile operators better segment and target their mobile data users.  Later last week, at CTIA Wireless 2010, I stopped by the Sandvine booth, and one of their employees told me that within the next couple of months, they’ll be launching a tool that helps mobile operators better determine the cost of supporting specific types of users.  These two companies aren’t alone. There are plenty of other companies trying to tackle mobile data/traffic issues for operators including:

• 724/ Mobixell
• Arantech
• Amdocs
• Ascision
• Bytemobile
• Camiant
• Cisco (who acquired Starent)
• Convergys
• Comverse
• Ericsson
• Flash Networks
• IBM
• Nokia Siemens Networks
• Openwave
• Openet
• Redknee
• Sandvine
• and others.

Opportunities to help mobile operators and developers manage data usage and better monetize users will likely grow as the mobile highway grows increasingly busy.  I’m looking forward to see what sort of new products, services, and companies emerge as operators and app developers look for more efficient ways to manage traffic and monetize users.

Sources:

1. All charts and stats come from Sandvine’s 2010 Mobile Internet Phenomena study and the following sources quoted within it:

2. Ross, Jamie. The Mobile Internet Is 10 Year Old: It’s Time for a Reality Check. Informa Telecoms & Media.

3. Ross, Jamie. The Mobile Internet Is 10 Year Old: It’s Time for a Reality Check. Informa Telecoms & Media.

4. Strategy Analytics. Connected Devices Fuel 1 Billion New Mobile Broadband Subs by 2014.

5. Ross, Jamie. The Mobile Internet Is 10 Year Old: It’s Time for a Reality Check. Informa Telecoms & Media.

6. Ross, Jamie. The Mobile Internet Is 10 Year Old: It’s Time for a Reality Check.

They’re rolling out what they’re calling an “insight engine”, that combines Openwave Analytics, a solution that helps mobile operators monitor data network traffic and trends in user behavior to diagnose and address bandwidth constraints with Nielsen PRIZM, a user segmentation solution that creates a common language to segment various types of users and helps marketers address different segments of users based on demographics, behavior, and geography. 

The combined product will allow mobile operators and other drivers of the mobile ecosystem to better understand, target and monetize their customers and the mobile internet more effectively.  It should also help advertisers better understand mobile user behavior and target that behavior more meaningfully with advertising.  And, lastly, for consumers it should ultimately mean that the marketing they see should be more relevant over time.

In order for mobile to become a long-term viable and profitable medium for marketing and advertising, the various players in the mobile ecosystem need to better understand mobile customer behavior.  Mark Nelson, senior vice president of the Nielsen Claritas Corporate Partner Program, described the benefits of the Openwave collaboration by saying:

By combining carrier-related mobile analytics with Nielsen’s PRIZM and ConneXions segmentation, carriers can analyze and measure mobile behaviors in terms that advertisers understand.  We believe this integrated approach will help drive adoption of mobile as a viable advertising platform.

The collaboration is certainly a good first step towards ensuring that there is a better common understanding of mobile consumers between various stakeholders in the mobile ecosystem.  By better recognizing consumer preferences and where they impact the network, mobile operators can begin to price services more effectively.  John Giere, senior vice president, products and marketing, Openwave pointed out:

The long standing belief within the advertising industry is that one half of the budget is generating results, but nobody knows which half.  We hope to arm the industry with actionable solutions which provide better response rates and more measurable mobile campaigns…We believe our collaboration with Nielsen will help improve the mobile operator’s understanding of their network usage and facilitate new revenue opportunities for ecosystem players.

I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of this collaboration and which operators engage with it longer term.