Think About It

If any doubts remained about the mass adoption of mobile technology, they were dispelled when Apple sold one million of its 3G iPhones in the weekend of their U.S. debut.

The popularity of the iPhone and other web-enabled devices isn’t unexpected. What is shocking, however, is how the vast majority of businesses are ignoring this growth area in their communications.

Already, 40 million Americans actively use the mobile Internet, according to data published by Nielsen Mobile in May 2008. About 36 million people use portals like Google and Yahoo! from their phones. Industry leaders like Vic Gundotra of Google believe that within a few years, more Web searches will originate from mobile devices than from fixed computers.

Yet reports say that a mere 5 percent of the results from a typical Google search are viewable on mobile devices. Clearly, there is a disconnect between what consumers want and what businesses are providing.

At Point of Vision, we’re extending our development skills so we can help our clients succeed in the mobile arena. Not only will we be able to recommend mobile strategy. We’ll be able to create and implement new mobile tools.

Learning new skills, especially when it comes to unlocking the potential of new technology, is what we do here. It’s why we developed in-house Web expertise 15 years ago. We understood that brands could be strengthened – or weakened – not just by their Web presence but by their Web experience, which required good visual design as well as well-orchestrated navigation. We were one of very few design shops that also provided Web design. This gave our clients an advantage because we were able to develop a consistent brand experience across traditional and new media.

This summer, we sent our technology specialist, Ben Ku, to San Francisco for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. There, Ben learned more about the capabilities of the new iPhone. From the insight he’s shared, and from our continuous reading about mobile technology, our team is working on ways that our clients can use mobile capabilities to advance their brands.

We imagine using mobile devices to send timely information right to the hands of customers and other audiences. We’re especially interested in how communication can be targeted and customized based on the geographic location of the person on the receiving end.

We’re cooking up something now that shows how mobile technology can be a natural, powerful part of an overall communication strategy. Stay tuned!