Mobile printing , scanning and fax

Mobile office application is imerging concept.
It not only means MicrosoftOffice like application. But also access to printing, scanning and faxing via mobile.

ScanR is filling into this overlooked area. It converts the camera phone images of Documents/Whiteboards etc. to pdf format.
"scanR will save your scans online or optionally will send them as PDF files to your email address. To send a copy to someone else, just add their email address in the subject of the message you send to scanR."

Advertising inside mobile content

Many Mobile Startups are geared towards the problem  "How to insert Advertisement inside mobile content"

Adinfuse Inserts ads dynamically when the content is actually delivered to the end user.
Interestingly, Ad Infuse has a podcast advertising product, Pod Infuse. There are early signs that Podcasting may be a big thing through mobile. Adinfuse is positioning itself as a early mover in this space.

Google recently they bought Adscape Media, a company located in San Francisco which has developed ways for advertisers to show fresh and changeable (dynamic) advertisements within video games which can be shown without interrupting gameplay.

The company holds number of patents in this area (pertaining) to gaming. But google with leverage these for video content on mobile platform..

One of particular interest to google would be,
Method and system for providing location specific advertising content within mobile platforms
 

mBlox, The SMS Messaging Firm Grows Big

The messaging interconnection firm, mBlox had the fifth consecutive year of high growth with business up 40% over 2005.


"At the heart of mBlox’s global mobile transaction network is the trusted mobile transaction platform (MTP). The MTP has been designed exclusively to manage and bill for application-to-person (A2P) mobile transactions around the world at the fastest speeds whilst remaining completely stable and reliable."

Last year, mBlox Processed about 1.4 Billion SMSs Worldwide

Uta-ken , mobile search engine that uses lyrics to find artists, songs

Uta-ken is a mobile search engine capable of searching for artists and songs titles by using fragments of song lyrics. The search engine is free service. At present, Uta-ken contains around 3,000 searchable titles and Axel Mark plans to expand its song database gradually.

Soon this service will provide download of songs/ringtones/videos which can bring in revenue. I see, Apple-iPhone to dominate in this category of search services.

PS: Google will try to enter this arena via YouTube to cause much disruption . Watch out !!!

Mobile Industry Statistics. ( Mind Blowing !!! )

Some stats from the  Tomi Ahonen's post putting 2.7 Billion in context ,

• Worldwide there are about 800 million registered automobiles
• Today there are 1.3 billion fixed landline phones in the world
• Today there are about 1.5 billion TV sets in use in the world . (TV is often shared, especially in Asia where families are also large. So you might easily have 6 or even 10 watching the same TV show. The reach of TV is much beyond the 1.5 billion sets in use.)
• Today 1.4 Billion people carry at least one credit card.
• In most countries it is illegal for under 18 year olds to have credit cards
• There are about 850 million PCs
• In total over 750 million people access internet content via a mobile phone today
• About the total PC population or about 850 million people, access the web via a computer.
• During 2007 the first cross-over from PC to Mobile phones will happen, with more users accessing via phone than PC.
• The total shipped PDA population is about 85 million, most which are replacements.
• Thre are 85 Million iPod in use
  
• DVD recorders/ PVR shipments are under 100 million.
• Camcorders, are under 100 million total shipped (many as replacements).
• Gaming consoles have shipped near 200 million units, out of which 150 million are second generation (PS2/Xbox) or newer.
• The (stand-alone) digital camera has achieved shipments of near 300 million.
• There are  2.7 billion Mobile phones shipped (technically 2.7 billion in January, not December). They sold 950 million phones last year and the total worldwide mobile subscriber base grew from 2.1 billion to 2.7 billion.
• Phones are replaced every 18 months (and this is still shrinking)
• USA has reached 75% penetration for mobile phones
  
• The Western European average per capita penetration for mobile phones is already 110%
• Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Israel have penetration rates at about 140%
• China adds 6 million phones every month, India adds 7 million phones every month.
• Finland, Norway, Denmark and Portugal - each countries with 120% or more penetration rates - Mobilephones are less than 6 million units total.
• SMS Messaging Is Biggest Data App On Planet
• On the internet there are about 1.5 billion e-mail boxes, maintained by about 800 million people.
• 1.8 billion people are doing SMS texting.
• Last year over 42% of Americans were active in SMS already
• E-mail is opened in 24 hours and replied to in 48 hours.
• SMS is read within 15 minutes on average and responded within 60 minutes.
• 65% of e-mail is spam, less than 10% of SMS is spam.
• In South Korea five separate credit card services are available on the three mobile networks
• In South Korea almost 100% of credit card based point-of-purchase sites accept payment via mobile phone credit (and charge) cards
• Two years from launch almost 10% of South Korean phone users watch digital broadcast TV on their phones
• The Pop Idol formats have earned a windfall of over 700 million dollars out of text messaging votes
• In 2005 already half of all phones sold were cameraphones so cameraphones outsell digital cameras by more than 4 to 1 .
• There are 3.2 Billion to 3.8 Billion radio users.
• 73% of the population now uses the mobile phone as their portable clock. 
• 2.7 Billion phones in active use. There is a subscription for 40% of the planet's population.
• The mobile telecoms industry earned 725 Billion dollars last year.
• Global music industry earns 16% of its revenues from mobile phones (mostly ringing tones);
• Videogaming earns 14% of its global revenues from mobile.
• Mobile telecom  growth in dollar terms, from 2005 to 2006, was 105 billion dollars.

He adds,
Data Service Revenues in mobile =
 ( Total internet content industry + Internet Advertising revenues + Global videogaming revenues + plus hollywood box office revenues worldwide + the global music industry ( combined.)

Mind blowing !!!

Schmap, Local Search Released

Schmap announced the release of Schmap Local, an innovative local search tool that recognizes and saves addresses and phone numbers on popular local search websites, including Google Maps, Yahoo! Local, MapQuest and Citysearch.

Schmap Local works by placing small icons next to local business listings on the user's favorite local search websites. When the user finds a local listing of interest -- say a restaurant, shop or movie theater -- clicking the Schmap Local icon next to that listing gives access to a host of useful options.

With Schmap Local, users can:

-- Save addresses and phone numbers as they browse the web.

-- Call phone numbers via Skype with a single click.

-- Link automatically to a map and driving directions for any chosen address.

-- Send addresses via SMS text message to a mobile phone.

-- Sync addresses via Outlook with a PDA, BlackBerry or iPod.

Schmap Local is free of charge to users, available as a browser plug-in for Internet Explorer, or as a Firefox extension. To try out Schmap Local, or to see a brief video of its use, please visit www.schmaplocal.com

Wayfinder, To provide Localised Maps for Mobile users

Wayfinder, the leading on-line mobile map and GPS-based application provider is to extend its current search information to location aware search later this year. The services will offer mobile users extensive search facilities and platforms for local information so they can choose from a database of their choice which will be offered through local providers in the country they are in.

Wayfinder offers map, direction and GPS navigation services accessible by mobile phone. From these basic navigation services, we provide mobile phone users with content services, including digital city guide books, traffic information, currency conversion and weather reports. Wayfinder's client include phone manufacturers, Sony Ericsson and Nokia, and operators such as Telenor, Telefonica and A1. The products are sold to end users throughout Europe and the USA.