Los últimos panel y mesa redonda de la cumbre de México y Centro América Móvil en la Ciudad de México, organizada por ITP Editorial, tuvo un tema en común: la experiencia del usuario de teléfono móvil al obtener contenido móvil es tan importante como el contenido en sí mismo.
James Pearce and Sara Nuñez
The last panel and roundtable at the Mobile Mexico and Central America Summit in Mexico City, run by ITP Editorial, had one running theme – the experience of a mobile user trying to get mobile content is as important as the content itself.
Yuval Lanir, from Israeli company Bamboo Mediacasting, said that “while everyone was predicting that content is king the industry failed to notice that user experience is queen, and you need both king and queen to rule a country”. Bamboo touts a solution that downloads mobile video in a channel of the consumers choice in the background, so the user finds it on their handset ready to play.
Ing. Tonatiu G. Hurtado Pasos, Manager of Communications & Information Technology, UNEFON, spoke from the operators point of view, claiming that the user is the center of the new mobile TV services. The most difficult challenges faced by companies wishing to offer new services are the high velocity of technological innovation and market growth, coupled with the difficulties of selling an entirely new product, giving as an example the MobiTV experience during the World Cup. He claimed the industry needed a clear definition of both the user and the product.
One solution to the issue of selling new content was provided by Diego Ibáñez Belaustegui, New Media Sales Manager, Real Madrid Club de Futbol, Spain. Real Madrid is attempting to create a virtual community with a TV channel, movies, videogames and mobile content with the intent to connect the fans to the club, each other and sponsors. Fernando Piquer from Spanish company Zinkia, which is creating some of the games for the service, said the main idea is to make the user feel like part of the team by offering entertainment for the fans, and hopefully attracting new players and therefore new fans for the club.
Another benefit of Real Madrid’s approach was pointed out. One of the main things Real Madrid offers to mobile companies is the trust its fans have in the club, illustrated by their willingness to give information for the club’s database.
Carlos Lang, from security company Damage Control and a representative from the Mexican Internet Association, said normal navigation on mobile phones is still too uncomfortable for the users, and banking applications such as those offered by Banco Azteca seem to be the most plausible use for internet services on mobile phones. However, there is a big obstacle in the lack of trust users have when asked to give their personal information.
Most of the panelists agreed that one of the biggest problems for offering mobile content was billing. "The hard part is not getting the video into the handsets,” said Hurtado. “The hard part's charging for it."
