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Thursday Nov 16, 2006
TheSite.org goes mobile
We've got some big news: mobile users can now access one of the key services from TheSite.org on their phones. We've made our Local Advice Finder database of over 13000 organisations available on mobiles so young people can find help wherever they are.
This is the first phase of our mobile development plans. As Tom pointed out on this blog some months ago, the mobile platform is an exciting distribution channel for publishers (including charities) and one that we think is going to be key in the years to come.
But why mobile?
1. There are lots of them.
There are three times as many mobile phones as PCs worldwide and virtually all phones on the market today are web-enabled. As devices, mobiles are going to become increasing rich with features and offer the same download speeds we expect with broadband.
2. Young people use them. Loads.
In the UK, 96% of 16-24 year olds have mobiles. Young people rely heavily on mobile devices (generally phones but increasingly hand-held video gaming devices too) to retrieve and share information. This generation has grown up with mobiles and don't have the same voice-only associations that older people have with phones.
3. It's a good route to the hard-to-reach.
Only 34% of people over 15 in DE groups use the internet, while 76% use a mobile phone. It's clear that organisations like YouthNet have a much higher chance of reaching the hard to reach, i.e. those who are considered to be socially excluded or disadvantaged, if we use mobile technology to reach them.
4. Mobile devices offer something that other access points don't.
Mobiles are popular because they are personal, personalised and portable.
- Personal: Very few people share mobiles (unlike PCs) and often store data on them that they wouldn't want others to see.
- Personalised: Ringtones, screensavers and other personal settings help mobile users create individualised devices that say lots about their personalities.
- Portable: No one leaves home without making sure their mobile is in their pocket or bag. People use their mobile while on the move and they are increasingly used for functions beyond their original purpose.
And why not mobile?
It's hard. Mobile publishing isn't like normal web publishing - as well as the opportunities listed above, there are major limitations in terms of screen size, (current) data download speeds and navigation options. But this doesn't mean it's not worth doing. Quite the opposite. For organisations that can crack this, there is amazing opportunity available.We are committed to delivering many new features and lots of content both for TheSite.org and do-it.org.uk over mobile platforms. We'll keep you informed here, but in the meantime, try out our first service and let us know what you think.
To view Local Advice Finder on your web-enabled mobile, visit www.thesite.org on your phone web browser.Thanks to Claire Easterman, our mobile project manager for the info for this post. Posted by Dom Waghorn ( 1:18 PM ) Link to this post Comments[4]
Drop us a line and we'll doa feature on it (maybe even a podcast interview) on MediaSnackers ;-)
DK
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