For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

The Next-Gen Product Convenience Challenge

Apply Convenience Kaizen Across Entire Product Portfolios

by Ian Fogg, October 6, 2009

Due to the speed of product launches and updates in the Internet era, companies no longer have the luxury of reflecting on product and service convenience at a time of their choosing. They must think continually about what benefits every product in their . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

To Deliver The Vodafone 360 Strategy, Vodafone Becomes A Social Network And A Handset Maker

by Ian Fogg, September 28, 2009

Vodafone 360 is a bold initiative that will affect every firm's Social Computing strategy. Vodafone aims to drive mobile Internet adoption, acquire new customers, and increase long-term customer retention. Vodafone 360 both aggregates leading social networks . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Nokia Begins The Fight Back With The N900

PC-Inspired Consumer Software Arrives On The First Maemo-Powered Internet Mobile Phone

by Ian Fogg, August 28, 2009

The N900 is a critical product for helping Nokia regain mobile mindshare. For the first time, Nokia pairs desktop-PC-quality Internet software, based on Maemo Linux, with 24x7 mobile phone connectivity. While the N900's importance for Nokia is tremendous, . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

How Mobile Handsets Will Deliver 24x7 Social Computing

Building The Dominant Device For Media Creation

by Ian Fogg, August 6, 2009

On mobile phones, people's work and personal lives collide 24x7. Mobile phones are ever-present, 24x7, whatever the situation. Therefore, they're the ideal devices to share social content or catch up with friends at any time. Social Computing is a natural . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Why Mobile's Time Has Come

Consumer-Facing Firms Must Develop, Or Revive, Their Mobile Strategies

by Ian Fogg, July 21, 2009

Most strategists realize that mobile is hot, but they're perhaps less sure whether this is hot air or the white heat of progress. The high-profile arrival of Apple and Google in the mobile market has focused both consumer and corporate attention on mobile. . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

What Will Make Consumers Switch To Fiber Broadband

by Ian Fogg, June 24, 2009

Internet providers are investing billions in next-generation broadband. While speeds will increase dramatically to 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, or even 1,000 Mbps, just 7% of European online households will pay more for higher speed. Providers enjoyed easy customer . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Samsung Jet And Pixon12 "Featurephones" Aim To Be Smarter Than A Smartphone

by Ian Fogg, June 15, 2009

Samsung's new midrange Jet and Pixon12 mobile handsets deliver features that outgun many more expensive so-called "smartphones." They are confirmation that a separate "smartphone" category is no longer useful for understanding the mobile market. The Jet . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

The "Smartphone" Is Dead: Long Live Smart Phones And Smart Gadgets

by Ian Fogg, May 15, 2009

Apple's and Google's arrival in the mobile market is causing knock-on effects throughout the market and is opening up opportunities. All mobile handsets are becoming smarter and Internet-capable. Yesterday's smart high-end phone is today's midrange phone . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

App Stores Plug A Critical Gap In Existing Mobile Internet Strategies

by Ian Fogg, April 3, 2009

Mobile application stores are the missing link in the emerging mobile Internet ecosystem. Without stores, few consumers will discover, download, or buy mobile applications or widgets. This is ironic: Mobile applications aspire to improve the mobile Internet . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Widgets Complement Mobile Operators' Consumer Mobile Internet Services

But They Accelerate Operator "Deportalization"

by Ian Fogg, March 19, 2009

Only 5% of European mobile phone owners access the Internet on their mobile phones weekly. Widgets — mini, single-purpose applications — improve the convenience and accessibility of the mobile Internet. Alongside flat-rate mobile Internet plans, they . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Why Operators Should Offer PC-Phone Mobile Broadband Tethering Now

Consumer Broadband Portfolio Strategies Must Adapt To The Downturn

by Ian Fogg, March 6, 2009

The recession is causing consumer product strategy professionals responsible for mobile broadband to re-evaluate their mobile broadband portfolio strategy. Due to its immaturity, the mobile broadband market is at greater risk from the downturn than is . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Broadband Acquisition Hits Crunch Time In Europe

Develop Poacher Tactics Using Word Of Mouth

by Ian Fogg, March 2, 2009

The broadband market is maturing quickly. Even if the economy recovers, Internet service providers (ISPs) will find it increasingly hard to acquire broadband customers. Price alone won't be sufficient to drive uptake. Consumers cite friends' recommendations . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Mobile Travel In Europe: Focus On Services, Not Transactions

by Ian Fogg, February 18, 2009

According to a September 2008 JupiterResearch survey, 17% of frequent online travel buyers would be interested in receiving SMS alerts and travel information while traveling, and 12% would be interested in using the mobile Internet to book travel or manage . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

The Downturn Delivers Upsides For TV Placeshifting

by Ian Fogg, February 6, 2009

Placeshifting enables consumers to watch their home TV anywhere, inside or outside the home. It offers TV providers and wireless carriers an inexpensive way to extend their product portfolios, which will prove an attractive addition to their strategies . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Social Location On Mobile Phones: A Niche But Promising Trend

by Ian Fogg, February 5, 2009

Social location is an emerging concept built on principles that are at the heart of mobile's DNA. It results from the combination of two key trends: the growing interest in geo-localized offerings, and the expansion of social networking in the mobile . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

European Home Broadband Forecast, 2008 to 2013

Create New Strategies for Prospering in the Economic Downturn

by Ian Fogg, December 19, 2008

The economic downturn, mobile broadband, and next-generation broadband business models all threaten to upset ISPs' market assumptions. ISPs must re-evaluate existing strategy now.

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

The Mobile Broadband Future

Tactics to Position On-the-Go Mobile Broadband for PCs

by Ian Fogg, December 16, 2008

Mobile operators have enjoyed extensive initial success with mobile broadband services. They are now assessing how best to position packages against home broadband given increasing concern over mobile network capacity.

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Nokia to Evolve the Internet Tablet Range to Include Mobile Telephony

by Ian Fogg, December 14, 2008

The Nokia Internet tablet range runs the Linux-based Maemo operating system. The device ships with Nokia Maps, leveraging Nokia's acquisition of Navteq, a Mozilla-based browser that runs Adobe Flash and a full suite of Internet applications. Other proprietary . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Apple's iPod Touch Is an MID in All but Name

by Ian Fogg, December 14, 2008

The iPod Touch's software and hardware were developed in-house by Apple. However, as shipped, the iPod Touch includes software provided by leading Internet brands such as Google Maps and Yahoo! Weather, as well as a YouTube application. Additional leading . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Mobile Internet Devices

Identifying Prospective Consumer Buyers

by Ian Fogg, December 14, 2008

Device makers from the PC, consumer electronics, and mobile phone industries have begun to develop products in the new category of mobile Internet devices (MIDs)—devices that deliver an optimal Internet experience on the go in a highly pocketable device. . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Broadband Quality

Identify Speed Sensitives to Inform Package Tier Design

by Ian Fogg, October 29, 2008

Fierce ISP competition and tight cost control are leading to an increasing divergence between the speeds marketed by Internet service providers (ISPs) and the actual speeds consumers experience. Additionally, bundled services increase product complexity.

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Tween Form Factors

Middle-of-the-Road Approach Will Not Drive Consumer Growth

by Ian Fogg, October 17, 2008

New devices are arriving that attempt to offer productivity, phone, and laptop-like functions. Such combination devices have not succeeded in the past.

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Smart Pipe Business Model

Developing Net Neutrality-Aware Strategies for Home and Mobile Internet

by Ian Fogg, September 17, 2008

Mobile operators are offering more flat rate Internet access tariffs to grow data revenues. They are attempting to retain their value chain position using smart pipe business models that are similar to those that home ISPs are deploying to generate new . . .

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Home Broadband Bandwidth Requirements

Assessing Scenarios for Fiber Business Cases

by Ian Fogg, September 9, 2008

Operators are assessing the relative merits of business cases for fiber to the curb (FTTC) versus fiber to the home (FTTH) deployments, based in part on expected levels of consumer activity and uptake of broadband-related services including IPTV.

For Consumer Product Strategy Professionals

Demand for Fiber Speeds

Segmenting Targets for Next-Gen Internet

by Ian Fogg, July 15, 2008

Operators across Europe are developing business cases for fiber (FTTx) broadband Internet, which delivers very high speeds. Other ISPs are assessing how to counter such services.