Making the Most of B2C Wireless

Companies in Europe and the US have made little effort to explore the potential of wireless devices (mobile phones and personal digital assistants) as a communication channel with consumers. This is mainly because of their uncertainty about the wireless "killer applications" and the timing and capability of next-generation wireless technologies. This article argues that they are being too cautious and that the best way to approach the opportunities is not to find a single "killer application". Rather, companies need to identify what the authors call a "killer experience". This should be designed around customer needs (rather than an existing industry value chain), supported by a multichannel platform. It should make the most of wireless's unique time and location advantages and involve wireless-specific features. Existing technologies are already sufficiently advanced to make this possible. The article is based on research earlier this year.