Reality Check: Navigating the mobile ecosystem to leverage the ‘iPad effect'

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace.
Consumers are hooked on sharing data, whether they’re streaming video, sending presentations or swapping photos.The mobile culture teems with data-guzzling gadgets that are the mobile broadband equivalent of oversized semis taking up space on a crowded highway.
Tablets are the hungriest of the new data bingers, led by Apple Inc.’s iPad, which serves as, among other things, an e-reader, mobile TV, on-the-go movie screen and digital photo album.
As developers create more ways for new connected devices and their users to push and pull data over the current 3G infrastructure, it’s inevitable there will be traffic jams, snags and pile-ups on mobile’s version of the information superhighway. And although there have been reports that owners of Apple’s iPhone and devices powered by Google Inc.’s Android device operating system consume one-third more data on average than the typical smart phone owner, the fact of the matter is that every mobile user in his or her own way is adding to the unprecedented growth trend – just like every driver contributes to a traffic jam, no matter the size of his or her vehicle.
The evidence of this unprecedented explosion in mobile data growth – often called “the iPad effect” – is undeniable, and the momentum is certain to continue. According to industry analyst Chetan Sharma, global mobile data traffic reached a new milestone of 1 exabyte – or 1 million terabytes – in 2009. Sometime during 2016 or 2017, this traffic will likely exceed 1 zettabyte, which is 1,000 exabytes.
In the face of this nearly unfathomable growth, the question at hand is how to open the road as wide as possible for users to access the services they demand, so operators and other new players in mobile can fully leverage its business potential.
Build bridges between today’s mobile islands
Today’s consumer expects seamless connectivity at all times, regardless of behind-the-scenes or behind-the-screens complexities. They want all their mobile technologies to connect to any network and work when and where they want.
With so many different mobile devices active today – including tablets, smartphones, e-readers and traditional feature phones – that operate on different platforms, connect to different global networks and serve different purposes, common connectivity is a must.
Fortunately, this end-user demand presents an opportunity for those operators and other new mobile entrants that are able to achieve interoperability and allow apps, media, messaging and more to function on, and reach across, any device or platform. Increased usage and long-term business success can be further assured by those players that find ways to enable legacy interoperability, allowing these new technologies and platforms to connect with existing standards.
Keeping pace with traffic
Before bridging any islands though, the industry needs a solid foundation capable of handling added pressures that may arise during continued evolution of the mobile landscape. With today’s connected devices providing easier on-ramps to bandwidth-intensive video and data services, the design and management of networks must be adjusted to ensure a smooth and satisfying subscriber experience – regardless of how frequently or aggressively they use the mobile highways.
The reason the mobile industry is already facing the need to move beyond today’s 3G networks – which were built to “future proof” operators from the onslaught of voice or even enterprise data traffic – is because it was impossible to have anticipated the technologies and services that have emerged in two short years, including the shipment of smart phones, which will double to nearly 500 million by 2012. So how can operators prepare for what’s next, without really knowing what that is?
From a technology standpoint, new 4G networks will help resolve data snarls and are considered essential to preparing for the future. The reality is that the full evolution to, and deployment of, 4G will be measured in years, not weeks, even though operators rightly feel there isn’t a moment to lose.
While 4G technologies will help open up the mobile road, operators and new entrants that are able to adapt their business models to keep up with change will be able to maintain true long-term value.
Subscribers are in the driver’s seat
Today’s subscribers are playing an increasingly vital role in helping operators determine what’s next in mobility, as these users have defined a new mobile engagement standard that amounts to constant global connectivity.
In this quickly-evolving, consumer-defined environment, dynamism and flexibility are essential traits of a successful service provider. Long-term growth will come to those that regularly examine and forecast new consumer usage behaviors, adapting their infrastructures and business models accordingly to evolving demands.
There’s no denying that mobile data guzzling is here to stay, fueled by the iPad today and who knows by what tomorrow. Upgrading to 4G will reinforce consumer behaviors and will hasten adoption of mobile by different ecosystems beyond the traditional telecom space. The key for operators is determining now their models for success and defining the unique value they’ll deliver.
Tony Holcombe is president and CEO of Syniverse Technologies (SVR). Syniverse makes mobile work for more than 800 mobile operators, cable and Internet providers, and enterprises in over 160 countries. With unmatched expertise and more than 20 years simplifying the complexities of roaming, messaging and networking, Syniverse serves as the force at the center of the mobile communications universe, keeping people connected today and forging new connections for tomorrow. For more information, visit syniverse.com, follow Syniverse on Twitter or find Syniverse on Facebook.