Wireless portals will be a major part of the mobile Internet of the future, according to a new study from Allied Business Intelligence, and could become the centerpiece of many users’ mobile experience.
According to the report, “Wireless Portals: the Information Gateway to the Wireless User,” wireless portals will attract about 136.9 million users by the end of the year. That number, however, could jump to more than 1 billion by 2006.
The growth of portal popularity will likely be based on a number of technologies already discussed at length within the wireless industry. Location-based services, wireless advertising, mobile commerce and other such hot topics will play a part in the uptake of the wireless Internet.
However, according to ABI’s report, wireless users will likely access these services through wireless portals, making the portals themselves an important part of the wireless picture.
According to a recent study, titled “Survey of Mobile Portal WAP Services,” from The Global Mobile Suppliers Association, there is not much difference in today’s range of wireless portals.
“The distinction between mobile portals becomes less and less clear, and the focus sometimes seems to be on quantity instead of quality,” the report stated.
According to GSA, most of the portals surveyed offered basic services like news and weather, and only a fourth offered superior services such as stock trading and device differentiation.
However, the situation will change with network and technological advances, ABI’s study said.
In fact, according to the study, portals will be an important part of the success of third-generation networks. While debate continues about whether 3G networks will ever be available, ABI points to wireless portals as a major selling point for the networks.
Also, 3G networks will end competition between voice and data interfaces. Today, voice and data interfaces compete to provide the most orderly and convenient path to information. According to ABI’s study, users will enjoy more efficient access to information through a multimodal interface.
“After the deployment of the third-generation cellular systems, one will complement the other since voice and data will be able to run concurrently in most systems, allowing a multimodal solution,” said Anna Karampahtsis, an ABI analyst and the report’s author.
Both consumers and businesses will use portals, according to ABI. Consumers will be able to personalize their mobile access, while employees, business associates and customers will be able to use the portals to reduce costs and increase productivity.
