Vision - January/February 2008 - (Page 8) c4 trends viewpoints on Ce evolution ] • [ By susan sChreiner Mobile Media Devices A look at some recent CE devices to manage mobile content • Amtek U560 UMPC (www.amtek.com.tw) • Apple iPhone, iPod (www.iphone.com) • ASUS R3 UMPC* (www.asus.com) • LG-KS20 (www.lge.com) • Microsoft Zune (www.zune.net) • Motorola MOTO Q™ music 9m (www.motorola.com) • Nokia Nseries phones (www.nseries.com) • Palm Centro (www.palm.com) • IM BlackBerry, BlackBerry Pearl and BlackBerry Curve R (www.rim.com) • Samsung i550 (www.samsung.com) • T-Mobile Sidekick (www.sidekick.com) • Toshiba Gigabeat (www.toshibadirect.com) *Coming in 2008 The Content Ecosystem A s CE devices open up new possibilities for a richer media experience, the nature of entertainment is rapidly changing. The line between media platforms relative to “advertising” and “content” and of “creator” and “consumer” is blurring. Usergenerated content, transmedia storytelling, the rise of mobile media and the emergence of social networking is disrupting the traditional content paradigm. All of these players also are trying to figure out how to monetize their content in this new fastmoving environment. “Consumer” Labor The appetite for content is insatiable. Content is no longer just Hollywood dependent but is increasingly user-generated. The YouTube halo affect is affecting other sectors in the consumer technology ecosystem. There is growing anxiety about the way the creator is compensated in this changing world of Web 2.0 and the growing commodity culture of user-generated content. The traditional model has been based on trading content in exchange for connectivity or experience. Considering the success of FaceBook and other social networking sites, many wonder what kinds of revenue sharing should exist when companies turn a profit based on the unpaid “labor” of consumers. What do we know now about the “architecture of participation” that we didn’t know a year ago? Mobile Media The mobile media ecosystem is being closely watched by technologists, communication distribution companies, Hollywood and creative consumers as a microcosm of the bigger content picture. Until recently, the mobile market was dominated by data services and re-formatted content. The Internet, WiFi connections and the expansion of 3G phone networks will push more data to wireless devices faster, yet we still are waiting for the arrival of mobile’s “killer app.” How can the user experience of content search and discovery be improved? What will it take to capture and engage customers? In 2007, the iPhone was a real gamechanger. Apple showed that a mobile device could be powerful and feature-laden without being complicated. Also, Apple changed the distribution paradigm by taking veto power away from the carrier. It set in motion a new way for device makers to crash the gate that has been vigilantly guarded by Verizon, Sprint and others. Until the iPhone, the gatekeepers were impediments to the handset maker’s ability to offer more innovative devices in the U.S. In the fourth quarter, Google announced its entry into the market with its Android open platform, supported by the Open Handset Alliance. It will be interesting to see how this will impact content creation and delivery, and what other types of devices this new platform might spawn. Metrics and Measurement As media companies start to recognize the value of participatory audiences, they are searching for metrics to measure engagement with their properties. The traditional model based on impressions is giving way to new models to account for the different ways consumers engage with entertainment content. How can one “count” engaged consumers, or account for various forms and qualities of engagement? During the past several years, a range of companies have proposed alternative systems for measuring engagement. How can we account for the impact of DVRs, video-on-demand, devices like Slingbox and online video? Today there are more questions about devices converging with content than answers. How will quality content be monetized in the future? What is the role of usergenerated content? Will content still be king or will the conduits gain the upper hand? Who will be the gatekeeper? How will agencies sell advertising across several media platforms? How will consumers store, sort and manage their content? As the content ecosystem evolves, devices are the key connection and link between the content companies and the consumer. • www.ce.org 8 January/February 2008 Colin Anderson/Getty Images http://www.amtek.com.tw http://www.iphone.com http://www.asus.com http://www.lge.com http://www.zune.net http://www.motorola.com http://www.nseries.com http://www.palm.com http://www.rim.com http://www.samsung.com http://www.sidekick.com http://www.toshibadirect.com http://www.ce.org
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