Phone in to the Web?

I came across this always-online executive, who thinks that his laptop is
feeling neglected now that his life revolves around his new Nokia high-end
phone. He, like many others, does not carry his laptop with him like he used to
earlier. The cellphone has changed the way in which he accesses the Internet.
The Internet is now part of has lives, and so is the cellphone.

And yet the percentage of mobile users who have to accesses the Internet
through it is only 1.8%. A vast majority therefore uses the phone for only voice
applications. For a significant percentage of mobile users, maybe the closest
they will come to using a computer like device. They may never possess and work
on computers-but mobiles will keep growing. In the Nielson report that provides
the above data, the US stands at 15.6%, Russia at 11.5 % and China at 6.8%. The
Nielsen Company's report also says that in the UK and the US, mobile Internet is
being used for information, while India uses it mainly for entertainment and
email

If more mobile users started using the Internet for information,
entertainment, email, news and shopping, we will have a busier economy and more
informed citizens. But are conditions ready for it? Can we do anything to make
it happen faster?

Mobile phones ready to access the Internet now come for as low as Rs 4,000.
So pricing is not a major obstacle. But surfing is. Because it is a tedious job,
to say the least. Surfing on most low-end phones-and many high-end ones too-is a
cumbersome affair. The form factor and design are just not Internet friendly.
The phone has not been designed for usage on the Net. Will adding some bulk
help? Maybe yes. If the attendant benefits are enough the extra bulge in the
pocket or weight in the handbag may become acceptable.

If the phone is not ready for the Net, the websites are also not ready for
mobile phones. They have to get much more mobile friendly. They are essentially
designed for computers. Only a few have worked on the design starting with a
mobile user in mind. And there is a lack of standards. I recently tried to use
Rediff mobile on my Blackberry. I was informed that my model is not
supported-and that I should visit again to check. Maybe I will.

A new interface approach that can do voice as well as Internet, and which can
still keep the costs low, is what will ensure Internet access through mobiles.
The efforts-and results-so far, have scratched the surface. The key issue is the
form factor. Keyboards on mobiles are too unwieldy for sustained typing and the
screen is too small for easy reading. Since the phone is designed for voice
applications maybe we need to use voice much more. So that I can name my site
and it offers me a chance to hear the news even as a few related visuals flash
on the screen. That would also take care of language issues. At the moment voice
based technologies are available but are not reliable enough.

So let's say we have a device ready for this. But does the average person
still have the desperate need to get Net-enabled? We still need applications
that will add value to his life, not just help him see what's the latest dope on
Kareena, or what the match score is. At the moment there does not seem to be an
overwhelming reason for the average mobile user to access the Internet. The
killer app is simply not there.

And till that happens we will see growth in this form of convergence but it
would not be explosive in nature.