Of interest was a session on attracting investment. For those of you searching for the elusive venture capitalist to line you pockets and fun your applications, the speakers in this track had some advice to share with us. Andy Rabhan of Ericsson told us how the company generally looks at complementary technologies with a shared vision. Nokia
Venture Partners seem to like early stage companies, particularly those targeting semi-conductor markets, services, and mobile marketing. Sun Microsystems Laura Lindquist describes the VC environment as relatively hot compared to last year a good sign for
developers! New applications that leverage new technologies such as mobile music, multi-player gaming, streaming video, and MMS applications are a good bet, particularly if the solutions being pitched address content management solutions rather than content delivery.

The industry's leading corporate investors shared their thoughts on attracting VC

Some tips for the developer in search of capital

• It helps to already be seeded and to have some cash in place. Appear to be well  funded and dont appear desperate!
• You product or service should be brand able and marketable
• Know where youre going and where you want to go. Dont approach VC for direction and vision, bring those ideas to the table.
• When looking for a venture partner select an investor who knows your space and knows your potential customers
• Look for a partner with commitment to your space and to commitment for the long haul.

Dont expect cash to fall out of the sky! One VC on the panel indicated that of some 400 deal he looked at last year, 4 were funded. This is not to say that all the others were bad investments, however, they didnt seem to be a good fit according to some of the criteria mentioned above.

iHolloywood Forum CEO, Michael Stroud leads discussion panel

MMS the future is now!

Sundays keynote session at the Forum was presented by News Corps (FOX TV) Sr VP of Content, Lucy Hood. She presented us with a look at American Idol and Beyond. The American Idol example was presented to us because the reality show is truly driving the uptake and direction of TXT and MMS messaging in North America. The
topic is of interest to the Symbian developer community because MMS is the future and holds the most opportunities for developers to score.

The opportunity In the US, voice apps and services currently account for roughly 98% of ARPU. Enter wireless (txt) messaging. Last years Idol campaign with AT&T wireless accounted for more than 7.5 million messages and 6 million text votes. This years show
(currently in progress) is on target for 4x that of last year and theres no signs of slowing down.  Looking beyond American Idol theres plans for some very compelling apps that will drive the usage of MMS and increase ARPU. 

• Hotel Franklin look for this weekly reality series on your handheld device. Each week a 60 second video strip will be streamed to subscribers. Will the girl get the guy? What will happen? Think of this as Melrose Place for wireless device users!
• Todd TV watch Todd's every move on your device
• Localized content from TV guide and similar offerings. 

Scene from Hotel Franklin - mobile reality show

So whats generating revenues?

My take from the days sessions was that its a lot more about entertainment and less about the technology. Hollywood is driving the uptake and usage of technology and will continue to do so. Digital imaging, streaming videos and movies, multi-player gaming
this is what people (and carriers) are looking at. The phone is now being viewed as a data device in North America and not just a supporting platform for voice theres the opportunity.

On the downside, the technology is evolving so fast and like the PC a decade ago, users are going to feel that their device simply cant keep up and theres going to be a feeling of never being able to have the optimal device. For example, millions of users now have camera enabled devices, however, solutions and services are now coming to market to
support the 1 mega pixel mobile camera unfortunately most of us are in possession of a VGA resolution camera phone. Will users upgrade their phones once a year or more? Perhaps but I wont hold my breath.

The future of mobile entertainment

The challenge will be to provide answers to the consumer. They will demand to know what they can do with their device, how to do it, and how much it costs. Once again, it was apparent from listening to the device manufacturers and solution providers that theres a real problem in the marketing of technology I agree. In North America the
outlets where the end user is exposed to enabling technologies (and apps) fall short on selling and informing the consumer.

The crystal ball
- 1 mega pixel digital cameras will be the norm 2 and 3 mp will come
- mobile streaming video
- true multi-player gaming
- fully integrated products and apps
- look for us to follow Japan and Korean markets

Challenges:
- interoperability
- billing models
- educating the user

An observation/prediction: Mobile entertainment and MMS will no doubt drive the growth in marketshare of Symbian powered devices, particularly those bundled with applications built on Series 60. Signifigant opportunities exist for the Symbian developer, particulaly those that focus their applications on data and the management of data. Consider the fact that camera-enabled mobile devices now outsell digital cameras. Streaming media is another consideration... EDGE is a reality and more EDGE devices will hit the market, enabling streaming video to the end user. 

See Also:

• Symbian News Announcements from Wireless 2004
• Images from Wireless 2004
• SymbianOne CTIA Wireless 2004 News archive
• CTIA Foneblog