Search, recommendation and
discovery tools are commonplace
on the Web. We are used to having
an intermediary between us and
the content that we will eventually
consume.
There are many ways in which that
intermediary can appear, how we access
it, and how it can go about its business,
but its role is the same � to enable us to
find content. Content that we are looking
for; content that we might be looking for;
and content that providers want us to
see.
The reason that these tools exist is,
quite simply, because there is too much
content available to do without them. We
need some type of service in place to
help us find what we want.
The same now applies to mobile content,
be it content designed specifically for
mobile, or Web content accessed via the
mobile. The amount of content available
has exploded in recent years to the point
where the search, recommendation and
discovery tools essential on the Web
are equally important in our mobile
experience.
Key drivers for this explosion in content
creation and availability have been led,
first and foremost, by the adoption of
mobile as an ever-present attachment to
our lives, and, in turn, the reliance on the
mobile device as a device for more than
simply communication.
Evolving from this is the increasing
sophistication of mobile handsets
� from so-called `vanilla' phones, to
feature phones, to the emergence and
unremitting growth of the smartphone
category � users now have mobile
handsets that are capable of processing
any of the content out there on the
Web, including HD video. Enabled by
the network developments to support
increased bandwidth capacity and faster
peak data rates, users are now capable
of consuming almost any content through
their mobile handset.
The user behaviour that this creates
represents an incredible opportunity for
content developers and publishers. And
for the retailers that provide access to
that content.
Yet the challenge for all players in the
mobile ecosystem is centred around
enabling users � buyers � to find the
content that they want.
User Research
At Xiam, we recently commissioned TNS
Global to carry out transnational � UK
and US � research into the experiences
of mobile content users. This found clear
evidence that discovery was standing
in the way of a satisfactory mobile
user experience. More importantly for
the players in the mobile ecosystem,
discovery of content is standing in the
way of significant revenue opportunities,
and creating a user experience that
deters customers and will, ultimately,
lead to increased customer churn.
Drowning
In a Sea of
Content
32|CW 20
C O M M E N T
by Colm Healy, vice president of
Qualcomm EMEA Services and general
manager of Xiam Technologies

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