Over the last few years, the pace of change of mobile device user interaction has been evolutionary. However, with the arrival of the iPhone all this has changed. Its ease of use, large screen and all-you-can-eat data packages have encouraged users to regularly access the internet. The iPhone has also stimulated user demand for downloadable mobile applications helped by the accessibility of the iStore. This shift in user behaviour and expectations has caused many mobile companies to reconsider their strategies and how they design their devices and applications.
While this is a challenge – it is also a very good opportunity:
- Users expectations have changed – not just about what the device or software does, but also about how they function
- Ease of use is the key differentiator – the application that works clearly and concisely will win
- Good usability results in rapid adoption driven by positive responses from key influencers and social networks
What is required for successful mobile software?
- Native applications – while web browsers can offer partial solutions, integrated applications offer significant improvements in convenience and ease of use.
- Communications experience – familiarity with communications protocols is not enough, application providers must understand the unique interoperability required for mobile solutions. The frustration by users at many applications which do not behave well in suboptimal network conditions can be found on forums all over the internet.
- Multi-platform solutions – the fragmented nature of the mobile market means that applications must ideally be built for several platforms.
- Exceptional UI design – limited screen sizes and layout options provide a unique challenge for user interface design.
The ideal mobile application will offer great services conveniently in a way that is easy to learn, use and understand and more importantly easy to show others. If users love your application they’ll show it off to their friends. Integrated applications may display personalised presence in the phonebook, allow the user to launch an IM conversation from the phonebook itself, update their presence from the idle screen and save appointments into the Calendar application as well as making it easier to select and send photos, videos and sounds.
While creating these solutions requires excellent technical ability it is also about great design. Mobile devices have limitations, but knowing them as EMCC do also means being able to deliver applications with the maximum impact. With over ten years of experience in developing mobile solutions, EMCC can create applications across mobile platforms including iPhone, Symbian OS, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Java.
The range of possible mobile applications is expanding rapidly and these emerging markets will prove to be lucrative but also highly competitive. It is important to be a part of these opportunities but lasting success will only be achieved by providing great solutions expertly designed for all users.
For more information on EMCC's Application Development Services please contact sales@emccsoft.com
Project and Programme Management Services
With over a decade creating solutions for the mobile industry, EMCC has a deep understanding of the particular aspects and issues involved in project development for multiple platforms and handsets. EMCC offers Project and Programme Management Services to companies wishing to take advantage of this experience to enhance their own product development processes. The services we offer are described below.
Prime Contractor
- One Contract – EMCC manage all third parties reducing client management time commitment.
- One Responsible Organisation – EMCC will have back-to-back contracts with all third parties managing client’s risk.
- One Point of Contact – the EMCC Project/Programme Manager will act as the focal point for the delivery.
PM for Hire
- Skilled EMCC PM’s to lead your projects.
- Experienced in the mobile arena.
- Used to delivering high quality deliverables to tight deadlines.
- Experienced in multiple Project Methodologies.
Business Case Development
- Experienced Business Managers with a wealth of experience in producing business cases within the mobile workspace.
- Assistance with producing business cases for presentation to internal and external funding bodies for mobile technology projects.
- Experienced in producing models to show financial, efficiency, and technological benefits.
For further information on EMCC’s management services please contact sales@emccsoft.com
Mobile Social Networking Opens New Doors
Communication is the foundation of successful social networking. Friends and acquaintances want to stay connected and also want convenient ways to get in touch that are simple to use for everyone.
Mobile devices uniquely offer a combination of excellent communications and instant convenience that will realise the full potential of social networking.
Why mobile?
- Because mobile devices accompany people everywhere and are virtually always switched on, leading to increased usage figures and expanded market presence.
- Because mobile devices support a range of existing communications options.
- Because mobile devices enable new revenue opportunities such as location-based advertising.
How is this achieved?
Native mobile application solutions can be designed to work across multiple phone platforms and move beyond the “miniature browser” experience, becoming tightly integrated with the standard data and applications of the device itself, allowing:
- Synchronisation of contacts and calendar data between phone and website
Enabling a single data entry point (why duplicate effort?)
Social networking sites to act as a portable phone backup service (never lose a contact again)
Your contacts can distribute changes to their personal information (always keep up-to-date when people change phones or email addresses and never miss a birthday again!)
- Sharing of messaging information
Allowing a threaded conversation to move seamlessly between SMS and any site-supported messaging system
Allowing site-sourced messages to appear on the device as though they were SMSs
- Extension of your device’s standard phonebook application with site-derived presence and status information
- Access to Location Based Service (LBS) information
Targeted location-based push-advertising and promotions
“Find near here” features – people as well as places!
Who can help?
EMCC Software is a mobile communications expert with a decade of successful development in mobile applications, platform components, and communications products. We understand mobile platforms, user interaction and communications and how to get the best from them and are ideally placed to help take social networking to the next level.
To discuss development options for mobile social networking please contact sales@emccsoft.com
User Interaction Design Lab
User experience is the most important component of any product or service and this is especially true in hi-tech products such as smartphones. EMCC’s work is grounded in the evolution of user experience and shared social experiences in particular. Designing the UI for applications becomes more difficult with social software because social relations are inherently complex. It’s much easier to design a one-to-one computer-user interaction than it is to anticipate how a whole community of users will react to a new feature.
EMCC offers specialist services through a User Interaction Design Lab that draw on many years of creating excellent user applications for devices with limited screen sizes and input mechanisms.
These services include:
- Application Component Design – creation of a comprehensive set of design elements (images, icons, fonts, backgrounds, menus, etc.) to bring branding and consistency to the look and feel of your mobile application and to ensure that images reflect the underlying functionality they represent
- Innovative Layout Design – alternative options can be created for icon, button and menu layout ensuring that key functions are highly visible and accessible within the appropriate context
- Usability Design and Testing – all of our applications are designed around users and how they interact with the functions available
For more information on how EMCC’s User Interaction Design Lab can enhance your products and solutions please contact sales@emccsoft.com
We hope you find these articles of interest and we welcome any comments or opinions you may have.
Best regards, Leigh Edwards, CEO, EMCC Software
Users Expect More From Their Mobile Applications
Project and Programme Management Services
Embedded Development Services
Mobile Social Networking Opens New Doors
Location Based Services – The Ideal Mobile Solution
User Interaction Design Lab
FMC Products Fulfil Specific Industry Needs
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Welcome to the latest newsletter from EMCC Software. With over a decade of mobile development experience we showcase some of the key aspects of solution development and important features that we believe will affect the future of the mobile market place such as Location Based Services and Social Networking.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Users Expect More From Their Mobile Applications
Project and Programme Management Services
Embedded Development Services
Mobile Social Networking Opens New Doors
Location Based Services – The Ideal Mobile Solution
User Interaction Design Lab
FMC Products Fulfil Specific Industry Needs
See us at the Symbian Smartphone Show 2008
EMCC will be at the Symbian Smartphone Show on October 21 – 22 at Earl’s Court in London. Please visit us at Stand 96 or contact sales@emccsoft.com to arrange a meeting with our technical consultants or business development personnel.
To find out more about our products, services or technical experience please visit our website www.emccsoft.com.
Embedded
Development Services
As the mobile industry sees new platforms and increasing numbers of market entrants there is increased demand for providing low level development services such as device driver development and base porting. EMCC Software has had many years of experience helping companies requiring such services and offers a wide range of options in this area from full solution development to providing project management and development personnel to ongoing projects.
For further information on EMCC’s embedded development services please contact sales@emccsoft.com
Location Based Services: The Ideal Mobile Solution
Mobile devices provide exceptional opportunities for solutions based on networking and communications. One of the most potentially useful aspects for users is the availability of Location Based Services (LBS). This can enable users to find people, information and services based on their current geographical position – known as “Find near here” features. It presents possible revenue options though targeted location-based push-advertising and promotions. This is set to become a huge industry especially due to the potential for such advertising to be highly personalised and targeted. Users are far more likely to interact with something that has meaning and relevance to them. Revenue will be generated through the applications most commonly used on the device i.e. by what the user sees most on the screen – if that screen real estate is being occupied by your application then you are the most likely to earn that advertising revenue. EMCC can create a fully customisable mobile application that provides a wealth of features and that enables the integration of LBS advertising solutions.
Of course, if using LBS, privacy concerns will need to be addressed – the user must be allowed to control which groups get to see their information relating to location and the granularity of such information is also important. EMCC can offer a range of development ideas and options to companies wishing to take advantage of the capabilities offered by LBS.
To discuss the range of options incorporating Location Based Services please contact EMCC at sales@emccsoft.com
FMC Products Fulfil Specific Industry Needs
Businesses of all sizes are increasingly aware of the potential benefits from products offering Fixed-Mobile Convergence (FMC) solutions. EMCC has recently developed several products that answer important needs with respect to providing FMC services that are generating interest across the communications market:
m-Call
m-Call is a mobile client application that allows users to make calls through their service provider or company PBX automatically via intelligent call routing with options for VoIP calls through Wi-Fi. It also allows PBX functions to be accessed from the mobile handset. It requires minimal user interaction to provision and configure and integrates with native applications such as the phonebook.
m-Switch
m-Switch is a mobile application that allows users to automatically switch to recognised pico or femto cells when in range (and to switch back to operator network when moving out of range) without requiring users to remember complex settings details.
VoIP engine
VoIP engine provides S60 and Windows Mobile handsets with VoIP capability. Not all handsets based on these platforms have VoIP enabled. Enabling a common VoIP engine across the handset range removes the uncertainty for developers as to which handsets do or do not support this capability and enables them to reach a much wider addressable market for their products.
For more information on EMCC Software’s products please contact m-Call@emccsoft.com
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