What The Apple iPad Means For Mobile Operators

28/01/10

By Jim Chou, Product Marketing Manager, Airwide Solutions

At the start of the 21st Century, Apple revolutionised the digital music player market with the launch of the iPod. Since then it has achieved worldwide success, selling in excess of 250 million units worldwide.

In a similar way, in 2007 Apple revolutionised the mobile phone market with the launch of the iPhone and the subsequent success of the app store. It ushered in a new way of interacting with mobile devices and gave subscribers access to a whole new world of applications and services, ranging from GPS systems to pretend pints of beer!

Yesterday's launch of the Apple iPad looks once again to set the technology market alight. By combining the growing eBook segment with a casual computing device for the home and road Apple has introduced a new device that millions of consumers, familiar with the interface, will be able to pick up and use. It is an affordable alternative laptop which will no doubt generate very healthy volumes for Apple.

However, whilst this greater choice is great for the consumer, the higher levels of data usage caused by increasing mobile internet access and app downloads is putting greater pressure on the operators' networks.

The launch of the iPad, whilst fantastic for consumers, has the potential to make things more difficult for operators, unless they have the right infrastructure in place to cope with the increasing larger volumes of content which are set to be downloaded by consumers more frequently.

Jim Chou, Product Marketing Manager at mobile messaging specialist Airwide Solutions comments: "Devices like smartphones and the new iPad test operators' current network data-capabilities to the extreme. AT&T in America and O2 in the UK are two examples as it was after they launched exclusivity deals of the iPhone that they suffered criticism of their 3G networks.

In countries with a developed mobile eco-system, data has become the driving factor for consumers. In order to maintain a leading position, operators must ensure that their network capacity is sufficient to cope well with increases in data traffic.

They must also go one step further in the battle to win hearts and minds by using their unique assets on location, presence, subscriber awareness and the mobile internet to improve the functionality and relevancy of the apps consumers download.

Open, flexible infrastructure is the key to doing this as they can use it to generate more active engagement with the subscriber, greater relevancy of apps and services for the end user and a greater share of untapped revenue. Without it they risk being left behind a mobile market which is increasingly being dominated by Apple."