Top-10 Mobile Updates of 2007

Well, the year is drawing to a close and it’s time to reflect on all that has happened during the past 12 months in the world of the mobile web.

• • 10: Mobile Webaroo:
    You all knew it was coming, so let’s just get to the Webaroo item right out of the gate. In 2007, Webaroo released a mobile version of its software.

• • 9: Mobile Podcasts:
    I know what you’re thinking, between the iPod, Creative Labs, and seemingly tens of thousands of other MP3 players, haven’t podcasts been mobile for… well… forever? Perhaps, but 2007 brought the podcast to the mobile phone. VoiceIndigo software allows users to manage their podcast and music files through a handy web interface on their Samsung or Nokia mobile phones. So maybe this one would be more appropriate as Mobile phone Podcasts.

• • 8: Mobile Sharing:
    A few significant services centered around sharing content between mobile devices were released in 2007, including a couple of my favorites – Vringo & Pinger.

• 7: Mobile Social Networking:
  Not only did 2007 see social communities continue to grow, it also saw them take to the mobile front. Vodafone and MySpace announced a partnership that brought MySpace software to the mobile phone.

There’s no way the mobile web was going to grow without advertising. In 2007, we saw several significant advancements in mobile advertising, including numbers five and six on this list:

• • 6: Mobile Advertising Standards:
    The GSMA developed mobile advertising standards.

• • 5: Mobile Advertising Channels:
    All three major search engines took their advertising networks to the mobile space. Some new mobile advertising opportunities, such as 4info and Go2, entered the playing field as well.

• • 4: Mobile Search:
    Mobile search took several leaps forward this past year. Some of the most notable include the GPS location-aware mobile search service and voice activated Live Search that came out of Sprint and Microsoft’s relationship. And, of course, 1(800)GOOG-411, which allows you to search for local businesses with a simple phone call.

• • 3: Mobile TV:
    Between NBC, CBS, ESPN and the fairly extensive fall lineup on V-cast this year, it doesn’t seem like there wasn’t much television that didn’t go mobile in 2007.

• • 2: The iPhone:
    Not long ago I would have pegged the iPhone as a shoe-in for the number one spot on my mobile countdown for 2007. I don’t think a day passed this year without hearing some buzz about it.

• 1: Verizon Opens its Mobile Platform:
  Though the impact of this remain to be seen, I have to say that the potential implication of Verizon’s plans to open up its platform deserves the much coveted number one spot in any mobile list.

Wow, what a year for mobile. When you look at it all in front of you like that, it’s really amazing how much this space has matured over the course of a single year. Don’t get too sentimental yet though, 2008 promises to be a banner year as well.