Column: Going Mobile - The Old World's New Rules

In the latest 'Going Mobile' column, Foci Mobile lead analyst Steve Palley takes a fascinating look at how the European cellphone game market differs from the North American one, suggesting that a change may be in the air for the US mobile monopolies. Palley's introduction rhapsodizes: "Apparently, a trip to see the wonders of Europe can drive even a hard-bitten cynic to hyperbole. Here in stodgy old North America, where rigid structural constraints on the carrier and marketing fronts discourage experimentation, it’s sometimes easy to despair for the future; by contrast, the mobile content market across the pond offers a real impression of dynamism. Firms over there aren’t just willing to try new things--if they aren’t able to adapt to changing commercial conditions on the fly, they’re going to be in big trouble. That’s because there are many more factors mobile content companies have to worry about on the Continent. The most important difference by far is the sheer number of carriers available to sell your products. In the United States, there’s the Big Three--Verizon Wireless, Cingular, and Sprint Nextel--and if you’re not on at least one of them, you’re basically out of luck. In Europe, however, every single country is likely to have its own Big Three, if not Big Four or Big Five." You can now read the full column on the subject, including much more excellent insight (no registration required, please feel free to link to this feature from external websites).