Wireless Developer Network - Daily News

[ View Today's WirelessDeveloper NewsWire ]
Today's News | WirelessDevNet DevZones | Yesterday's News | Submit News | News-"wireless" Top Stories! | Classifieds | Around-The-Web | Wireless DevZones!

MMS is regionally transforming mobile phones into a personalized audio-visual tool Aptec Mobile anticipates major shift in consumer buying patterns August 06, 2003 - Aptec Mobile, the leading mobile phone distributor in the Middle East, is gearing up for an increased demand for MMS-enabled mobile phones in the region. The company expects a significant change in the communication lifestyles of mobile phone users with the launch of MMS (Multi Media Messaging Service) services by network operators, the latest among them being Etisalat in the UAE. Aptec anticipates a major change in the purchasing psychology of mobile phone users as the versatile applications of MMS become more popular. Consumers seemingly look for mobile phones with enhanced features, such as cameras and advanced messaging options. "With the advent of MMS, the era of the mobile phone being an instrument limited to two-way verbal communication are over," said Linda Al-Tarifi, Marketing Manager Aptec Gulf. "MMS has the capacity to transform the mobile phone into a personalized audio-visual tool, capable of receiving and transferring images, graphics, sound, text and, at a later date, even video. The applications of this technology are remarkably varied, powerful enough to herald a whole new lifestyle in mobile communication." "MMS is a real solution created to meet the needs of a world that is becoming increasingly dependent on mobile communications. MMS has triggered new activity revolving around creating customized and localized solutions. For example, some regional portals have started creating online albums for their users to store their images that could be sent by MMS users to other users. Similarly, MMS is a versatile tool to create personalized content, allowing individual users to send a highly dynamic and effective message to the recipient," Al-Tarifi added. Aptec foresees a mass-market adaptation of MMS in the Middle East within a short time, fueled by the rapid penetration of mobile phones in general and the increasing usage of SMS in particular. At the start of 2003, the number of mobile phone subscribers in the UAE stood at 2.5 million, against the number of fixed lines of a little over 1 million. A similar scenario is being observed in countries across the region. "Aptec's strong ties with mobile phone manufacturers, including the global leader Nokia, places us in a strong position to offer the most advanced MMS-enabled phones to consumers, and backed by prompt after-sales service," said Al-Tarifi. "The heightened consumer demand for the latest versions of mobile phones will trigger new purchasing patterns and a dramatic transformation in the way we exchange personal or business messages." The MMS is at the heart of a new mobile phone culture worldwide. The popularity of exchanging mobile messages, including unwanted marketing dispatches, the growing penetration of email and the increasing number of mobile phone users indicate that MMS is set to be the most important development in the evolution of the mobile phone.