Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News

      Mobile Search Struggles to Find an Audience

      Written by

      Ben Charny
      Published September 29, 2005
      Share
      Facebook
      Twitter
      Linkedin

        eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

        SAN FRANCISCO—Long-suffering sports fans dismiss each disappointing season with the lament “wait until next year.”

        The cell phone industry is no different when it comes to getting people to use their handsets Internet connection to search the Web.

        Despite a bevy of new technology and services, searching the Internet using cell phones is, for the umpteenth year in a row, still a “next year” industry, according to interviews with executives here attending a major cell phone trade show, CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2005.

        “Theres not a ton going on,” said Dan McGuire, chief executive of Ampd Mobile, a cell phone operator targeting the lucrative teen-age and young adult market. “Its not really a user friendly feature.”

        The problem is a confounding one. Americans are lapping up cell phone text messaging, photos and streaming video, which are all clones of features they spend lots of time doing on their home PCs.

        Yet search—the No. 1 reason people use the Internet to begin with—has failed miserably to make this jump from big-to-small screen in the five years since the feature was first introduced.

        The most oft-cited reason here for searchs cell phone failure is the phone itself. Typing in any information, like a Web address or a search inquiry, using a phones cramped keypad is a chore many people arent willing to put up with.

        Handset makers have tried to ease the thumb strain using any number of innovations, such as adding miniature QWERTY keyboards, or software, to complete words as they are typed. But it has obviously not been enough.

        Also, a phones screen size limits the number of search results that are returned, making the experience both difficult and lacking a payoff for all the work involved.

        /zimages/3/28571.gifClick here to read about Googles plans to target phone search.

        Should providers cut bait and move on? No way, say executives interviewed here, because the payoff is potentially to big to ignore for providers of search results.

        By adapting to cell phones, search providers are able to do something that theyve never done before: charge a kind of a per-use fee. When reached using a home PC, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask Jeeves and other search engines freely dispense search results and rely on advertising for most of their revenue.

        Theres also some glimmer of hope that Americans may soon start googling from their handsets.

        Executives here note a recent surge in the use of features to locate a local business or restaurant. Also, corporations have been investing more heavily in cell phone search features to help in the day-to-day management of employees.

        Its only a matter of time before this smattering of usage evolves into more mainstream use.

        “These are early days for search on cell phones,” said Karen Carter, Microsofts director of global communications for the companys mobile and embedded devices division.

        /zimages/3/28571.gifClick here to read more about search on cell phones.

        But, typically, itll take time. In the next few weeks, search could get the boost it needs: a cell phone operator called Ampd Mobile debuts with what it says is a cutting edge new search feature.

        Its getting noticed because Ampd Mobiles audience is meant to be young adults, which historically have been more willing to try a new cell phone feature.

        This same market segment was the first to use cell phone text messaging and camera phones, which are now big revenue generators. So why not search?

        Yet, the feature will remain less of a focus, even at Ampd, CEO McGuire said.

        “Search is an important feature,” he said. “But its not the most important for us.”

        /zimages/3/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, views and analysis on enterprise search technology.

        Ben Charny
        Ben Charny

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        Get the Free Newsletter!

        Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

        MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

        Artificial Intelligence

        9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

        Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
        AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
        Read more
        Cloud

        RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

        Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
        RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
        Read more
        Artificial Intelligence

        8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

        Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
        Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
        Read more
        Latest News

        Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

        James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
        I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
        Read more
        Video

        Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

        James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
        I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
        Read more
        Logo

        eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

        Facebook
        Linkedin
        RSS
        Twitter
        Youtube

        Advertisers

        Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

        Advertise with Us

        Menu

        • About eWeek
        • Subscribe to our Newsletter
        • Latest News

        Our Brands

        • Privacy Policy
        • Terms
        • About
        • Contact
        • Advertise
        • Sitemap
        • California – Do Not Sell My Information

        Property of TechnologyAdvice.
        © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

        Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

        ×