UKNM: my two cents on WAP and why it's a good thing

[Simon Baptist]

I have a WAP phone and have to use it for research purposes for Funplanet,

so the best game I have enjoyed so far is the PicoFun football manager game.


I have also used the Pricerunner WAP functionality and found this very

useful, in fact at the Sony store they knocked �10 off the price of a

mini-disc recorder and offered to throw in a pack of blank mini-discs all

because on my WAP mobile I got show them how much cheaper and where else I

could get what they had on offer.


It's my opinion that providing wireless functionality is a marketing

extension of service for any company.  i.e. by currently providing WAP today

and whatever in the future (it's all about XML not the protocol) then you

are providing your users with an Internet anywhere service and they are more

likely to have a complete affiliation to your brand.


What you say?


By this I mean you don't need to offer a fully functional wireless service

(where it's difficult to gain revenue) but you offer useful tools to the

user.


Relating this to a game example.  Imagine a simulation where you are a Super

Model Agent, and you can obviously access everything you need to do from

your "office" that sits on the WWW.  But, you can also sign up to the WAP

service that gives you less functionality but still an advantage in playing

the game.


Narrowing down further...let's look at Bookings.  Let's say that

opportunities to book your model for various jobs become available at random

times and only on a firstcomefirstserved basis, and you can submit your

model either over the WWW or via WAP.

For example, a booking for the Steve McQueen Pret a porter show is listed

and you can submit your model for one of the ten spots available.  You are

on the way to work on the #14 bus and decide to connect to SuperModelAgent

via your WAP phone, as  "Kate Fern" hasn't worked for a while and is getting

trouble for partying too hard.  You see that there are two spots left on the

McQueen show and therefore submit Kate for a spot.     You won't know all

the details of the job (fee, location, dates, etc.)  until you log into your

"office" but at least Kate has a good booking and you'll get more points.


Therefore, you as an Agent has an advantage because you can still play the

game wherever you are and on the other side the site that owns the game gets

impressions and in fact uses interactive wireless advertising to drive

people back to the WWW, where it's easier to monetise on visitors.


Thanks for reading this far.


/Simon


Simon Baptist

UK Project Leader

Funplanet - Creating Global Fun

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


m:  +44(0)798 0210 002

a:  33 Glasshouse Street, London, United Kingdom, W1R 5RG

t:  +44(0)20 7851 7626

e:

simonfunplanet [dot] com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Funplanet+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5,4,3,2,1...Blast off to http://www.funplanet.co.uk  for free games,

quizzes and prizes! --->  Fun - it's a right not a privilege



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