5 M’s of Mobile Services

The mobile market is not about technology, it is about services. These services will not be consumed because there is a new technical feature, rather they must meet the user’s contextual needs and desires. The 5 M’s, as defined by Tomi T. Ahonen, are the key characteristics which can be used to enhance any service and make them more valuable in the mobile services arena, both as more desirable to the user and more profitable for the service provider.

Movement helps the user to escape the fixed place. It provides free movement to the user and the service. The access to the service is consistant, no matter which place the user is in. Location is the integral point of the service and without it, the service would not exist. Movement is the most defining aspect for mobile services. It sets them apart from fixed services as the location idependence can hardly be replicated.

Moment expands the concept of time. The users life is full of short and fast activities. The service must be relevant to the time of the day or delivered at the crucial moment. It must be a suitable situation to recieve the service and fullfill the momentary needs and wants. Moment is the most activating attribute and it may result in compulsive action.

Me extends me and my community. It supports my personal needs and makes my life easier. With mobile phones you usually have a 1:1 relationsip between user and device. This allows profiling and collecting behavioural data and usage patterns. Personalized services are the result. On the other hand there is the need to be part of society and to get a sense of belonging. Communiy allows communication, sharing and contact with your friends. Me is the attribute that is valued highest by the user, it is a reflection and extension of oneself and the ego and it offers a community connection.

Money means expending the financial resources. If you can’t bill it, kill it. The utility of mobile services might be convenience, but the foremost goal is generating money through the users consumption. Micro payments offer a huge potential for charging mobile services and make them most attractive for content providers. The best content will follow the money and the users will follow the content.

Machine includes the empowerment of gadgets. There are a variety of mobile devices out there. The possible interaction with remote gadgets or the communication between devices (machine-to-machine) offers new ways to automate data delivery and share resources. Machine ist the key to better profits and offers the highest potential of growth to any mobile service.