Mobile Search Prediction: Microsoft and Mobile Tag

by: admin Monday, September 3rd, 2007

Rating: I like going out on a limb.

In the past we have been made a number of mobile search predictions that have come true. Once we even got served with a defamation case due to my predictions (at least I can laugh about it now!). But anyway some predictions haven’t come true, but in the nascence of the market acquisitions are easy to predict.

So this prediction follows a briefing I had with Cedric Mangaud CEO of French based Abaxia. It didn’t come from him but after assessing the market and Microsoft’s movements it hit me.

But first the prediction:
Microsoft will purchase the Abaxia mobile barcode spin off Mobile Tag.

Why?
Well I have been watching Orange intensely the past few months. The Motion Bridge/ Microsoft new mobile search has been implemented. In fact, Orange has uncovered a complete converged mobile strategy which I am currently testing. But Microsoft bought Motion Bridge because of its influence at Orange. Orange and Microsoft are joined at the hip due to the SPV strategy.

But what is the next hottie on the mobile market and what could be the biggest revenue driver moving forward… mobile barcodes.

Which company is big in France, in with Orange and embracing the barcode strategy?

Mobile Tag.

I quizzed Cedric on mobile strategy and other competitors in the space from Action Engine (ODP company) to NeoMedia (barcodes) and we had some interesting discussions on coupons, search and the idle screen. The only thing that Cedric did say was that “Informa said that Abaxia was the idle screen leader”. I have to disagree on this point and the fact that Cedric had to justify this by saying, “Informa said”, makes me believe that he is more aware of the competition that he would like us to believe.

There are some other players out there with bigger “mass” deployments and a steady stream of new entrants daily in the idle screen space. Not forgetting idle screen search is now on the agenda of every white label mobile search vendor.

But back to Abaxia. I have just finished writing up Abaxia on device search vs Nokia on device search and when Orange launch the new on device search on its SPV devices in Q4 it is definitely one to look out for.

More as usual in The Mobile Search Analyst and msearchblog.