Mobile Web Europe: We are not competing with online shout ShoZu, Flirtomatic, The 3G Dating Agency, IRL

by: Bena Roberts Monday, September 22nd, 2008

I attended the panel this morning at Mobile Web Europe - Mobile Social Networking day with:

Chair: Adrian Velthuis- Millennial Media

Mark Bole CEO Shozu

Priya Prakash - Head of Product Flirtomatic

Romi Parmar, CEO The 3G Dating Agency (and yes he did mention Dragons Den!)

Frank Schuil, Founder & CEO IRL Netherlands

What was the main message?

Basically everyone agreed that mobile is a new media. There was some confusion about operating system, Open API’s and the iPhone but the argument between online web and mobile web is still ripe.

As a believer that the mobile web is a new media on its own - I was happy to hear social networks saying that online was not the competitor. New niche or branded mobile users were taking social networks from mobile to online. This is a great cross over and change from the market.

The general operator bashing also took place - which is getting boring. With the amount of start-ups at the moment I think it is just too much to expect operators to deploy or put every start-up on the home page. The off-portal strategy needs to have momentum before putting it in front of the operator.