The Orange Idle Screen and the barcode issue
Rating: the idle screen is one of the hottest available
In 2003, the Orange Home Screen was put on all SPV devices. The Home Screen is an idle screen service from Abaxia.
This is extremely important as I have been trying to figure out why Orange boasts one million OrangeWorld hits a week and is still complaining about stickiness and revenues.
The fact is that the idle screen allows users to go to, personalize and find content instantly. So If I set up to read horoscopes from the idle screen I can literally click in and click out – pay the smallest fee and move on. In fact, this would be even cheaper than signing up for a daily SMS service and content is indeed consumed in a fast and rapid way.
So of course; there is no stickiness as I get what I want and then I leave.
The Orange device strategy, Idle screen, SPV range was outlined to me by Director of Devices Yves Martin. Yves is a very honest and friendly guy. He made it clear that its devices and handset that can make or break applications and even the best application can be scrapped in order to secure and ensure the SPV device strategy.
What is also clear is that Abaxia also partners with Orange for its mobile barcoding service which is proprietary. The plan is to embed RFID into new devices so that in the UK Oyster train services can be paid for or signed into by the mobile device.
I discussed issues of standardization with Yves and he agreed it was necessary – but pointed out that “the industry is not there yet”. In the mean time hybrid services and walled garden mobile barcode services will prevail.
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