Squace blog

The adoption rate of mobile devices in all their forms as the main interface to web-based services and content has been phenomenal, with the launch of Apple’s iPhone being the fastest ever adoption of new technology.

Ovum estimates that consumer mobile broadband users will grow from 152 million in 2008 to 1.9 billion in 2014 as consumers’ use of the Internet dwarfs that of the enterprise. Likewise use of 3G mobile devices generally is set to exceed 3 billion over the same timescale.

However, the delivery of services and content is hindered by the wide variety of platforms and device manufacturers and the closed, proprietary nature of these ecosystems. Because applications and data may look or behave differently on different platforms the providers and distributors either have to tune them for each platform or make difficult decisions about which one to concentrate on.

There are different types of platform. Some are closed and run by the manufacturer such as Apple’s iPhone; some are based on an operating system such as the Symbian; some are device specific; and some, such as Google’s recent entry of Android, are being adopted by a wide variety of handset manufacturers. Content similarly comes in different forms: some through content portals that have generally been provided by mobile operators and some through app stores that may be device specific or more open.

From the user’s perspective this introduces barriers to switching between devices and platforms with the potential loss of content and inconsistency of interface. From a mobile marketing provider, and the providers of applications and content more generally, this increases the cost of delivery and support, and reduces the potential return on investment.

The user community now has an insatiable desire for more and better applications and services that are easy to use and make the sharing of content and social interaction easy and consistent. Users require services that eliminate the barrier between what they could do on their desktop and what they do on their mobile device, and which let them move seamlessly between the two.

The jungle of options is a barrier that can only be eliminated through the widespread adoption of standards and a consistent portable interface. Squace has launched a universal mobile interface (UMI) that provides such a consistent well thought out interface that it has ported to the majority of mobile platforms and devices. The UMI has a number of major benefits for developers, operators, and users alike, of which the following are key:

• The interface is consistent on all mobile devices.
• Users can publish and share content with ease.
• There is one integration point for developers of applications and content distributors.
• A cloud-based server provides support that automates the publication of content and eases device mobility between alternative mobile or desk-based Internet devices.

Squace is adopting a wide approach to market penetration. It offers a downloadable client that has been installed over 600,000 times to date, and is building up a channels strategy amongst key identified markets including online communities, the retail and travel industries, and the suppliers of directory and contact services. They are also recruiting technology partners across a wide spectrum. Notable early successes are with the content management systems EPiServer and WordPress.

Squace has to date been built on modest venture funding and expects to break even in the second half of 2011.

Ovum believes that Squace’s UMI provides an excellent opportunity to help business to business (B2B) organizations develop applications and offer content that is easy to distribute and easy for users to adopt and use. We also think that the community will greatly appreciate the ease of switching between devices and the elimination of barriers between desktop and mobile Internet usage.