MobileMonday Taipei Short Live Interview With ZK mobile from Toro on Vimeo.

And here is the video of interview with Simon Chen, CEO of MicroMacro,

MobileMonday Taipei Short Live Interview with MicroMacro from Toro on Vimeo.

Just one year ago, Google first unveiled its Android, the open source mobile platform to the world, and in less then one year, the first mobile phone uses Android platform was available in the US market last month. And back in June, Nokia also announced that Symbian became open source after Nokia acquired the whole ownership of Symbian. The focus on open source highlights a growing industry trend away from the closed systems that have traditionally dominated the market. Open source developers remain optimistic users will veer toward their products once they experience the flexibility they provide. Openness allow more choice and allow a richer experience, users can have devices where they can download applications and view a variety of content from multiple sources. There will be less constraint by traditional impediments, either with their device or through their operator. Only time will tell how the various platforms will fare. Industry leaders hope that the concept of choice will drive the open source option to eventual dominance. Is open source really the inevitable course for mobile industry?

This month’s MobileMonday Taipei event, we will talk about the future of mobile open source, we have invited 3 companies who dedicate in developing open source platform and applications to share with their product and their view for the future mobile market.

1.ZK - introduction of ZK Mobile. ZK is the leading open source Ajax + Mobile framework. With 700,000 downloads, ZK empowers a variety of companies and institutions, ranging from small to large, including Barclays, Sun Micro, Swiss RE, Alcatel-Lucent, and many others.
- Introduction of ZK
- Introduction of ZK Mobile
- Benefits and Architecture
- Showcase: ZK Mobile on Java Phone
- Showcase: ZK Mobile on Google Android

2.Bluetouch - Introduction of their mobile solution using ZK mobile platform.

3. MicroMacro - Demo their product, a new type of mobile advertising tool using ZK mobile platform.

Event Program:

Date: 7 PM, Monday, Nov.10th.

Location: Mary’s Bistro, 2F, No.89, Sec.2, Ren-Ai Rd., Taipei City (Tel: 02-3322-1859)

Please click here to register.

Steve Follmer consulted in Silicon Valley for many years, where he co-founded live365.com. He is currently between startups and analyzing opportunities in the mobile space. Steve holds a BSE degree from Princeton University.

Vpon.com

Victor Wu, founder and CEO, demonstrated Vpon, a coupon browser service which is up and running in Taiwan. Vpon was born from an award winning entrepreneurial project he created while completing his MBA in London.

Users install Vpon’s coupon browser, which runs on java and up to 80% of the installed base of phones. Technologically, Vpon has taken steps to economize on bandwidth, and depending on your data plan it costs less than $1 to receive 30 coupons. They also offer a form of location based service to filter coupons for your specific neighborhoods. Mr. Wu values the user relationship and has avoided pushing too much data at the consumer, even on an opt-in basis. There are plans for internet browser based management of the coupons as well.

Vpon has also been responsive to the needs of their advertisers, allowing them to target their coupons to specific demographics, and collecting post-sale customer satisfaction surveys via their mobile app.

In less than a year Vpon has grown to 10 employees, deployed their application, and inked deals with Starbucks, Pizza Hut, and Mister Donut. They have acheived break-even; an infusion of working capital would fuel expansion to additional countries.

Smart Buyer

Smart Buyer has launched Mprice, a cell phone based price comparison service. They presented a very insightful chart comparing web-based shopping/buying with brick & mortar (B&M) shopping. In the USA 93% of consumer purchase remain B&M, a number which approaches 97% in Taiwan. mPrice forges a unique solution that offers the best of both worlds: the convenience of network based price checking, with the convenience of B&M shopping.

The business model contemplates charging the consumer 15 cents per use. They also gather useful buying data which is sold to the channel. They are signing deals with the top chains, thus offering a countrywide solution. And they have initially singled out the low hanging fruit of 3C products.

Smart Buyer has vision and has made some good decisions. It goes without saying that their spreadsheet is driven by their installed base and daily use. If only an affilliate marketing program were offered by the local chains or could be negotiated, user fees could be eliminated.
Or if any user fees could be made more invisible through some package promotion with their carrier partners like CHT.
Smart Buyer is partnering with CHT and 7-11, and various media outlets.
These firms are on board with their vision and will prove essential in
increasing the installed base.

Commentary

I always stop to ask: list every step needed to get my parents using this product, every mouse click, every keystroke, every credit card authorization, every download, every install. Tonight’s presenters can benefit from carrier distribution deals that pre-install their application and bundle a data plan. Failing that I would set up kiosks with technical staff to install the app along with a pile of v-coupons or free trial incentives.

There has to be a viral angle here too. Let people share coupons with their friends to spread both the app and the coupons virally. Where one users tells their friends that the app is safe and useful, and even helps them install it. With an incentive e.g. “10% off on dinner. If you and your friend BOTH present a Vpon 15% off”. The merchants should also step up to the plate and help seed.

To get these and other products to turnkey simplicity, where not only our parents but our grandparents use them daily, it takes an ecosystem. Japan remains an intriguing example, where indeed parents and grandparents use many advance mobile apps.As with wasabi, Japanese ecosystems don’t always take root in the West. But I have a feeling Taiwan could forge a solution that bridges East and West.

You can see the photos from the 15th MobileMonday Taipei event here.

Smart Buyer

Short Live Interview with Smart Buyer from Toro on Vimeo.

Event Program:

Date: 7PM, Monday, 10/06/2008

Place: Mary’s Bistro, 2F, No.89, Sec.2, Ren-Ai Rd., Taipei City (Tel: 02-3322-1859)

Check-in: 7PM

Presentations: 7:30 PM – 8 PM

Vpon: Coupon on your mobile phone

Smart Buyer: Price checking on your mobile phone

Networking Time: 8PM to 9PM

Please click here event registration

Interview with Eric Huang from JMAP.cc

Interview with Jake Morrison from Cogini

Steve Follmer consulted in Silicon Valley for many years, where he co-founded live365.com. He is currently between startups and analyzing opportunities in the mobile space. Steve holds a BSE degree from Princeton University.

ABI Research projects that worldwide shipments of global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile phones will reach 550 million units in 2012, up from 240 million units in 2008, representing handset revenue generation growing from $50 billion to $100 billion over that time, with installed base penetration approaching 40%. Who will seize the opportunity this creates?

On the 14th MobileMonday Taipei, we invited presentations from three location-based services providers: jMap.cc , Cogini and GPSStar, discussed how LBS is relevant to our daily life, the innovation they will bring to users, and the value LBS provides.

This industry has been simmering along for years, confronting a chicken-and-egg dilemma, no hardware no solutions, no solutions no hardware. But these presentations made clear that we’re long past the tipping point. To read the complete 14th MobileMonday Taipei event report written by Mr. Steve Follmer, please click here. 

You can see some photos of the event here

對於研發NFC服務業行動商務創新應用有興趣者，可自組團隊報名奪獎。競賽內容分為大專院校組、社會人士及企業組兩組，參賽內容以整合開發NFC服務業行動商務應用系統，包含軟體、硬體、手持裝置為主。

得獎作品可獲得獎金10萬元及時尚手機，同時作品將可展示於文化大學、遠傳電信、NXP台灣恩智浦半導體合辦的2008NFC服務業行動商務創意應用設計競賽發表會上，由文大育成中心居中協助商機媒合。競賽網址：//incubator.sce.pccu.edu.tw/。

近年來最熱門的無線通訊技術為「近距離通信」NFC（Near Field Communication），根據統計到2012年，全球NFC手機將達3億支，各大電信業者無不積極投入此嶄新領域研發，透過手機、PDA等行動通訊裝置和NFC技術結合，未來手機輕觸NFC感應器即可設定門禁、在便利商店或銀行內的POS機，支付款項、收取電子發票等。

文大推廣部產學研發長廖肇弘表示，這次結合產官學界資源舉辦競賽，希望對於無線通訊技術感興趣的學生、企業，共同投入NFC的商業服務業應用市場研發，鼓勵NFC在服務業的創新應用提案，藉此奠定台灣在全球NFC服務業創新應用的領先地位。

新聞聯繫人：陳佩伶 （中國文化大學創新育成中心 協理）

0968-001025 ; 02-23959521分機7376

For the 13th MobileMonday Taipei, we invite 2 WiMAX operators , Global Mobile and Vastar TV to talk about their services and what they are going to bring to the users, and how it will change the telecom industry today in Taiwan.

Time: 7PM, Monday, August 4th.

Place:

Mary’s Bistro 2F, N0.89, Sec.2, RenAi Rd.

Directions : Please visit www.maryscafe.com.tw

Event program:

7PM - Check in

7:30PM - Presentations

8:00PM - Networking Time

REGISTER HERE
Please RSVP to attend.