» Demand and Supply Imperatives in a Mobile Portal Strategy: An Inclusive Framework

Umar Ruhi

DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Canada

Manuscript Completed: January 2005.

The wireless industry today is in a state of transition - mobile data services are poised to create new revenue streams for wireless carriers and content and application providers through the provision of value added services to the mobile customer. Mobile portals offer one such breed of value added services where different industry participants are collaborating in novel ways to provide content, community and commerce based services to their mobile customers. As organizations struggle through the initial phases of the mobile portal lifecycle, they are striving to achieve a critical mass of customers to help them profit from their business undertakings. In their endeavor to achieve this critical mass of customers, companies need to rethink their business models by creating and offering a compelling value proposition to their customers and formulating new and improved partnerships on the supply side. This paper discusses the critical elements of an effective mobile portal strategy for companies involved in the mobile portal value chain. By deliberating a business model perspective, an Enhanced Customer Value Framework is presented for the demand-side. The framework seeks to address the needs, expectations and preferences of mobile customers on the basis of which, the firm can articulate an effective customer relationship management (CRM) strategy for their mobile portal customers. On the supply-side, an Enhanced Lifecycle Management Model for Mobile Portals is presented. The model aims to guide the value chain collaboration strategies across the various stages of the portal’s evolution. The model can be used by mobile portal service providers to successfully address the challenges associated with offering an end-to-end mobile portal solution in the marketplace. Finally, the demand and supply side elements are unified into a coherent conceptual framework. This Inclusive Framework for a Mobile Portal Strategy aspires to be utilized as a blueprint in the implementation of a company’s wireless portal strategy.

Keywords: Mobile Portals, M-Commerce, Business Model, Value Added Services, Portal Lifecycle.