The Day the Mobile Industry Changed

I'm just back from Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, and I'm feeling a little self-important.

MWC is a huge telecoms tradeshow where the great, the good and the proflagate debate the future of the industry. I went along because I've recently launched a tech-startup in the mobile technology space. This year there was change in the air, a power-shift from the giganta-networks like AT&T, Vodafone et al, towards the nimble and powerful web-based players such as Google and Skype. Even better, those upstarts are falling over themselves to work with little players, like me.

Of course some things never change. Tech giants are still building exhibition stands with more space and better décor than my own apartment. Eastern European companies continue to fluff their stands with under-dressed pretty girls like it's 1977. Best of all are the national stereotypes, from the sports-jacketed US executives to the buttoned-up, terrified looking Japanese ladies. When all of those are gone I'll know times have really changed.

You probably already know that some Big Stuff happened. Samsung screamed about a new phone called Wave, based on an operating system called Bada. Microsoft (the 'Bing' people, there's a joke in there somewhere) released Windows Phone 7, replacing the antiquated Windows Mobile operating system. All this is happening because these companies have Big Problems with iPhone (and its App Store) Google (and it's Android operating system) and the fact that mobile innovation now resides with the global army of app developers. I'm one of those people, though I claim no special credit - there were thousands of us in Barcelona.

I didn't see these big launches. I was too busy, and knew I could check them out online later. Instead I spent my time briefing journalists on our latest exploits while keeping my business running from hotel hotspots and quiet corners. I think I managed it, though I'll know if I'm bankrupt when my mobile roaming charges become clear.

This year, the new kids were given their own playground - A hall at the top of the hill named App Planet. This was my favourite spot and was never less than packed to the rafters. Here the suits gave way to t-shirts, Blackberries became iPhones and exhibitors appeared a decade younger than those in other halls. Sensing the mood, Skype were there offering free phone calls, while beaming developers carried around their free Nexus One phones from Google. Sadly I arrived too late for the giveaway and am still kicking myself.

My company is into mobile augmented reality, and the organizers invited us onto a panel to debate this emerging industry. With 300 people packed into the hall, three start-ups flanked a nervous Nokia executive on the stage. A sense of humility is required. After all, Nokia's event budget probably exceeds the combined revenue of all the other companies on the stage, but the point is that we belonged there. Later, I took part in an augmented reality demonstration event - Essentially technology speed-dating. It had been billed as a press event, but in truth most of the demos were given to the big exhibitors who were all keen to know "where are you going with this? How many downloads have you had? What is your business model?"

Perhaps I'm getting a little carried away, I'm sure my mother would say I'm over-tired, but there really was something different this year, a palpable changing of the guard. Now though, I'm planning on sleeping for the whole weekend.

(Pic: James Nash cc2.0)