I think that Online Dating Social Networking wireless / mobile services, of course, will not be as cheap as contacting via a fixed computer. Some persons, mostly teenagers (from 11 to 25 years old) are used to send a lot of traffic with emails, photos, videos, or simply stay in chat rooms for hours.

If they do the same using a cell phone, a PDA or a laptop they will spent a fortune!!!

Kindest Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
ardenghifer@argentina.com

A simple trip to Europe will show how much the youth is spending on SMS alone. It is advertised on television there. SMS is used constantly. It is a fit for online dating to be in the same category. I've never held a conference with this high level of interest.
Many of the telecom companies are contacting us about this event and have expressed a strong interest in the industry.

In the USA, the mobile dating industry is in its infancy. However, the mobile industry is now starting to take hold in the US. My theory is simple, newer cell phones are going in 2 directions:

1) Cell Phones are getting smaller: These phones will be just what they are - PHONES. Don't expect much interactive use from these devices as the screens are too small.

2) Cell Phones are getting bigger: These, like the Treo, The Blackberry and others are becoming mini-replacements to laptops. With the high memory and the screen size you can get a decent view with a broswer internet site. You can also take your customer database on the road, or use MS Office level applications. This market is the most interesting, as this is the device that will morph the i-dating client.

I guess we'll all find out in San Francisco what's going on. There will be interesting business discussions on various business models the wireless caririers and the online dating firms have.

Marc Lesnick
Conference Organizer

In my opinion mobile applications will only complement but not replace actual On line Dating / Social Networking Internet sites

On line Dating / Social Networking WILL NOT metamorphose / morph to mobile equipments

It is easy to use mobile internet with a laptop connected to a cell phone or a PDA but the cost is terrible high

Comparison Example for Argentina
fixed computer: a computer or a laptop connected to a fixed phone line, cablemodem (broadband or dialup) cost nearly USD0,50 to USD1,00 per hour.
mobile computer: a laptop connected to a cell phone or a laptop plus WAP access cost minimum USD6,00 per hour.
Here, in Argentina, teenagers (age 13 to 25) mostly have cheap cell phones and are used to send SMS to initiate a contact, and after that, to chat via a fixed computer. (for On line Dating)

Perhaps this will occur worldwide due to high wireless costs.

Kindest Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
ardenghifer@argentina.com

Hey Fernando,
I think you've got it wrong.
Here in Japan, we all use our cellphones for finding dates. The access costs are small because all operators offer fixed-rate data plans. I personally spend about 100 dollars a month on my mobile data bill but if it were not for the fixed rate plan the data I access on my phone would cost 1500 dollars.
You should check out the mobile dating scene here and in Korea to see what the future will be in the US and Europe.

I think nobody wants to be 24hs a day online or pending of him/her cell phone / PDA.

Mobile / wireless services will peak and decay because its weak point is: very time consuming, it could disturb you at every moment. It is like a private TRUMAN SHOW. Everybody will be TRUMAN for 5,000 friends.

Mobile / wireless services will be more adequate for teens (11-25 years) used to have a "lot of friends"
and
not for more mature persons (26-???), who will require quality in on line dating and also they know the difference between REAL FRIENDS from CASUAL ACQUAINTANCES.


Note that you said "I personally spend about 100 dollars a month on my mobile data bill but if it were not for the fixed rate plan the data I access on my phone would cost 1500 dollars."

At that rate you will spent 1,200 dollars a year, or 12,000 dollars per ten years.

Cordially,

Fernando Ardenghi
Buenos Aires
Argentina
ardenghifer@gmail.com

Yes, cost is a concern but not the deciding factor to the consumer. As long as consumers are seeing value from the system at every stage of the interaction they will keep using it.

We have had a fantastic response to Mobile Phone Dating in South Africa using our Flirtnet (www.Flirtnet.co.za) product. Apart from our licensees, our own system has +- 400,000 registered users showing that the service is completely mass market.

It is also interesting to see how Mobile Dating is being used more as an advanced meeting environment rather than a pure chat service. Users are in fact allowed to can exchange telephone numbers (managed in a safe manner) and consumers can communicate directly to save costs. This keeps users coming back for more.

Japanese teens became to smoke LESS in order to have MORE money to spend in cell phones applications.


The percentage of junior high and high school students who smoke dropped sharply in fiscal 2004 apparently due to a decline in adult smokers and expensive cell phone bills, a health ministry research team said Monday.


http://home.kyodo.co.jp/modules/fstStory/index.php?storyid=198981

Kindest Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
ardenghifer@gmail.com