Aspic seminar underway (pic credit: Sequel Group)
“There is no new thing, there is just a new way of doing an existing thing”.
This thought formed the opening of the latest Aspic Communications Cafe at the Soho Hotel in London this morning on the topic of ‘Harnessing the power of the mobile revolution’.
The session was hosted by Sequel Group and alongside other Comms professionals I listened as Charles Fenoughty from the agency took us through the journey of mobile communications and the opportunities that exist from a comms perspective.
We examined how mobile is changing the way organisations communicate in general, particularly as it tends to be more often, for less time, anywhere and with more people. Among the topics we discussed were security, risk, cost and uptake.
Knowing your SMS from your M&S
Within the world of communications and mobile comms there are many acronyms and Charles took us through all of the descriptions in the style of boardroom bingo and explained what everything is. It struck me that you could hear the same phrases over and over again without knowing what they stand for or if you do, what they actually mean.
Do you know what all the acronyms around mobile communications mean? Thought I would share some with you as a multiple choice quiz – answers are at the foot of this post. Thanks to Sequel and Charles for helping to make things clearer.
1. Does WAP stand for a) Wireless Application Protocol, b) Wholly Applicable Product, c) Wired Amplified Processor
2. What is POP? a) Pulse Over Programme b) Post Office Protocol c) Product Only Programme
3. SMS is a) Small Message Service, b) Short Mediated System, c) System Message Structure
4. IM stands for a) Immediate Message, b) Instant Messenger, c) Immediately Mobile
5. OS means a) Office Syndication, b) Output Sending, c) Operating System
6. BBM is short for a) Big Buzz Marketing, b) BlackBerry Messenger, c) Bytes By Mobile
7. Apps relate to a) Apples, b) Applications c) Amplifiers
8. SMTP is a) Single Message Transfer Programme, b) Social Media Template Programme, c) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
9. GPS means a) Genuine Phone Satellite, b) Global Product Service, c) Global Positioning System
10. What does M&S stand for? a) Mobile & Strategy, b) Marks & Spencer, c) Message & Structure.
Final thoughts
I’m going to leave you with some final thoughts (and the quiz answers) based on some of the information that was shared today.
We only have three years before access to the internet via mobile devices overtakes access via a computer. In India it already does
Every 18 months the cost of data access is cut by half and access doubles
Mobile makes it easy for people to contribute, it means that people who may be afraid to speak up, can
Comms professionals need to be brave, bold, get past the first piece of politics and get messages out there
Files are getting larger, there is better remote access and merging of devices, mobile is the future
Comms professionals need to consider security, uptake and cost. Have a plan, think logically and examine how you’re going to measure it
Mobile enables content on the move, it allows home access and even provides the chance for feedback instantly.
Quiz answers
1 a) Wireless Application Protocol, 2 b) Post Office Protocol, 3 a) Small Message Service, 4 b) Instant Messenger, 5 c) Operating System, 6 b) BlackBerry Messenger, 7 b) Applications, 8 c) Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, 9 c) Global Positioning System, 10 b) Marks & Spencer 😉 (for non-UK readers this is a chain of shops).
What are your thoughts on mobile communications? Do let me know your thoughts, feel free to comment below.
Post author: Rachel
Thanks for attending Rachel and a great blog to follow it up. Mobile is certainly the future and it is changing the way we are doing things. I was surprised that even in the UK that in 3 years time we will access the internet more on mobile devices than on computers even if it is the norm for India!