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Proximity Based Mobile Social Networking: Applications and Technology, Making New Connections in the Physical World
Smith's Point Analytics, Nov 2011, Pages: 33
This report evaluates and quantifies the opportunity for proximity based social networking applications. Proximity based social networks use geo-proximity to make new connections and has the potential to help disrupt the current architecture of the mobile web. This report details the opportunity, players and strategic relevance of these applications and associated technologies.
Executive Summary:
The convergence of social networking, smart mobile devices and location based services, has driven significant change across the mobile computing landscape. Mobile users and developers are experimenting with new ways to interact with their physical environment using the web and mobile phones.
This trend has given rise to the “gamification” of the world where everything and everyone can be incorporated into a game or new experience. Astute mobile application vendors have spotted this shift and are bringing to market applications that help mobile users make new connections and interact with people in close proximity. This emerging market is expected to grow to $1.9 billion in revenues by 2015. Not only does this trend provide new opportunities for application vendors but has the potential to disrupt the current social networking market and architecture of the web.
Smith's Point Analytics defines proximity based social networking applications as those that use geo-proximity as the primary filter in determining who is discoverable on the social network. This differs from location based social networks such as Foresquare and Gowalla that broadcast location to existing friends or mobile dating sites that match people primarily based on compatibility.
By enabling users to meet new people and interacting with them and their locally relevant content, proximity based social networking applications are highly engaging. This experience of will drive user adoption and presents multiple opportunities for advertisers to interact with potential clients in innovative ways. Brands that can interject themselves into the experience will see valuable returns.
The rise of proximity based social networking also lays the groundwork for long-term disruption in the mobile landscape. The trend toward social interaction though proximity social networks will drive content to the edge of networks which will be consumed by users through ad-hoc peer-to-peer local area wireless networks.
This shift from wide area wireless networking to local area networking will mitigate the data burden on carrier networks while reducing their influence, creating opportunities for new players and innovative initiatives by mobile operators.
In the future, proximity social networks will manage and define the social and technical processes that dictate connectivity and interaction between mobile users in the same location. Discoverability and privacy are at the core of these protocols and vendors are approaching these mechanisms differently and getting it right will be paramount to which vendors survive and which ones fail.
The high profile pivot of Color, after raising $41 million, is a good example of challenges in this market. Vendors must overcome difficulty of attracting a critical mass of users to create a compelling experience.
Facebook has won the first stage of the social networking market evolution but may miss the rise of the proximity network due to their focus on controlling identity.
Many vendors are looking for next generation social networking technology and interacting with people and the environment in a user's immediate proximity will be an important part of the next evolutionary stage.
Products Covered in This Report:
- AllJoyn
- Badoo
- Blue
- Bluetooth
- Bump
- Buzze
- Congo
- Dodgeball
- Facebook Places
- Flashlinq
- Google+
- Gowalla
- Grinder
- Groupon
- LAL
- Living Social
- Loco Ping
- LoKast
- Loopt Mix
- Multi-lens
- My Space
- Shadow Cities
- Sonar
- Twitter
- WhosHere
- Wi-Fi Direct
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