Till now Yahoo has been the Leader with a large part of its $6.5billion revenues coming from Display ads. Facebook is also taking over its display advertising inhouse after having partnered with Microsoft till now.

In an earnings call, Google specified that Display Advertising would be its next major focus area. Google has one of the hottest properties available which could prove to be the lynchpin in its strategy, Youtube. Google’s strategy should focus on using Youtube to increase its share of the display advertising pie. Check out Google’s plans about display advertising in this youtube video.

It will be sometime before there is consolidation as Google’s efforts may increase the size of the pie for everybody.

Update: Came across the stats on TechCrunch regarding ten biggest advertising publishers on the web.

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Gartner has listed out the Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications for 2012. Promises to be a very interesting read. They have identified that the applications will include the following:

Twitter:
Top 10 Tips For New Twitter Users

Social Media:
7 Inputs to a Social Media Strategy by Adam cohen
Post Method for deciding your Social Media strategy by Forrester research
How to track a million conversations on Forbes

I want to focus on one of the lesser focussed services in the mobile platform, namely SMS. SMS is the most widely used application after voice. Its inherent simplicity eliminates any learning curve and according to wikipedia, more than 70% of all mobile phone users use it. The participation in all the reality shows on TV is a very good metric for this.

I am a believer in customizing this service for different business needs. SMS is one technology which can be used to pull or push information without very heavy investment in infrastructure.There are a whole lot of providers who allow SMS’s to be configured from the system.

Just google it out and you will be overwhelmed by the number of simple SMS broadcast services. Most of these concentrate on just a simple broadcast mode by pushing out messages to the audience. I think there is a lot of potential in using a pull mechanism for disseminating information.

Different organizations and primarily SME’s can use this technology in numerous ways to connect to their customers. Depending on the nature of the organization, whether its a manufacturing organization, a service organization or any other organization, each can use this to efficiently streamline the external facing operations such as promotions or for Sales force automation.

Manufacturing organizations can use SMS to streamline and enable Sales force automation. It can also be used as a supplement to email to alert the users.

SMS can be used by Service organizations to broadcast information (such as offers) or send point to point information (in response to a query or reminders to the customers for ex:- bill payment) as a simple CRM system. A few examples:

• Doctors can use these to inform their clients about vaccination dates such as the Pulse polio campaign.
• Restaurants can inform customers about promotions such as Happy hours etc.
• Notifications in case of any calamity

The only hindrance I see is that for Business applications, the system should be very robust and in this case the delivery has to be instantaneous in 100% of the cases. SMS delivery isn’t prompt as far as I have noticed. If it can ensure timely delivery then a lot more business applications can use this as an enabler.

Update 1: Came across this post on Watblog regarding TRAI on SMS Charges

Came across Max Ehrmann‘s “Desiderata” . Happy Reading.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.