Beyond usability: the OoBE dynamics of mobile data services markets

• Published in: Personal and ubiquitous computing Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 198 - 208
• Main Authors: Gilbert, A Lee, Sangwan, Sunanda, Ian, Hilda Han Mei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer Nature B.V 01.07.2005
• Subjects: Mobile communications networks
• ISSN: 1617-4909; 1617-4917
• DOI: 10.1007/s00779-004-0321-8

With processors imbedded in appliances, cars, books, and other retail products, modern society has entered the world of pervasive computing. Yet few consumers are able to set up new digital devices and integrate them into everyday life. From this perspective, the data-enabled mobile phone leads the way. In many markets, mobile phones have a product life cycle of 12 months or less. Some subscribers are able to put their new phones to immediate and full use. For others, the learning curve is so steep that they move on to a replacement without having learned to exploit the functionality available in the first one. This work applies earlier findings by IMARC researchers in segmenting mobile data services (MDS) markets, interprets recent survey data, and synthesizes a model to guide design of the Out-of-the-Box Experience (OoBE) for mobile data subscribers. This integrative model can be applied across cultures to help service developers, facilitators and operators design, distribute and communicate new MDS to fulfill the demand side requirements of potential adopters, and to guide packaging design to improve user experiences during the early stages of use. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]