HMV are interesting new product, where people can buy music and DVDs using their mobile phone. Products will be advertised in the press with a text link which will then take customers through to a WAP site where they can enter their credit/debit card details to buy the product, Amazon-style. Essentially this a straight e-commerce product launched over mobile, which presumably will get more take-up off the page than a traditional website, and will be interesting to watch. It certainly suggests the writing is on the wall for Mobile operator-style payments, at least in the UK.

Also very interesting to see news of Virgin Mobile's advertising funded service, where users get free calls in return for watching Ads. Although not the first company to make such an announcement the does suggest that we may get a trend emerging here, but in the long term any product like this has to depend on the level of response that the advertisers get, and with the product itself only appealing to those who can't really afford to pay their phone bill, it seems unlikely that advertisers will pay a premium to reach them.

Original Source: Mobile Strategies