This wonderful image was taken from the Wikipedia article on the Internet.

The Mobile Internet is Emerging. The 2007 3GSM World Congress was all about mobile companies strutting their stuff. So many new products and services were announced. With all these possibilities becoming reality, it's obvious that the capabilities of smartphones and PDAs have greatly improved.

One area where mobiles and handhelds are improving is providing access to the Internet. It's inevitable: smartphones and PDAs are a lot more portable than desktops, even notebooks, and users want to enjoy the new sources of information and oppurtunities that the web gives them-wherever they are.

It's good to see that most companies in the mobile industry understand this, because those who refuse to adapt to the new rules of the game will simply be left behind. Service operators are upgrading their networks (or creating new ones) that allow our gadgets to communicate at faster speeds. Manufacturers are releasing devices that feature so many ways to access the Internet. Users can now avail of flat rate plans, which cost the same regardless of how much they surf the Web.

It's Still About the Bottom Line. But these developments don't come about from philantrophy. Yes, it's about giving customers what they want. Ultimately though, it's about making money. The first mover advantage, which rewards those who establish themselves early, also applies here. Companies who seek to become the establishment may attempt to impose their own standards to do so.

It's a natural competitive reaction. Set up the game on your terms, and you'll easily win. Yet all the major players should remember the reason why the Internet is what it is today: open communication standards.

It Should Also be About Open Communication Standards. Millions of people access the Internet daily because they're confident that no matter how they go about accessing the Internet, the result will basically be the same. In other words, no matter what they device they use, they'll be able to enjoy their favorite websites.

Those looking to make a name on this new, unconquered territory that is the mobile web should take the words of Tim Berners-Lee, practically the father of the Internet, to heart:

Web 2.0 community Web sites, eBay, and Flickr are possible because the Web standards...were widely implemented in an interoperable way, before those innovations. The same for the wikis, like Wikipedia, and blogs, and so on. The Web is a huge platform for innovation because of those standards. Any new genre of communication, any new social networking idea, immediately can gain the value of unexpected re-use by people across the world.

This highlights the fact that it's all about providing easy access to information and facilitating the growth of new kinds of services. Working to make everything work together easily-even the competitor's products-will help the mobile Web attain the runaway success of its traditional brother.

Put Off Short-Term Selfishness For Long-Term Gain. If those who invent mobile communication standards try to make money off what they create, it could impede progress. Licensing fees are usually very expensive, and small companies who have to pay the price of admission may decide to abandon their cost-prohibitive efforts. Imagine the many ideas that would never develop, simply because of their costly implementation.

The classic capitalist question "What's in it for me?" comes to mind. There are still oppurtunities to make money despite pushing for open communication standards. One way would be to establish one's self as a great provider of tools. Nokia's Mini Map browser uses open standards, but it's such a great way to surf the net that other companies may be willing to buy the right to use it on their own devices.

In the end, giving up the obvious short-term gains for vague long-term oppurtunities will result in greater profit. The faster the mobile web becomes widely available, the faster new ways of making money can be created and exploited. A mobile Internet that's based on open communication standards will enjoy a bigger audience. Meaning more people who are willing to pay for genuinely useful services.