As the internet has become an
integrated part of our business, communication and marketing
through anywhere, anytime access, the question has simply become
less relevant in the same way that electricity powers every aspect
of our business, increasingly so does the internet. And yet, no
one's asking: "what is your electricity strategy?" it's difficult
to put a precise date on when this change occurred but sometime
near the end of this decade, digital ceased to be distinct. It
became, for those lucky enough to have it, like clean, water at the
switch of the tap.
It hasn't happened everywhere yet, but
certainly in developed markets and the more affluent parts of
countries such as india, China and Brazil, digital can be
classified as an essential service. Without it our lives and our
businesses would simply not function in the same way.
The challenge of adapting to this new
reality is huge, and much of the adjustment will be in the area of
mobile. Globally, mobile internet access is set to grow 66% by
2013. In the uk, for example, it will become the most common way to
go on the web by 2015.
This first global edition of Blink is
dedicated to all things mobile and what it means for businesses. We
aim to provide guidance on some fundamental issues: does the humble
handset represent a medium in its own right? Is it simply a
pipeline for the web? Or should we regard it as a new distribution
platform? Our policy is that Blink should be an open forum for the
most interesting experiences, profiles and analysis, so we've
collated points of view by various insightful observers to give you
a fully rounded view of the world of mobile.
I hope you enjoy Blink. Let me know
what you think.
Stephen Allan
CEO, MediaCom Worldwide