OptIn Today

“Avoid a pile-up with your cell phone”

Welcome to the first edition of CellTrust’s new blog: OPTiN — your on-line source for what’s hot in mobile security, intelligent mobile marketing and advanced mobile messaging. We encourage you to OPTiN and learn more about how mobile marketing and messaging are transforming the mobile-wireless world – and let us know what’s on your mind.

Now about that mobile-wireless world…I like to compare our industry with a high-speed raceway — you just don’t know what’s coming around the next corner. And the next speed bump is approaching fast: the much-publicized vulnerability of the Apple iPhone is one of the first mobile security obstacles in what will surely be a number of rude pile-ups.

Today’s mobile devices won’t pass their next mobile marketing productivity road test with businesses or consumers because the mobile-wireless market is still figuring out how to do “mobile security” right. The iPhone detour is the inevitable result of the accelerating convergence of computers and mobile devices, such as mobile phones. The iPhone is just one of numerous newer mobile devices that feature computer-level capabilities that are vulnerable to the viruses and worms that go along with that kind of processing power.

What does this mean for all of us in the mobile-wireless community? It’s a warning flag that we cannot ignore; software and systems need to build in appropriate security measures. It means mounting pressure on mobile-wireless technology leaders like Apple, Motorola, Nokia, RIM, CellTrust, and others to support security on the mobile-wireless platform. Ultimately, only a comprehensive productivity and security solution will reassure businesses and their consumers that their mobile devices can “walk the Web 2.0 walk” (connect with mobile software and services) instead of just talk. Until this happens, today’s mobile technology and infrastructure providers will continue to miss the added productivity value that consumers are starting to demand.

In the spirit of advancing mobile capacity, CellTrust recently launched CampusReact™, an academic emergency notification service to positive reviews from both private and public academic sectors. Take it for a test drive at (www.campusreact.com) and let us know what you think.

Another mobile step forward is CellTrust’s new FlightAssist mobile flight tracking service. Never miss a flight – or a pick-up – with our flight text alerts sent directly to your mobile device. FlightAssist keeps you and your circle of friends informed about any flight you specify - in real time, anytime, everywhere. For example, the text alerts report travel delays, cancellations, and gate changes. Are you picking someone up at the airport? Simply put in their flight number (or departure / arrival airports if you don’t have the number) to get the latest information on flight arrival and gate changes. All airlines flying in and out of North America are supported. To get you started, CellTrust offers FlightAssist free for a limited time; simply go to www.flightassist.com and sign up!

Still, we are essentially at the starting line of the raceway. Beyond enhancing mobile security and functionality, we also need to shift gears and think about what’s around the next bend: a MobileWeb world of Secure Mobile Information Management that will become the cornerstone of next-generation mobile relationships – including social networking and a whole world of new and exciting offers.

Talk to me,
Sean

Email the editor at: editor