• by November 17, 2000

Despite the hype, wireless skeptics are growing in numbers. Just yesterday, the Internet Advertising Report ran a story highlighting the consensus some analysts have reached - advertising won't comprise a major revenue source for wireless content providers. To strengthen the case, IAR quoted Gartner Group analyst Bob Egan, who said users will find ads too obtrusive in the mobile space.

"Advertisers will see people carrying cell and phones and other messaging devices as the most qualified retail distribution for their advertising," he said. "But the simple fact is, I don't want my phone going off every two minutes with coupons and offers."

On the wings of the article, the Boston Consulting Group released the results of a study which found that fewer than one-third of U.S. wireless device owners have attempted mobile online purchasing, and 20% of those who have tried to quit after the first few attempts.

But, most of the 1,850 survey respondents -- based in the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Sweden and Australia -- believe that mobile applications will become an important part of their daily lives in the next few years. And globally, 82% of current and potential users, including 88% in the U.S., believe that within the next three years a mobile device will become their personal travel assistant, according to the study. Similar percentages think that mobile devices will become part of a daily routine of sending e-mails, getting news and information, and shopping.

Right now, the top five mobile complaints listed by consumers around the world were: high costs, slow speeds, cumbersome navigation, the difficulty of typing in text using a phone keypad and unreliable service.

AudioGraphics.com's Ken Dardis put it best: "Here's why [wireless] won't fly in America anytime soon: it's boring. Besides the few commercials we see where people check their stocks, book a movie or send e-mail, say there is no real reason to use a wireless device yet. Now don't misread this, wireless will take hold. But it's going to take more than what's being offered now to cause American consumers to get into the wireless rage."