On-Device Portal

On-Device Portal

On-Device Portals (ODPs) allow mobile phone users to easily browse, purchase and use mobile content and services. An ODP platform enables operators to provide a consistent and branded on-device experience across their broadening portfolio of services and typically provides on-device catalogs of content for purchase, deep links to WAP portals, customer care functionality and rich media services such as full track music, TV and video.

A key benefit of on-device portals is the ability to target the user rather than the device itself. This personalized service delivery, coupled with the ability to be updated on a frequent basis by the operator – refining services or adding new content – makes ODPs an attractive proposition that has already proven successful in encouraging users to access mobile content. By enhancing the user experience, ODPs improve customer satisfaction, reduce churn and in turn, drive higher data revenues.

On-Device Portals generally offer the following applications: Offline portal, store front, home-screen replacement and reporting function:

  • Offline Portal - An application that allows the user to browse content categories and preview content free of charge through pre-cached content that doesn’t require a WAP connection and creates a mobile environment that blurs offline and online experiences.
  • Store Front - A client-server application enabling the user to discover, preview and select cached content offline, before accessing it via a WAP link.
  • Home-Screen Replacement - A dashboard function of the ODP client that replaces the handset’s home screen to provide zero click access to customized mobile content and services.
  • Reporting Function - User analytics that allow operators to measure, refine and improve the delivery of data services by providing visibility into the way subscribers use and interact with their mobile devices.

On-Device Portals can be targeted to a specific mobile operating system or provide multi-platform support allowing operators to achieve a consistent, branded experience across of all devices whether they run on Symbian (Symbian OS), Microsoft (Windows Mobile), BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless), Java or Research in Motion (RIM) platforms. Some vendors have server-side components to their On-Device Portal offerings which are tied into operator billing systems that deliver features such as usage tracking and lifecycle management. On-Device Portals are not intended to replace the operating system (OS) or other aspects of the phone’s interface.

The term On-Device Portal was coined by the London-based ARCchart Research in 2001. In 2005, ARCchart estimated 10 million ODP-enabled units were in the marketplace.

Read more about On-Device Portal:  History of On-Device Portals, Mobile User Experience For On-Device Portals, On-Device Portal User Categories, The Future For On-Device Portals, See Also

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