Eating MNOs' Lunch
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_fFiu4lbY9LDMgZtMXv6oY8mwy-sqPdsulqWY0HNZEs-2C_6up2ftaXA9ZKCxZ2F60usYovh5NtBitF_-KJtI1Ce8dBR2keBKGmFX7VSPJgqorCfZoG6jDWHbc_Tf_OoS0mY/s320/myphone.png)
Phone backup and configuration is one of the killer apps MNO's should provide in the first place. I put a lot of effort entering all that data and metadata into the phone. The first thing I want to be sure is this effort is not lost when my phone is lost or when it falls into the toilet (yes, it happens...). So first there was ZYB, and it stood out there for years until Vodafone realized it's real value and potential of "stickiness". Then was Apple, with iTunes being central to their strategy of keeping users tied to the platform. It is not that easy to give up iPod or iPhone and switch to another platform without losing the content (data - purchased songs, and metadata - playlists etc.). Retention. This was the idea behind the original concept of a SIM card. SIM belongs to the MNO and holds all user's data. A subscriber is free to switch / upgrade the phone, data is retained on a card. The upgrade process is seamless and the subscriber stays with the MNO. Should she prefer to switch to another MNO, she gets a new EMPTY SIM card. Quite a barrier...
But what a SIM card holds now? Almost nothing... Just a few configuration details, the rest is stored in the handset's memory. So an upgrade usually requires retyping everything or implementing some sort of data transfer mechanism on your own (like using a PC to temporarily store the data - contacts, calendars, photos, songs...). MNO's lost the opportunity, while handset vendors (or more precisely: handset OS vendors) are taking advantage of. Apple was the first mover. Microsoft has just recently announced the My Phone service. Blackberry have had it for years. They all increase platform stickiness... Upgrade from a 2G iPhone to the 3G iPhone. From one Windows Mobile device to the new one. Easy. But do not even think of switching to another platform. This is what MNO's should have mastered. But they lost the game.
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