Introduction
The Mobile Content Export Navigator Project is a research initiative established to assist Australian companies developing portable content for distribution to mobile phones and other handheld media devices. It aims to investigate various channels to market in a range of countries by actively distributing a variety of quality content from Australian producers and informing the industry of the lessons learnt in the process. All proceeds from export sales achieved under this research initiative are wholly returned to the owners/creators of the content.
The very small screen comes of age
The emergence of mobile networks as a new medium for the delivery of creative and interactive content represents the beginning of a new age of personal entertainment. Australian content producers have the capacity to provide compelling content into the global market for this emerging opportunity. Broadcasting of digital video signals to handheld devices and the emergence of multimedia entertainment players such as the Apple iPod Video are about to offer new channels for the delivery of content suited to the very small screen.
The opportunity to play
As competing business models for the distribution of mobile content are still being established, there is considerable uncertainty over which approaches will be most successful. Australian companies have the opportunity to establish themselves as premium providers of compelling content to international markets.
To do this successfully, we need to understand from direct experience what distribution mechanisms are going to be sustainable and yield the best results. Markets for ringtones and mobile wallpapers are now well-established in most countries. Mobile games are also taking off in many markets.
While there have been barriers to the uptake of richer mobile content in the form of video and animation, these barriers are progressively being addressed. The advent of 3G services and better pricing models for carriage are promoting real growth of rich media content in advanced markets.
What we need to know … to succeed
Australian companies producing digital content need to understand what factors influence successful distribution, and how these factors change between types of content across specific international markets. The Export Navigator Project will provide a rigorous program of research following case studies of actual content being exported through different channels with a variety of strategies for placement and promotion. The aim of this project is to position Australian content developers to play a leading role in the development of portable entertainment content for an emerging global opportunity.
Duration of the project
The Export Navigator Project is a two year program of research. It is timed to capture learnings as markets for mobile content are stabilising and coincides with the trialling and introduction of new mobile entertainment technologies such as Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld (DVB-H).
AusIndustry support
The partners in this project are grateful to AusIndustry - which has agreed to provide grant support under its Industry Cooperative Innovation Program (ICIP) to assist this industry led project to explore global opportunities for Australian companies.
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