Me, my phone and my tones

Though the mobile phone has been around for some time now, the impact it has had on people’s daily lives continues to amaze me. From a simple communication tool, the mobile phone has evolved into a fashion accessory, a status symbol and an instrument for defining moods and personality.

Everywhere you go, you see people using their cellular phones, either talking to someone, texting, playing games or downloading an application. The Philippine market’s use of SMS (Short Messaging Service) or text messaging exceeds that of all other countries worldwide, baffling telco experts and analysts. I was told that in Europe, the average volume of SMS messages sent is 20 to 25 messages per subscriber per month. In the Philippines, it’s about 25 messages per subscriber per day, with some subscribers sending up to 70 messages per day.

The overwhelming success of SMS has given rise to a new segment in the mobile cellular industry – mobile value-added services. Value-added services (VAS) are add-on services offered on top of the basic services. They provide differentiation for the mobile operator, enabling it to offer services and content which may not be available from other operators.

There are various VAS applications that mobile subscribers can avail themselves of, which allow them to personalize their mobile phones to suit their tastes and moods. They also provide users more ways to communicate with their friends, family members and colleagues. For example, instead of just sending a text message, a subscriber may want to send a message with some graphics.

Another benefit that value-added services give to the consumer is the conversion of his mobile phone into a gaming device. We will look at some of these services and see what they bring to your mobile phone. You may already be using some of them, while others may be new to you.

One of the most popular and widely used services today is the downloading of ring tones via SMS. There are different categories of tones to choose from – Top 10 movie themes, OPM, pop/rock, etc. Most new mobile handsets enable you to download several ring tones and they also allow you to match the tones with specific groups of callers in your mobile phone directory. So you can group your callers into friends, families, office colleagues, etc., with each group having its own unique ring tones.

Polyphonic ring tones

Downloading ring tones is fairly easy. You simply send an SMS or text message with special keywords of the tone to be downloaded to a predefined service number. The message will trigger the system to send and install the chosen tone on the mobile phone. For example, if a Golden Handyphone or Touch Mobile subscriber wants to download the Uptown Girl tone, he just texts in "N uptown1" and then sends the message to 2345. He can also forward a tone to his friend by adding the number of the intended recipient after the keyword: "N uptown1 0917xxxxxxx."

A new development in the mobile music arena is the emergence of polyphonic tones. The current ring tones technology is based on a monophonic or single channel platform. With polyphonic handsets, the users will get ring tones that carry more than one sound channel, allowing the use of blending and harmonics. The result is a more diverse blend of notes, resulting in a closer re-creation of the original song. However, the tones will vary in sound depending on the number of sound channels available in the handsets and the sound quality of each channel.

Currently, polyphonic ring tones can be downloaded via Wireless Access Protocol (WAP). Given the relative lack of consumer familiarity with WAP, it might take some time before this mode of downloading will be used extensively. However, with the continuing popularity of SMS, some companies, including ours, are looking into the possibility of using the SMS platform to download polyphonic ring tones. This will make downloading polyphonic ring tones easy for almost anybody.

I have had the privilege of viewing some of the handsets that will be introduced this year by the different suppliers. Some of the features and capabilities of these phones are truly amazing. The capability to play polyphonic tones is just one of them. Soon, you will be able to combine graphics and sound when sending and receiving messages. You‘ll be able to know who is calling you not just through their numbers, or names, but also through their pictures.

These are truly exciting times in the world of wireless communications for the companies within the industry and more so, for the consumers. As more applications and capabilities are being developed both on the network and on the mobile handsets, expect these value-added services to continue changing and improving the quality of how we communicate.

For Globe subscribers who want to view all the available categories of ring tones as well as handset compatibility, log on to www.globeinteractive.com.ph site.

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The author is the marketing director of Wireless Services Asia, a pioneer of local mobile value-added services.