Lots of new cool apps were demonstrated at the Mobile Device Developments Conference held in London in October 2003 and more recently in Cannes at the 3GSM World Congress (February 2004).
One application in particular caught my eye: Telia Sonera's SM-liiga results service. For those of you not familiar with Telia Sonera, it is the merger between Telia (incumbent Swedish operator) and Sonera (incumbent Finnish operator), concluded on January 1, 2003. It is now represents the leading telecommunications group in Nordic and Baltic countries (largest mobile operator in Sweden and Finland, second largest in Norway and fourth largest in Denmark).
The SM-liiga service is part of the Sonera Colour mobile content services suite geared towards Sonera mobile subscribers in Finland. It provides a nice graphical interface from which subscribers can receive real-time information about events and scores of games played in the Finnish hockey league (SM-liiga). Yes that's the same league that featured several NHL players back in the 1994-95 season (during the last lockout).
But what's so interesting about this application? it seems just like other 2.5G/3G services that are quite popular in Europe (there are several similar services in the UK for football - opps... soccer - results). Nothing too complex - and there are already some similar services like this over here, that send regular sports updates to paging devices, etc.
Well, maybe it is a case of NHL playoff fever, but I just started thinking why shouldn't we Canadians be at the forefront of these applications? Just imagine the possibilities, and going above and beyond simple scores. How about going to the ACC, turning your cell phone and getting a cool app that would allow you to automatically sign up for the 50/50 draw (cost gets added to your monthly bill). If you win, you get a nice buzzing sound & vibrations (in case the crowd noise is too loud). Nice to know you don't have to stay glued to the scoreboard and pull your ticket to see if it matches the winning number. You can also send Pat Quinn your opinions about the Leafs' play during the two intermissions (well, chances are he won't read them right then, but then again, it's all about making you feel like you can be an assistant coach). Each SMS/MMS message costs, but the carrot stick can be automatically participating on a draw for an autographed Leafs jersey (a bit of clever marketing between an operator and Maple Leaf Entertainment can always help). If the game is being held before the All Star break... hey, you get to vote for the all stars (at no charge). And at the end of the game, you can choose your own 3 stars of the game (if you match all 3, you win a prize).
All the required technology is there. This service can be a hit, with a bit of creative marketing and attractive bundling with other popular services... How long will it be before Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless, Telus Mobility and/or Microcell launch such an offering?