The MotoCLIQ was just launched here at Mobilize 09 by Dr. Jha the Co-Ceo of Motorola. He made a compelling presentation on MotoBLUR/MotoCLIQ for the first mobile with “social skills” and indeed it’s a logical advance. The key differentiators for the first Motorola Android phone is the messaging management function. The MotoCliq will be the first phone to really integrate all your messaging into one single lifestream built upon the MotoBlur UI. Eg Facebook, Twitter, email etc. MotoBlur is an aggregation in and out of all your messaging.
My notes from the session are below. So what’s the issue from my point of view?
(Have to update! Just spoke with Jim Stead of T-Mobile so some of my assumptions / guesses are wrong. T-Mobile won’t get access to MotoBlur… that doesn’t mean carriers won’t in the future or that Moto isn’t themselves trying to make a much broader identity play. Similarly I’ve not yet seen the Moto “rules” legal for using the MotoBlur service. I just suggest it gets dug into.)
First MotoBlur is a play with carriers. By aggregating all messaging into a single stream for the first time all my contacts and all my messages will be tagged with the social profile which may or may not be unencumbered. Eg it will all be aggregated together. Thus the carrier gets some real benefits and access to data they would not otherwise get. Strategically this is a great sales pitch from Moto to Carriers when they really need to win in this space. It means your profile with the carrier with MotoBlur goes beyond the current name and address. Now the carrier will get your Facebook access, Twitter etc. Potentially all profiles and updates around them that you use will be aggregated into one unified profile and contacts database. So before you buy a MotoCliq from T-Mobile ask yourself if you are ready to share all your social networking data with your carrier.
How can I make this statement? I wasn’t told. I am presuming that the MotoBlur service is basically a backend component for the carriers to augment these accounts. Potentially it also empowers them to create interesting new services (they should know me a lot better; add in where I go and who I meet). Still ask yourself whether you want all your messaging going through them. With the corresponding “social context” of all messaging coming to you. GoogleMail with notifications from Facebook etc may get a slice of this but no one yet gets all of this. As a user you are giving up more control over your data. Personally I want more control not less; then maybe that is just me.
You will see in my notes that MotoBlur is set to back up your phone. If I lose it.. they can wipe it and track it. That too is the “pay for this” function that the carriers can make an extra profit on. So MotoCliq could come with a “social phone” charge. From a Carrier perspective this is a “sweet spot”
Other than that.. looks like a neat device. Just ask yourself… do you want your carrier to have more power than Google?
Notes from live presentation. Some paraphrased.
Dr. Sanjay K. Jha Co-CEO Motorola, Inc. and CEO, Mobile Devices, Motorola
Keynote on Android. Does Moto have a chance. Even Kevin remembers his StarTac in the into.
What’s wireless broadband.. 500kps that’s wireless broadband is a good working number and means a fast connection to steaming video and audio. It means they are connected to the friends and family without limits. 107% increase in the last year on data driven devices. 5 billion have wireless and 1b will have data access and rapid expansion of messaging and ….. now evolving from 1 to 1 to 1 to many. IMHO mobilizing the internet in other markets will be the most important tech change.
Smartphones will be the backbone for the mobilization of the internet. There is no real understanding of the definition of the smartphone. If you don’t have these elements… must have large high res screen with 3g or 4g and enable software updates… rich messaging and social media and all voice services and last it must have a graphic multi-threaded environment.
Android provides this opportunity in a modular operating system that enable multiple applications at the same time. We are leveraging the Android platform to leverage the experience. What consumers want is the flexibility to make their own choices. Offering a portfolio of devices.
About to demo the 1st Android device from Moto. The pitch is strong on social networking. Twitter and Facebook etc. About half of US traffic is now on social networking sites. Complexities with multi emails, networks etc. What if the solution made this all easier?
MotoBlur! Brief overview. Everything in a single stream. No log-ins. So you can focus on what people ahve to say rather than how they send it. Your entire live in a single stream in a phone that is smart enought to be social. Synchs contacts, photos, feeds, etc and much more. Auto serves it up on the home page just the way you want it.
Customizable home stream with “wigets”. First social status. can send to one or more social sites. One update broadcasts anwhere in seconds. Happenings Widget and Messages Wiget. By synching all contacts into a single address book which enables groups too. Shows the opportunity for improving the CallerID.
Ok my notes.. the play is MotoBlur all your data on our servers! Lose your phone we still have it. Track your phone etc. MotoCliq – the first phone with social skills. (I presume that MotoBlur is a backend that the carriers get from Moto and they support) The same phone will be known as MotoDext in other markets around the world. Additional carriers will launch before year end.
Shifted to a Panel led by GigaOm.
Must have a rich browser that can render the majority of web sites. Messaging is important must be integrated. Increasingly Access to Data will differentiate between devptedices. The reason to carry – voice is important but the ability to interface with the internet is key.
What other services will be disrupted? Devices as powerful as a PC 5 years ago. When it becomes personal it matters whether enterprise or schools. The internet is the destination. There are things working on your behalf with an operating system that reaches into the cloud.
Android is a modern operating system and enable the internet in real-time. For consumer computing the smartphone is the primary device in five years. What happens to the other platforms. Have choice. Let the best products win. Moto will evolve their MotoBlur service. You are marrying social graph, location, messaging etc.
Deeply integrated the messaging function for social networks.
