With the launch of iCloud and iOS 5, Apple presented a number of innovations that will again erode the value added of, among others, the mobile operators. Given the current discussion about mobile data, DPI, business models and net neutrality, it’s to be expected that operators were watching with above-average interest the keynote address at Apple’s conference in San Francisco.
What should mobile operators think of Apple’s presentation? At the very least the network will be further burdened by signaling traffic and notification messages. It gives the mobile operators a choice moment to make consumers aware of the different kinds of mobile data traffic. In the current discussion about mobile data traffic, consumers have the tendency to only look at what they start up themselves, and less at marginal apps or the OS that are using data on their own in the background. Most generally don’t even know about this.
With iOS 5 and iCloud Apple has taken a step towards replacing the Mac computer with the cloud as the end-user’s central access point. Lucky for the mobile operators the synchronization of the various iCloud services takes place over a Wi-Fi connection. If this is also true for PC Free, which allows the user to update the OS without connecting to a computer, is still unclear.
The offloading of traffic via Wi-Fi does not apply to the new iMessage service. iMessage is Apple’s variation on BlackBerry Ping. It has the same icon as Messages. The difference is that Messages uses the SMS-MMS service delivery at the operator and iMessage goes over the top. The mobile operator sees nothing of the traffic, other than an increase in the number of KB or MB used.
iMessage makes its possible for iOS 5 users to exchange rich messages via Apple’s notification feature. It is a type of WhatsApp, but then only for Apple devices. There are millions who will be able to make use of this. Apple noted subtly that the messages will be encrypted when they are sent, something that the popular WhatsApp does not do. Part of iMessage is that you see when your message is delivered and if it is read. You also see if someone is writing a response. iMessage also allows you to start writing a message on your iPod and finish it later on your iPhone or iPad. This is all part of the status of iMessage being continually synched in the background via Wi-Fi or 3G. The mobile operators will again see data traffic on their network increase without any subsequent revenue from it.
Operators can at least breathe easy over the fact that Apple has not yet decided to offer FaceTime over 3G, or a voice service without the ‘Face’ on Wi-Fi or 3G. However this does make it possible and interesting to consider basing the price of mobile data not only on the number of MBs or speed, but also on the OS. This is of course not new, as BlackBerry bundles are already in general more expensive. This price difference is in part a consequence of the higher synchronization traffic underway in the background.
