Nawras powers KOM's digital nation

The mobile has changed beyond recognition over the last 20 years but that is just the start of things to come, says Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), Director General, Mohammed Al Maskari. In partnership with Nawras, KOM will launch the Digital Nation Seminar Series (www.kom.om/ev.html), 7:45pm, Sunday 4 March at the Crowne Plaza Hotel with a session entitled Your Mobile: The Next Frontier.

"Mobile technology has transformed our lives in ways that might have seemed unimaginable five years ago. Globally, there are now more than 2 billion mobile phones in use. In Korea the third biggest national newspaper, Oh My News, gets most of its content from citizens who e-mail text stories or photos from their mobiles," said Al Maskari.

"The mobile market is the next frontier for the business, media and entertainment industries," suggest Ibtisam Al Faruji, Head of Marketing at KOM and the organizer of the Digital Nation Seminar Series. The 4 March session will discuss the future of mobile media consumption, including the outlook for games, music, SMS messaging and video on wireless devices. Where are the opportunities? How will content and business models evolve? What will consumers pay to access compelling content on mobile phones?

On signing a cross marketing Digital Nation MoU with KOM, Eng. Abdulla Al Rawahy, Chief Technical Advisor, Nawras, remarked: "The mobile evolution will be a steady progress, as each few years mobiles get more sophisticated, intelligent software evolves and the various providers of all the necessary input data, such as transport organizations and shops, gradually make the data available in formats that become increasingly useful. The future is your mobile."

So where exactly is your mobile heading? According to telecommunication experts, in 20 years your mobile won't just be a communication device it will be a remote control for your life. It will be your organizer, entertainment and payment device, security centre and so much more. On a typical day it will start working even before you wake. Because it knows your travel schedule it can check for problems on the roads and adjust the time it wakes you up accordingly, presenting you with the best route into work.

It will control your home, from switching on and off your air conditioning through to telling you when your fridge is low on milk. On the payments front - just by placing the phone near a sensor you'll be able to automatically pay for airline or cinema tickets, or buy coffee at Starbucks. "It'll be your entertainment centre when away from home. As well as holding your music files your phone will work with your home entertainment system while you sleep to find programming that will interest you and download it as a podcast so they you can watch it in your spare time," said Al Faruji.

"These are the issues that KOM's Digital Nation Seminar Series will consider. Indeed, we're very excited about Nawras' participation in the series, they'll add substantial value to a programme that has already attracted the support of: Microsoft, Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, SAP Arabia; Infoline; Omania e-Commerce; Times of Oman; Al Watan; and Oman Economic Review.

"Ten years ago the mobile was just a device for making voice calls. Now it's a camera, music player, organizer and texting device in addition. This is only the start of an evolution over the next 20 years that will turn it into a trusted and indispensable companion in life," concluded Al Maskari.