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Cascada plays TAG for P2P content delivery between mobiles

By Bernard Cole
iApplianceWeb
(01/24/06, 1:54 AM GMT)

Toronto, Canada – Cascada Mobile has developed a peer-to-peer mobile content distribution system it calls TAG that will allow service providers to provide the means by which their wireless subscribers can deliver content between connected J2ME-enabled devices.

According to Tony Davis, Executive Chairman of Cascada Mobile, TAG works by providing publishers and developers with a simple JAPI that is embedded into any J2ME game or application.

“Once a subscriber purchases and downloads the application, he can at any time refer or recommend the application to his peers by selecting the recommend menu option embedded in the application,” he said.

The TAG system then takes care of notifying the intended recipients of the recommendation and determining the version and location of the application that will be compatible with the recipient's mobile device and carrier.

"The installed base of Java enabled mobile phones has reached critical mass and continues to grow daily,” said Davis. “However, the market for downloadable applications has been limited due to the complexities of the current distribution model. Word of mouth referral is the most powerful distribution model.

“Extending this model to the mobile will provide benefits such as education of the value of downloadable content, a simpler application download experience and ultimately a much wider range of available applications."

One of the greatest challenges facing mobile content developers and publishers today, he said, is in getting customers to find applications on carrier portals. Most content is purchased because it is a recognizable brand included in a "What's New" or "Top 10" list provided on a carrier's deck.

“With TAG, publishers can increase revenues even on niche applications by providing mobile subscribers with easier access to relevant content suggested by friends in as few as two clicks,” he said.

The TAG SDK is integrated by a developer or publisher into the targeted game or application. This process typically takes less than five hours, including testing. TAG provides the greatest flexibility on how and when a referral can be initiated, either from a game menu or as the result of an event in the application.

TAG overlays existing carrier infrastructure and network elements to provide cross-carrier functionality without any effort required on the carrier's part. It also minimizes any potential challenges caused by fragmentation, ensuring content will work on multiple devices.

Cascada Mobile's TAG service is currently being made available in North America on most wireless carriers supporting J2ME.

To learn more, go to www.cascadamobile.com.

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