These last days of the 2008 year, I really wanted to write several of my predictions down for next year - year 2009. I wanted to write down the biggest and most important issues I think the mobile market will face. I wanted to point out 5 key predictions for 2009. 

1. Handset fragmentation - Android entering the market, handset fragmentation will continue to be an even larger issue throught year 2009. Nobody knows what will happen to unite, but I believe it will be a large issue. With so many platforms out there, namely Java, BREW, Symbian, iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile, and DoJa, it is hard to push anything worldwide, this also comes to my second point
2. Go local! - Local mobile services are going to starten to rule. Handsets, mobile internet, mobile advertising, and mobile operators help mobile services really be a local thing, and thanks to as well language differentiation and local content demand, local mobile services and local mobile portals will be key in 2009
    
3. Mobile advertising - year of money - 2008 was the year of infrastructure, case studies, and “getting there” in mobile advertising. I believe 2009 will be the key year, as the market will be moving towards real advertisers, real money, and real budgets getting OPENED towards mobile, not yet fully engaged, but beginning to get there. First large mobile campaigns will be run nation wide on prime time television.
    
4. Mobile internet - year of largest growth - In many researches, it was said that 2009 / 2010 are the years where mobile internet should surpass the internet usage worldwide, and it already has in many countries, but still hasn’t yet in countries like UK, France, Germany, and US. I believe in 2009, it will get as close to that as it got in any comparing past years. I believe the penetration of mobile internet will reach or exceed 30 - 40% of population in many countries
    
5. Mobile content - year of personalisation decline - I believe 2009 will be the year of declining mobile content revenues. Why? Due to the fact that: wallpapers can be found everywhere already for free, YouTube is already mobile people will learn how to search, and searching for MP3’s and other content for free on the web is just so easy, that people won’t use the regular music stores, but rather just transfer their content directly to their mobile, which is unfortunatelly easily possible.

Tags: mobile advertising, mobile content, mobile services, mobile web