TELECOM 2.0 - Update

Without a doubt, "social phone apps & services" are amongst the most interesting areas within the 2.0 zone. The intelligent phone segment has reached a level of critical mass in many markets. Furthermore, some (open source!) databases and some solution providers are making it much easier now to port apps and content to more mobile phone operating systems. Interfaces are getting (slowly...) better. Digital natives are often preferring their mobile connectivity above web based communications - and they are exploring all new phone features (mms, video, games) that "digital immigrants" have been consistently ignoring.But the biggest boosts will come from these new phones being "always on", extending the phone's core capabilities with the phenomenon of "awareness", and from location based apps, that now seem to become an integal part of the smartest new handsets. Location based services will thus reach our back pockets, anytime, anywhere - "socializing" communications and content much further than we even can imagine today.Some of the companies in the list below are blasting away traditional telecom business - in fact, like Skype, or potentially, like Fring, Jajah and Rebtel. Others are - at least for the time being - potentially good ARPU drivers.I'm sure that the list below is only a very small representation of what's going on in the world. Making these apps & services available for many phones in many countries is a very complex thing (thanx to our beloved manufacturers & operators), so many of them are only available locally, or still virtually invisible because they're targeting only the relatively still small segment of people with the most advanced phones. Others fail to grow to maturity - and visibility - because the telcos still think that they have to play an active role in offering them thru semi-closed portals, and/or because the telcos still take too big a chunk of the (premium) revenues to successfully monetize these initiatives.I also see many cool wap concepts from the beginning of the century making a comeback. Wap push might explode this year. Another thing is that many of these companies are European, often originating from smaller (Scandinavian!) markets. For them it's hard to prove the viability of their concepts. And if they do succeed in that in their home market, it's hard to internationalise their business, and reach a massive audience. A funny aspect of this sub-sector is that many of the entrepreneurs behind them, probably coming from the telecom sector, don't seem to know what's presently driving New Web business. They for instance invest heavily in richly designed front-ends, and endless explanations of how their thingies work, where Web 2.0 companies all go for optimizing the Lightness of their interfaces, and for encouraging their users to 'find' all features themselves, or to teach each other on how to use them.Finally, I am aware that I've largely ignored everything that's presently happening with and around VoIP. And that I've lost track of most new cool apps that have been developed within the Skype ecosystem. If you know of any source that comprehensively aggregates knowledge on these subjects of the Telecom 2.0 category, please let me know.

2Recall* - Record calls on any phone (USA) - Communicate
3jam - One to many texting - Communicate
Admob - Buy or sell mobile advertising - Marketing
Allfreecalls - Make free calls from the USA - Communicate
Anothr - Manage & read feeds in Skype messenger - RSS
Asterisk* - Open source phone system (free) - Software
Bango - Promote your mobile content - Marketing
Barablu - Free or cheap calls, IM, chat etc. thru mobile & web - Communicate
Beetagg - Scan branded sema code with your cell to get access to website - Marketing
Bitbomb - Web2SMSs reminders - Office
Blogtalkradio - Host your own phone-in talkradio show online - Audio
Bluepulse - Internet 2 cell phone - Software
Buddystumbler - Find someone to IM with - Communicate
Busythumbs - Post & share text & photos from cell to blog - Publish
Buyyourfriendadrink - Buy or redeem drinks thru cell phone code - Economy
Byoms - Personalized IM search agents on your cell - Search
Callthefuture - Place future phone calls - Communicate
Callwave - Voicemail2text (USA) - Communicate
Cellcast - Record audio or video with your cell phone & share it with friends - Communicate
Cellitused** - Sell your cell - Ecommerce
Celljournalist - Sell your scoops live - News
Cellpedia - Search for mobile phones - Search
Cellsea - Make, upload & share ringtones - Audio
Cellswapper - Swap out or in a mobile phone contract - Economy
Celltell - Send voice notes from your phone - Communicate
Chinswing - Voice message board - Communicate
Cingularmusicid - Have music recognized thru your cell - Audio
Clicktoscan - Scan, store & share documents with your phone camera - Images
Clicmobile - Mobile social software - Software
Comvu - Broadcast video live from your cell - Video
Connectmeanywhere - Mobile & landlines over IP - Communicate
Craigsnumber - Get a temporary, anonymous phone number - Communicate
Create-ringtone - Create & send ringtones, wallpapers, videos etc. to your mobile phone - Software
Crickee - Send & receive sms for free - Communicate
Daem* - Take pics with your phone cam, have them recognized & win prizes - Marketing
Digitalmagics - Stream your mobile videos over IPTV - Video
Dodgeball - Hook in with your mobile & meet friends - Community
Down2night - Subscribe for text alerts on what's happening tonight (stealth) - Ecommerce
Dsimobile - Start an mvno network - Ecommerce
Egress - Mobile RSS reader - RSS
Emoze - Mobile email and PIM data - Office
Enablr - Transcribe podcasts, Text2Snailmail… - Audio
Entriq - Multi channel PSP technology & services - VAS
Eqo - Call, text & IM your buddies on your mobile - Communicate
Ether - Set up your call centre, make money - Economy
Fastap - Design better keypad interfaces for mobile devices - Design
Filemobile - Store, organize, share & blog your media - Publish
Flurry - Get your email & more on your current phone - Communicate
Flurrymail - Your email on your current mobile phone - Communicate
Foonz - Make group calls for free (USA) - Communicate
Fotochatter - Publish & share photo on web & cell - Images
Frengo - Mobile entertainment & communications community - Community
Fring - Call for free on your 3G cell - Communicate
Frucall - Mobile price comparison - Ecommerce
Funambol - Mobile OS project - Software
Funkycall - Record, upload, deploy & share your phone pranks - Communicate
Gearon - Social mobile network around your cellphone's contacts - Community
Getabuz - Create a voice mail with music - Communicate
Gizmo - Call Gizmo friends for free, or pay low rates - Communicate
Glue - Publish & share your website's content on mobile devices - Publish
Good - Global mobile messaging for the enterprise - Communicate
Gotzapp - Publish & share content thru your mobile - Community
Grandcentral* - Get 1 phone number for all your calls - Communicate
Groovr - Text to & network with friends - Community
Hobnobster - Web and mobile community & social bookmarking - Date
Hotxt - Skype for sms - Communicate
Hullo* - Integrates soft, cell & landline phones - Communicate
ICQphone - Call at low rates - Communicate
Imity - Sense phones (and friends) around you thru Bluetooth - Community
Imobio - Store, share & rank your mobile photos online - Images
Invitika - Organize, report & share events thru your cell - Community
Iotum - Sorts & processes calls on relevance - Communicate
Iqzone - Upload photo & text for classified ads thru your cell phone - Ecommerce
Iskoot - Call people on your online buddylists - Communicate
Ispott - Mobile treasure hunt - Game
Jabbin - PC2PC voip (Jabber client) - Communicate
Jabphone - Messenger2phone - Communicate
Jaduka - Call-us-now features for all online media - Marketing
Jaiku - Social phone directory showing where you are (Nokia S60 2nd ed.) - Community
Jajah - Free phone calls, glocally - Communicate
Jangl - Hide your cell phone number (Stealth) - Communicate
Joopz - Web2Text & Text2Web - Communicate
Jott - Voice & text 2 email & mobile - Communicate
Juicecaster - Upload & cast cell photos & videos - Publish
Jumpclaimer - Inform your relatives about your whereabouts thru sms - Communicate
Jumptap - Mobile search solutions - Software
Juvino - Reroute your mobile calls and texting - Communicate
Jyve - Find, meet & interact with Skype users - Community
Kaywa - Publish & share multimedia on web & cell - Multimedia
Kerpass - Personal security software for web & mobile - Identity
Kishkish - Detect lies thru phone - Communicate
Kuscash* - Mobile wallet community - VAS
Linknsurf - Track & share blogs on your mobile - Publish
Loquendotts - Text2sneeze - Communicate
Lowlandsguide~** - Explore the lay of the Lowland Festival with this mobile app - Geo
Mabber - Mobile messenger - Communicate
Mads~ - Buy or sell mobile advertising - Marketing
Mblox - Global mobile transaction solutions - VAS
Medio - Mobile search & marketing solutions - Software
Mediosystems - Mobile search & recommendation engine - Software
Meetmoi - Mobile dating - Date
Melodeo - Listen to, share, discuss & create podcast playlists, on your cell - Audio
Mfoundry - Develop & deploy mobile apps, rapido - Software
Mig33 - Chat, text & call your friends - Communicate
Millennialmedia - Mobile marketing solutions - Marketing
Minowireless - VoiP on your mobile - Communicate
Mixd - Text & send pics & vids to groups of friends - Communicate
Mobango - Discover & share mobile media - Multimedia
Mobile20 - Wiki about mobile 2.0 initiatives - About
Mobilealibi* - Schedule a call to get you out of a situation - VAS
Mobilecomplete - Test your mobile apps on all devices - Software
Mobiledistillery - Port mobile Java apps to 550 phones, rapido - Video
Mobileglu - Web services to your mobile - Startpage
Mobileinternetmanifesto - Vision on Mobile 2.0 - About
Mobilereporters~ - Upload & share your video - Video
Mobilicious - Mobile social bookmarking - Bookmark
Mobiluck - IM, text & share media on your mobile - Community
Mobio - Lean mobile lifestyle apps & content - Software
Mobispine - Mobile feed browser - RSS
Mobitv - Get tv & radio on your cell & laptop - Video
Moblee - Opt in to offers direct to your mobile - Ecommerce
Mobloco - Get daily text alerts on things happening near to you - News
Moblr - View or upload & share mobile content - Multimedia
Mobo - Order food on the go, get discounts & avoid waiting lines - Ecommerce
Mobsaver - Price comparison thru your cell - Ecommerce
Mobspray* - Create & share graffiti in places thru mobile2RFID - Game
Mojungle - Live phlogging & vlogging - Publish
Moka - Subscribe to book wisdom delivered thru sms - VAS
Mophone - Store & share mobile content - Multimedia
Movoxx - Get localized & personalized alerts & coupons on your cell phone - Marketing
Mozeo - Text cast to & chat with your own group on your cell - Communicate
Mozes - Share information & people thru your mobile - Community
Mozesmob - Mobile Q&A - Knowledge
Msgme - Communicate or advertise thru sms keyword service - Marketing
M-spatial - Mobile local search solutions - Software
Mycoogee - Access, store & share your cell's contents (client) - Multimedia
Myfoodphone - Monitor & modify eating habits with your camera phone - VAS
Mygads - Compile info, access, update & share it thru phone, im, web, etc - Multimedia
Mygamma - Mobile community - Community
Mynumo - Create, share or sell mobile content - Multimedia
Mysay - Communicate with friends through voice2web messages - Communicate
Mywaves - Send web videos to your phone - Video
Nav4all~ - Mobile navigation app, claim & share places with friends - Geo
Nellymoser - Mobile content delivery solutions - Software
NIM - Wireless navigation apps for mobile phones - Geo
Nimbuzz~ - Free mobile community calls, chats, IM - Communicate
Nowthen - Publish & share mobile pics - Images
Obopay - Pay with your phone - VAS
On2go - News & alerts on your mobile - News
Openfire - Enterprise VoiP and chat solutions - Software
Openwave - Adaptive mobile suite for content, communications and context solutions - Software
Oz - Mobile IM, email & social networking solutions - Software
Partystrands* - Let partygoers interact with you & each other IRL, mobile & online - Community
Partysync - Meet & sms people - Community
Perooz - Mobile content portal - Startpage
Pheeder - Alert all your friends with 1 phone call - Communicate
Phonegnome* - Add VoiP to your PSTN, SIPped - Communicate
Phonezoo - Create & share ringtones - Audio
Photocrank - Add graphics & caption to your cell cam photos & share them - Images
Picostation - Create & share your phone cam videos - Software
Pixpulse - Upload & share photos and videos on your mobile - Multimedia
Pixsense - Take, manage & share cell phone pics & videos - Publish
Planzo - Arrange meetings & events online & thru sms - Office
Playtxt - Socialize, flirt thru sms - Community
Plugoo - Take your IM to any page you want - Communicate
Plusmo - Fast, customizable way to get the web on your phone - Startpage
Pocketfuzz - Create & sell your own ringtones - Audio
Posticky - Place, access & share notes (also mobile) - Office
Pushy*~ - Personal portal; also mobile - Startpage
Rabble - Create it & share it mobile - Community
Radar - Post & get matches for classified ads thru cell & email - Multimedia
Rebtel* - Call international at local rates - using your cell phone - Communicate
Relive - Geotag your mobile cam photos, then relive & share your trip - Images
Resellular - Get out of your cell contract, or take over a contract - Economy
Rminder - Text2phone reminder service - Office
Robocal - Listen out your calendar by phone - Office
Rocketbux* - RocketEngine: deliver targeted offer to credit card holders' cell; - Marketing
Routecraft~ - RocketLaunch: sms couponing; - Geo
Saki - RocketPower: local closed loops for mobile marketing - Community
Scanr* - Local route planner; add your text to locations & share it; also for mobile - Office
Screentonic - Mobile community - Software
Scribeit - Scan, copy, pdf, fax documents using your phone cam - Communicate
Searchquest - Mobile advertising platform - Geo
Sharpcast - Group chat thru mobile messaging - Images
Shazam - Real estate map mash-up for cells - Audio
Shotcode~ - Synchronize all photos online & mobile - Marketing
Shozu - Have music recognized thru your cell - Multimedia
Simulscribe - Voicemail2text - Communicate
Sitòfono - Scan branded sema code with your cell to get access to website - Communicate
Sky-click - Upload & share photos, videos & text on your mobile - VAS
Skylook - Receive calls from your website - Communicate
Skype - VoIP call centre solution - Communicate
Smartpox - Record & store all Skype communications - Identity
Snapvine - Call, conference, messenger, file sharing - Audio
Socialight - Sema-encode & share URLs, phone numbers & email addresses - Collaborate
Sonopia - Create your mobile & online community - Community
Soonr - Send audio files to & communicate with your friends, on your cell - Communicate
Soziety - Language-learning social network (using Skype) - E-learning
Spinvox - Share pictures & notes with your cell phone - Communicate
Splashblog - Mobile2web & v.v. - Images
Splashdata - From voice to text to mobile or email - Software
Starhome~ - Publish & share mobile photos - Software
Stufflinker - Mobile tools for media, payments, shopping… - Bookmark
Supcast - Mobile roaming solutions - Publish
Swarmteams* - Mobile and web bookmarking - Software
T9space* - 10x faster browsing on your cell - Browse
Talkplus - Publish your media online thru your cell - Communicate
Talkster - Solutions to set up & manage mobile One2- or Many2Many community communications - Communicate
Talktrust - Get a second mobile number on your cell - Communicate
Tapgad - Mobile2IM for free - Communicate
Tapuxmobile* - Call anonymously - Software
Teleflip - Get & reply to email thru sms - Communicate
Telepo - Mobile fun & community content & apps - Software
Tellme - PC2Text - Search
Text2store - Fixed to mobile convergence solutions - Marketing
Textamerica - Search businesses thru voice, get rich info or text back - Publish
Textmarks - Get best offers & coupons on your mobile - Communicate
Textpayme - Mobile blog - VAS
Tictap - Customize your own sms info service - Ecommerce
Tiggdo - Mobile P2P micropayments - Startpage
Tjat - Price comparison for mobile - Communicate
Traincheck - Personal mobile portal - VAS
Treemo - Mobile instant messaging - Multimedia
Truphone - Get an sms with the next 3 departure times - Communicate
Twttr - Post, manage & share media online & mobile - Communicate
Txtmob - Mobile VoiP - Communicate
Ulocate - Mobile location based services solutions - Software
Umundo - Share where you are thru your cell phone - Multimedia
V4s - Share sms messages with your friends - Communicate
Velvetpuffin* - Mobile community - Community
V-enable - Upload & share mobile videos and pics - Search
Vicito - Add voice to your email - Communicate
Visto - Mobile Office solutions for operators - Software
Vixo - Mobile speech search - Community
Vizrea - Group text service - Images
Voice20manifest - Send, get & forward sms messages - About
Voicequilt - Create a present with your loving voice (buy phone time) - Audio
Voicethread - Add voice comments to your publications - Publish
Vpodtv - Upload & share (camera phone) photo content - Video
Vradio - The end of telecom as we know it, the dawn of its total convergence with the web (cf. follow-up article: http://saunderslog.com/2006/09/30/voice-20-a-year-later/) - Audio
Wablet - Create & share your (mobile) tv channel - Identity
Wadja - Turn your cell into a worldwide radio - Community
Watchmedoing - Call & chat ID - Video
Wattpad - Use & share the web on your mobile phone - Publish
Waymarkr - Upload & share mobile videos - Images
Whisher - Publish & share stories on your cell phone - Wi-fi
Widsets - Turn your mobile into a life phlogging wearable - Software
Wikipediamobile - Share free wi-fi - Publish
Winksite - Create mobile widgets - Multimedia
Xanco~ - Wap version of Wikipedia (by Sevenval) - Publish
Yackpack - Create & share mobile content - Communicate
Yoc* - Share media with your friends thru web & mobile (German) - Community
Yodio - Mobile phlog & vlog - Audio
Youmail - Group voicemail - Communicate
Younevercall - Create your own ringtones (for Linux users) - Audio
Zaptxt - Record & publish audio anywhere from your phone - RSS
Zemble - Record unique voice mail recordings for anyone that calls you - Communicate
Zeosoft - Personal mobile webserver application - Software
Zingku - RSS to email, sms, messenger - Community
Zlango - Communicate, collaborate & connect thru group text - Communicate
Zong - Create and make money on mobile services in 10 countries in under 10 minutes - VAS
Zooof* - Text2website content sharing - Community
Zyb - Icon language for sms - Store
Zypsy - Discover, maintain & extend your family ties - Marketing

Italic = new. Updated 070311, 070529.