The next frontier for social networking is mobile. And, early next year, News Corp (NYSE: NWS)'s MySpace will launch its own offering.
Interestingly enough, Sprint (NYSE: S) wants to be a part of the crowd and has struck a deal with MySpace (terms were not disclosed). Sprint customers will get free access, so long as they have a data plan.
To get more perspective on things, I had a chance to interview Frank Dickson, who is the chief research officer at MultiMedia Intelligence. According to him:
"Social networking is one of the cornerstones of Web 2.0, as interaction and community make the internet a richer experience. Moving that community to a mobile experience is a natural progression. The question was not 'if' it would happen. The question was 'when.' Other carriers should, and probably will, follow.
"MySpace moving onto Sprint's network is indicative of another trend. Mobile users do not want a mobile internet ... a limited experience that has a fraction of the richness. Mobile users are demanding a full internet experience on mobile devices. We are seeing the ramifications of this on carrier strategies such as MySpace and Sprint. We will see more to come.
"Additionally, the trend is having ramifications on hardware form factors. Multimedia handsets like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)'s iPhone and Nokia (NYSE: NOK)'s N95 are primarily mobile internet access devices. Voice communications are secondary.. We have just seen the tip of the iceberg."
Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook
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