I've recently returned from a sort of sabbatical. One that involved learning more about the ways mobile technology is an integral part of peoples' daily lives (not just folk in the media).
I've learnt that Facebook has been the trigger for some of my new friends to get mobile internet, that practically all of my new friends capture and share pictures daily on their mobiles and that many use their mobiles to listen to podcasts or FM radio on the move (I've also learnt how to change nappies and function on very little sleep).
One of the best parts of my jobs at BBC Audio & Music Interactive is market insight: finding trends in new media, learning from colleagues inside the Beeb and further afield, and exploring how they effect what we do.
This Friday, we're running a conference on mobile. It's a few hours where the whole department can get some thinking time outside of our usual routines. The event begins by looking at audiences. It's a lot more scientific than my impromptu focus groups. We'll be exploring how people currently interact with BBC radio and music on mobile. Ariane van de Ven, Head of Future & Trend Insights at O2 will be sharing how organisations can understand more about their audiences through mobile usage.
Mobile internet is expected to overtake desktop by 2014. We'll be talking about how changes in mobile usage impact on how audiences might want to consume BBC radio and music in the future. And how that, in turn, impacts on what we do.
BBC Audio & Music Interactive already offers some great content for mobile users. Earlier this year we announced live radio streaming via our rather fine set of optimised mobile sites. As well as hearing about mobile projects across the BBC we'll be getting an external perspective on what the BBC's Commercial Partners are doing on mobile from Nick Piggott, Head of Creative Technology at Global Radio. James Whatley, co-founder of The Really Mobile Project and Simon Cross from Facebook will also be offering their insights.
The meeting is a chance to discuss where we are now and where we go next. When does mobile content add value or reach new audiences? What sort of content works best on mobile? Should mobile be thought of as an integral part of what radio broadcasters do?
We'll let you know how the meeting went on the Radio blog and you can follow the event on twitter using #BBCAMI.
This blog post was written on an Android-based smartphone.
Emily Chaplin is Business Administrator at BBC Audio & Music Interactive and producer of the #BBCAMI mobile conference
- The BBC Audio & Music mobile conference takes place between 1030 and 1330 on Friday in the Radio Theatre at Broadcasting House. It's not open to the public but participants will be tweeting throughout so keep your eye on the hashtag #BBCAMI for a rolling commentary and - quite possibly - some useful mobile insights.
- Follow @BBCAMI, BBC Audio & Music Interactive's official Twitter account.
- We'll also be displaying a stream of tweets from the event on screens around the Radio Theatre using a nifty app called Dextr.
- The illustration is by BBC Audio & Music's head of mobile James Simcock.
