Institutional Web Management Workshop 2009

The Mobile Web: keep up if you can! 

"Demand for the mobile web exists not because it complements existing means of access, but rather because it replaces them." [Opera's chief executive Jon S. von Tetzchner, Oct 2008].

"Mobile phone users struggle mightily to use websites, even on high-end devices. To solve the problems, websites should provide special mobile versions." [Jakob Nielsen, Feb 2009]

In 2008, many countries experienced triple-digit or even quadruple-digit usage growth. In Britain, those who access the Internet via mobile phones are younger than PC-based Internet users with around a quarter aged between 15 and 24, compared to 16% of all PC Internet users. Almost 7.5 million Britons now access the web through their phone.

Many major Web 2.0 sites have established "m" microsites (eg Flickr, Facebook, Google, BBC, the list goes on).

- Are HE institutions being left behind?
- Do you test your institutional website(s) for mobile compatibility?
- When do you give up trying to accommodate all devices?
- Should we be building microsites/mobile specific sites?
- Are we offering the right online services in a mobile accessible format?
- Should we be embracing other mobile technologies: SMS, MMS, bluetooth?