The Wireless Web, Custom Built

Many comparisons have been made between the PC-based Internet and wireless Web services. For obvious reasons — small screens, slow speed and cumbersome navigation — this comparison is a stretch. But one way to make today's wireless Web more user-friendly is to allow subscribers to customize their home decks.

The ARC Group's Mobile Internet (www.arcgroup.com) Industry Survey showed that personalization (21%) and ease of use (20%) were chosen as two of the top three ways to reduce churn. Content/applications (32%) was the leading choice.

“Clearly the industry feels that having the best, most reliable content, applications and services will become increasingly vital as the battle for mobile data customer retention and revenues intensifies,” said Steven Hartley, ARC Group consultant and lead author of the survey. “However, it is interesting to note that personalization and ease of use are also considered important and, in particular, how much emphasis operators are placing on ease of use.”

As part of that emphasis, some carriers allow subscribers to stack their own decks. Some offer a choice of decks, while others allow subscribers to arrange their links on their handsets or on the carrier's Web site.

Deck Options

• Alltel's Web-Unwired service offers subscribers a choice of four deck options, which are configured at the retail store. To change from one deck to another, subscribers call #WEB on their phones or visit a retail store (www.alltel.com).

• AT&T Wireless PocketNet subscribers have the ability to bookmark wireless Web sites and — by going to a PC-based personal Web site — organize their links (www.attws.com).

• Cingular subscribers with wireless Internet service can customize their interfaces using the My Wireless Window feature on the handset. After customizing, users' preferences and favorites appear under the My Info menu (www.cingular.com).

• Sprint PCS offers subscribers the My Wireless Web tool on its Web site — www.sprintpcs.com — which allows them to personalize the categories and content of their Wireless Web service. On their home decks, users can click on the My Wireless Web option to access their personalized content.

• Verizon Wireless offers subscribers two possible wireless Web top decks. However, it does not offer home-deck customization at this time. But users can personalize content and alerts by using the MyVZW.com portal (www.verizonwireless.com).