Curtain goes down on Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine

It was with some nostalgia that I read of the decision by the publisher of Smartphone & Pocket PC magazine to suspend publication after 11 years in operation. The reason appears to be a lack of advertisers, as Microsoft steered its Windows Mobile operating system from being a PDA-only platform. The paradigm is different in mobile land, it seems, and advertising revenues from phone companies and OEMs are just not forthcoming despite coverage of their products.

Beyond the confirmation of just how mobile technology has changed the rules of the game, I think this is a somber reminder that information technology, and mobile technologies in particular, is in a constant state of flux. Indeed, just like how the affordability of the once exorbitantly expensive personal computer created a society where utilizing IT is no longer a competitive advantage, but something that is completely necessary; so too is the pervasiveness of always-on, high-speed mobile data access shifting the landscape.

Already, software makers like Intuit are offering online and smartphone-accessible features. Traditional newspapers like the Washington Post have not just embraced the web, but recently released a free BlackBerry application to access its content.

Of course, FierceMobileIT does owe its existence to the advent of mobile devices. Hopefully, we have added value with our enterprise-centric view of mobile devices and technologies, specifically on how to leverage wireless to benefit your organization.

In the meantime, we will continue to serve you by keeping an eye out for the latest mobile-centric developments. As the old saying goes,  change is the only constant. - Paul