This in-depth interview with Sarah McVittie by SMS Text News reveals Sarah’s views on the IT/Telecom sector, the major players in mobile technology and user interface, and what’s hot in SMS.

SMS Text News, 24 July 2006: 15 Questions for Sarah McVittie

An important point for me in the mobile search discussion is access. Only 7.7% of the UK’s 41 million mobile subscribers (the largest percentage in Europe) use 3G handsets and pay a premium for 3G network access. Currently, SMS is by far the preferred delivery platform in the mobile/wireless sector. Read the rest of this entry »

Mobile search has proved a time-consuming and inefficient way to access information on the go. Despite recent innovations from companies such as Vivisimo, mobile search still falls short of the promise of the perfect search. The term “mobile search” is problematic because it tacitly assumes that users’ desktop search needs, at home or in the office, simply transfers to the mobile platform. In fact current research and 82ASK’s own NOP survey indicates that people require different information on the go, and they want to access it in a different way. The “Wisdom of Crowds” model that most search technology evolved from doesn’t necessarily apply. People don’t want mobile search — they want mobile find!

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82ASK, the UK’s premier SMS text-answering service, announced today the launch of its new industry community website. The new site provides a company profile of 82ASK, including the company’s history, details about the management team, and press items. However, as CEO Sarah McVittie enthuses, the site is about more than creating a corporate resource for current and potential investors: “82ASK is committed to transforming the way people exchange knowledge. That includes our industry community as well as our clients — we see the new site as a way to share expertise to enhance all of our businesses, and most importantly, our customers’ experience.”

To that end, 82ASK’s new industry community website includes a moderated blogspace. CPO Thomas Roberts comments, “we’re delighted to have a forum that will allow us to interface with a broader industry community, so we can discuss anything from UI to economic trends in the mobile/wireless sector.”

The website is now live at at www.texperts.com.