Founded in 2000, mPortal, enables user experiences for mobile content and applications across various connected devices such as mobile phones, tablets, TVs and other internet-enabled devices. McLean, based company has raised a total funding of $4 million from Friedli Corporate Finance.

With the rapid growth of connected devices, media companies and social platforms have moved quickly to create basic mobile versions of their content to satisfy demand from this new channel. Last year, however, a new breed of interactions and integrated experiences emerged that could not exist before. The experience of media became not only about accessing the content, it became a dynamic social experience, existing across many devices and platforms. This new experience brings together the content with multiple sources of related content and social communications. Here are three important drivers of this rapidly accelerating trend.



Media Consumption Devices will continue to Thrive


New devices in varying form factors will drive both additional media consumption and the expectation that content should be able to be consumed anywhere and anytime. We all know that the original iPad created a whole new category of user-friendly tablets that were primarily designed to be media consumption devices. This year, Apple refined that device by introducing the iPad mini – which, very clearly, is meant for reading books, surfing the web, and watching videos.


But it is good for more than that, really. The iPad mini may be the best device currently on the market for things like video chat and social media. Its portable size, combined with Apple’s vast App Store, makes it perfect for those types of activities. Like the original iPad, which bridged the gap between the desktop and a laptop, I believe that the iPad mini is also creating something new by closing the chasm between a smartphone and a tablet. Yes, there are other similar devices out there, but none, as of yet, have the mindshare of the iPad. In the meantime, look for the iPad mini to be a big game changer in 2013.

TV will be Influenced by Non-TV Devices


TVs will increasingly be controlled by connected devices such as gaming consoles, tablets and specialty hardware. We have long since passed the time when TVs were standalone devices. These days, people manage their TV viewing experience through a number of means, from game consoles to Blu-Ray players and more. Everything has been greatly enhanced by the power of web connectivity.


In 2013, the way we watch TV will continue to be heavily influenced by third-party devices that are not TVs. Companies like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo will undoubtedly continue to focus heavily on television content as a core component of their game consoles. While I do not believe that Apple will introduce a TV set in 2013, they will almost certainly introduce new ways to make the current Apple TV a bigger factor in the living room. We’ve heard rumors about deals with cable operators, and those may be coming. At a minimum, Apple will introduce new ways of controlling the way we watch video content by putting an emphasis on the Apple TV platform (Apple TV will become more than a “hobby” in 2013). Further, we should look to see additional capabilities given to the iPad that allow control over Apple TV as a universal remote, similar to what Microsoft is doing with its Xbox SmartGlass app and other second screen applications.

Social Experiences will make big Strides into Mobile


The social networks, particularly Facebook, will begin to aggressively make moves into the mobile space. We already know that mobile is one of the most profitable areas for Facebook. For example, the company could launch a Skype-like video chat service that would be the next logical step beyond its current IM feature.


You will also begin to see more Facebook apps on television including connected TVs, DVD players, game consoles and more. TV is the perfect venue for a social media outlet like Facebook because it allows consumers to share and interact with friends that may be interested in the same type of programming. Already there is extensive activity on Twitter, Facebook and other social platforms around all types of media such as TV shows, movies, and advertisements. This activity will continue to grow exponentially as more and more of these interactions happen on mobile devices.
Social activity for these media is highly leveraged in the sense that any comment or tweet about the programming is seen by a broad audience. This creates a huge opportunity for content owners to facilitate these conversations with second screen apps that integrate media, content, and social networks on tablets, smartphones and other connected devices.


Monetization Opportunities for Everyone


The combination of these drivers opens up three important monetization opportunities for various players.


• Creating these rich multi device/media/platform experiences around their content greatly improves the user experience and as a result the level of engagement and loyalty of the viewer.
• It opens up the possibility of diverse revenue streams such as advertisements within the video and the application, as well as opportunities for promotions.
• It is now possible to collect information about the viewer including data from the social graph, user viewing behavior, time and location. This provides opportunities for much more powerful, targeted and valuable advertising that, in turn, commands much higher rates from advertisers.


As you can see there is a multiplying effect that results from connecting all these dots. With the convergence of mobile, social and media it’s an exciting time to be working in this field. For more of my thoughts on this rapidly changing environment follow me @dpv007 or subscribe to my blog at www.mportal.com/blog.