Innovation: Web 2.0, Online-Communities and Mobile Social Networking

Cheng-Jung Lee, Chang-Chun Tsai,
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMPUTERS
Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
Innovation: Web 2.0, Online-Communities
and Mobile Social Networking

Cheng-Jung Lee, Ph. D. Student of Department of Information Management,
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan R.O.C.
Email: rabbit66@ms61.url.com.tw

Chang-Chun Tsai, Associate Professor, Institute of Management, MingDao University
MingDao University, No. 369, Wen-Hua Rd., Peetow,ChangHua 52345, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Email: jimtsai@mdu.edu.tw

Shung-Ming Tang *, Professor, Department of Information Management,
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan R.O.C.
Email: tangsm@yuntech.edu.tw

Wang, Liang-Kai, Ph. D. Student of Department of Information Management,
National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, Taiwan R.O.C.
Email: kai0915@gmail.com

Abstract: Recently, an online social network phenomenon has swept over the Web and the signs say that
Social Networking Sites (SNS) are growing in importance not just as places for individuals to communicate,
network, and express themselves but also as advertising and marketing vehicles. Combining social networks to
the mobile environment is a growing interest as it allows users to be in their online social community despite
their mobility. To date, several surveys and studies have brought some insights into this field. However,
methods are often not general or detailed enough for evaluation and comparison. In this study we highlight
latest trends and evolution of Mobile Social Networking and Online-Communities. The existing research is
reviewed and organized to summarize what we know about their usage. This paper concludes with discussion
of new developments, challenges and opportunities. There are many opportunities for future research and
organizational applications of SNS as SNS adoption grows at incredible rates. What we present in this study
can be generalized for other enterprise-grade Social Networks, either for their own business purposes or as a
contract job for another company.

Key-Words: Mobile, Social Networking, Web 2.0, E-Communities, Social Networks, Social Web

1 Introduction
LinkedIn are social networks [28]. Social relational
The Web is no longer simply an online resource of
networks are becoming an important technology in
information to be consulted, searched and acted
human behavioral modeling. [37]
upon. It has become a network of social
In 2007, a third generation of mobile social
communities and information databases that are
networking emerged offering richer services
constantly growing and improving as they continue
predominantly based on Wireless Application
to harness the collective intelligence of users. It
Protocol (WAP 2.0) and Multimedia Messaging
could therefore be argued that whereas Web 1.0
Service (MMS). In 2008, a 4th generation of MSN
served essentially as a broadcast medium (i.e. of
provides users with a much high level of control
information/knowledge) ‘Web 2.0’[7, 13] takes the
over their information broadcast through active
form of a platform whereby the creator of content,
handset services or their profiles. Technologies
has become the focus. [32] The recent development
such as Web 2.0 widgets, Open Social Flash Lite,
of Web 2.0 has provided for an enormous increase
and the OHA (Open Handset Alliance) operating
in human interactions across all corners of the earth.
system, coupled with advanced social media capture
One manifestation of this is the growth of computer
and transfer systems, has delivered a higher level of
mediated social networks. Many notable Web 2.0
functionality to MSN. Recently, there has been
applications such as Facebook, Myspace and
growth in companies on the Internet which have
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Cheng-Jung Lee, Chang-Chun Tsai,
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Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
focused on the development of on-line social
networks. Such networks range in purpose from
being purely social in nature to those which are
commercial-oriented with content development
being a key purpose for these networks.
Online social networking has evolved into a
social phenomenon on websites such as
MySpace.com and Facebook.com, with More than
250 million active users; more than 120 million
users log on to Facebook at least once each day;
more than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside
of college. Average user has 120 friends on the site.
There are more than 30 million active users
currently accessing Facebook through their mobile
devices. People that use Facebook on their mobile
devices are almost 50% more active on Facebook
than non-mobile users. There are more than 150
mobile operators in 50 countries working to deploy
and promote Facebook mobile products. The fastest
growing demographic is those 35 years old and
older on the sites [12]. Ryze and LinkedIn have
enabled business users to establish networks of


business associated and potential clients. While
Fig 1 Global mobile community revenues forecast
these virtual social networks are intrinsically
in three scenarios 2007-2012
interesting as places where young people socialize

with one another in an online setting and are seen by
The success of social networking sites and
marketers as a perfect target for advertising products
communication on such sites depends a lot on the
and services designed specifically for this
innovation and adoption of such sites. With more
population [10], more importantly, they have
and more businesses implementing these social
become a new and fertile locus for innovation.
networking sites, it becomes important to
Mobile technology is shaping social
understand how and why people are deciding to use
networking and dating trends. Research firm
sites such as MySpace and Facebook. This paper
eMarketer forecasts that over 800 million people
will explore the development of mobile social
worldwide will be participating in a social network
networks, a subset of virtual social networks and
via their mobile phones by 2012, up from 82 million
online-communities. There are many opportunities
in 2007. [11] By 2012 revenues generated from all
for future research and organizational applications
business models in this industry is forecast to reach
of SNS as SNS adoption grows at incredible rates.
US$28.9 billion in the most conservative scenario
Our aim is to provide some perspective on the
and $52 billion in the high growth scenario. (see Fig.
research from these literatures and concludes with
1) [31]
discussion of new developments, challenges and
The trend can be expected to spread into
opportunities. What we present in this study can be
business applications of social networks, a market
generalized for other enterprise-grade Social
that Forrester Research expects will account for $4.6
Networks, either for their own business purposes or
billion in annual spending by 2012. Furthermore,
as a contract job for another company.
Juniper Research has just released a new report that

claims the value of the mobile dating and chatroom

market will grow to nearly $1.4 billion by 2013, and
also pegs the total UGC market to reach $7.3 billion
2 Related Work
by the same time. The estimate is up almost half
2.1 Online-communities
from a report by the research agency that was
Online-communities are not a new
presented in May 2008, which said revenues from
phenomenon, but the creation of large online
mobile dating and chat services were expected to
meeting spaces marks a new dimensions and new
exceed $1 billion by 2010. [16]
era. Online-communities are generally advertising

supported although some are free; they focus on

professional media such as trade magazines.
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Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
Examples include BusinessWeek.com,
trade, web links, sexual relations, disease
SmartMoney.com, and FastCompany.com. Less
transmission (epidemiology), or airline routes.[30,
well-known e-communities include MediaPost.com,
43] Online social networks (also referred to as social
ASJA.org, and allrecipes.com. [20] Online-
networking services) are the fabric of many of our
communities offer professional content to embers
interactions. Such networks include the relationships
and allow member (or visitor) dialogue. Online-
among friends and relatives with whom we share
communities are going to be an increasingly
information and favors on a regular basis, and reach
important digital only category for connecting with
as far as influencing decisions by many of the
and maintaining some kind of relationship with your
world’s companies regarding with whom and how
most valued customer groups. Sites like IBM.com,
they conduct their business. [15] In an initial study
Cisco.com, Sun.com, Microsoft.com, and of online social networks [44], social networking
behospitable.com (Hilton Hotels) are Online-
companies were plotted along two matrices:
communities. Hagel and Armstrong (1997) [14]
technological and purpose (see Fig. 2).
propose four major types of online-communities
On the technological matrix, social networks
based on people’s desire to meet basic human needs:
were plotted along an axis which ranged from Web-
interest, relationship, fantasy, and transaction. Jones
based to mobile-based and included a middle
and Rafaeli (2000) [18] further segment these
ground, that is, a hybrid scenario where social
communities by social structure, that is,
networking companies incorporated both the Web
communities formed based on social networks, for
and the mobile platform. It is clear from this chart
example, online voluntary associations, cyber inns,
that mobile social networks are in the minority in
and so forth, and technology base, that is, types of
the overall social networking industry as presently
technology platforms, for example, e-mail lists,
constituted. [44]
Usenet groups, and so forth. Kozinets (2002)

proposed the four types of communities as dungeons

[19], that is, online environments where players
interact, such as for online video games, circles,
interest structured collection of common interests,
rooms (computer-mediated environments where
people interact socially in real time), and boards
(online communities organized around interest
specific bulletin boards). Kozinets (2002) [19] too
delineates four kinds of online communities. These
three typologies are reviewed, and a further popular
typology of affinity groups proposed by Macchiette
and Roy (1992) [3] as applied to the online
environment is also proposed. Based on the above
definitions the term may be simply defined as a
group of individuals with common interests who
interact with one another on the Internet.
Lastly, social network software provides social

networking functions such as audio/video

conferencing, IP telephony, desktop sharing, chat
Fig. 2 Social network matrix [43]
rooms, whiteboards, etc., for an online community

to communicate and interact in a virtual
Social networking is also one of many
environment. [5] It provides community-building
consumer technologies, including blogs, wikis,
functions such as an electronic portfolio, resume
media sharing and virtual community, to cross over
builder, and social networking, so that people can be
into the corporate world. In fact, digital social
connected together to form online communities to
networks are interactive networks that use internet
exchange and share knowledge. [30, 36]
as a media for making a relation between human.

Figure 3 shows different type of social networks like
2.2 Social networks
Emails, Forums, Weblogs, Instant Messaging and
A social network is a social structure made of nodes
Chat rooms. Social softwares and electronic services
that are tied by one or more specific types of
used by internet users makes virtual network based
interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas,
on social relation like friendship, which are full of
financial exchange, friends, kinship, dislike, conflict,
great valuable data, so with rapidly growing users of
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Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
these networks, mining in these large-scale of data,
connections with clients and colleagues. As Nardi et
can provide better and efficient usage of hidden
al. [33] so aptly noted, in the modern world it is not
potential of this type of networks [39].
what you know, it is who you know, that is most

important in helping you get the job done.
Social networking has been a growing trend
among Internet users for the last few years and the
desire to stay connected has enabled the growth of
many social networking sites (SNSs) like Facebook,
Hi5, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc [2]. Facebook is the
SNS with the highest number of users visits with
35.58% users visits. A recent, more dynamic
incarnation of this paradigm is that of

microblogging. Microblogging is a combination of
blogging and instant messaging. Sites such as

Twitter enables users to stay in immediate contact

with all members of their twitter network via phone,
Fig. 3 Different type of social networks
web or IM. Twitter is known for being a highly

dynamic and updated source of a user's interests and
Hitwise Global Research has just released a
activities which is the self-proclaimed “telegraph
new report: The following report shows websites for
system of Web 2.0.” These services specialize in
the industry 'Computers and Internet - Social
facilitating connections between people who share
Networking and Forums', ranked by Visits for the
professional pursuits or similar interests.
week ending 09/26/2009.(see Fig. 4) [42]
Social networking has become a driving force

on the Internet. Many people are part of at least one
social network, while more often people are
members of many different communities. For this
reason many business people are trying to capitalize
on this movement and are in a rush to put up their
own social network. As the growth of social
networks continues, we have started to see more and
more niche communities popping up all over in
favor of the larger, all-encompassing networks in an
attempt to capture a sliver of the market.[40]

2.3 Types of Social Networks
There are three kinds of social networks:

1. The Indifferent social network :
MySpace, Facebook, Orkut are all examples of the
indifferent social network. These networks have no
bias, or prejudice, against their users. They don't
give preferential treatment to users of a particular
profession and are, in fact, totally disinterested in

what you do. [24]


Fig. 4 Top 20 Social Networking Websites
2. Niche networks:

Within3 is a community of physicians and health
In the modern era of Web 2.0 social media and
researchers. As per its website, Within3 also helps
distance learning[13], people may acquire extensive
members recruit patients for clinical trials, and keep
professional knowledge without ever leaving the
them informed of the latest medical advancements.
comfort of their office. Yet, worldwide there are
Registration on the website is by invitation only,
over 1.2 million professional conferences and events
and is open for physicians or researchers in the
ea [26], adding up to a hundred billion dollar
health sciences, or for students training for an
industry attends conferences for two reasons: to
advanced health science degree. But registration-by-
learn from others, and to form meaningful
invite isn't the distinguishing feature of a discreet
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Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
network. It's their scope, which is big enough for the
- Discussions, normally by means of a discussion
members, but limited for a general audience. An
forum
example of this is U.S. Presidential candidate
- Photograph galleries, allowing images to be
Barack Obama's social network MyBarackObama
shared with contacts, and in some cases
[http://my.barackobama.com/]. Anyone can register
associated with the people in them
on this network, but you wouldn't find many
- Custom profiles that allow users to share
Republicans there AT&T is using niche networks,
information about themselves with others
“where your ads are more meaningful — those are
- Personal messaging and personal contact forms
the real gems,” said Carrie Frolich, who manages ad
that allow users to communicate with each other
placements in social media sites for at
directly [25]
MediaEdgeCIA, which is owned by marketing giant

WPP. [24]
2.4 Social Network Software Tool

A definition of Social Software: Tools that allow
3. Business-Oriented Social Networks
people to connect online to share ideas, collaborate
Business-oriented social networks, where the
in networks, and form communities. Includes things
network itself is designed to be used for what are
like blog and virtual conferencing (i.e. networks =
generally business-specific purposes. LinkedIn,
1:many / many:many), rather than email (i.e. linear
Plaxo, and more recent entrants such as Spock are
= 1:1). Social software enables people to rendezvous,
part of this group. Facebook is in this set, too, as is
connect or collaborate through computer mediated
Jigsaw, a socially driven contacts tool for business.
discussion and to form online communities. Broadly
Obviously, there are more. Each of these is designed
conceived, this term could encompass older media
to facilitate some aspect of a business transaction —
such as mailing lists but some would restrict its
a sales contact, a referral, or similar business
meaning to more recent software genres such as
purpose.
blogs and wikis. [30]
Like personal social networks, these business-
Social software has played a major role in
oriented networks can be powerful components of
changing the ways people interact online. It has led
your marketing plan. For example, you can use the
to the birth of the read/write Web, where users are
data-searching capabilities in LinkedIn and the
both consumers and producers of online content.
contacts tools in Jigsaw to develop a very focused
Social software can be defined as a tool that must
prospect list, against which you can apply a high-
meet at least two of the three following conditions:
impact, highly personalized direct marketing
1. It allows people to communicate, collaborate, and
campaign. Or, you could use a network like
build community online.
Facebook to develop a group around a new
2. It can be syndicated, shared, reused, or remixed,
application that you are launching. You can grow
or it facilitates syndication.
your beta audience and engage them to elicit
3. It lets people learn easily from and capitalize on
feedback, saving you development cycles and
the behavior or knowledge of others.[27]
speeding your entry into the larger market. You can
Social network software allows people to
also use these networks to build your own
create communities, connect with eachother, spread
organization, whether you are looking for marketing
ideas, and share knowledge in a virtual community
or related talent or for the kinds of general expertise
environment that facilitates social learning among
or “raw materials” from which to build an excellent
students and overcomes geographical barriers for
team. Any way you approach it, the use of business
knowledge sharing and exchange. Thus, social
social networks is very likely a factor in some
network software can be used as a platform to build
aspect of your marketing plan. [8]
a community for social learning. People can
There is another side to social networks, and
exchange, share and create knowledge through such
that is the community, contribution and
social interaction and communication. By using
collaboration aspect. Social networking sites
Social network software tools, people can build
generally allow interaction between users in a way
communities and learn through knowledge
that expands the social networking site itself, by
collaboration, exchange and sharing. Web 2.0
contributing to the content of the site,
provides a networked environment for learners to
communicating via discussion forums and blogs,
interact with each other in a single place and to
making the site grow organically and become the
create new knowledge through social interaction and
product of all its contributors. Let's look at the
reflective thinking. Web 2.0 links up internet
collaborative and communicative features available
learning sources in a virtual and distributed
on most social networks:
environment that facilitates knowledge
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dissemination and distribution over the Internet.
both offer profile-based matchmaking via Bluetooth.
Learners can plan and implement their own learning
[23]
activities with Web 2.0 applications and evaluate
A majority of these mobile social-networking
their learning outcomes by themselves. In other
users are teens and college students using MySpace
words, Web 2.0 technology links people and
and Facebook. Virtually all popular social
internet learning sources and builds communities. It
networking sites have opened their services for
overcomes some of the geographical and one-to-one
access by people using mobile phones to upload
mentoring problems for social and reflective
content, retrieve content, and communicate with
learning. [29]
their peers. Accessing social networking sites from

mobile phones is becoming an integrated part of a
2.5 Social Networking in a Mobile
kid’s cyber-lifestyle. [29]
The era of on-line social networking is upon us --

millions of users interact daily on sites such as
3. New Developments, Challenges and
MySpace, FaceBook or Xanga. As technologies
Opportunities
continue to converge, consumers demand that on-
This section summarizes some of the recent and
line services be extended unto a more practical
foreseeable developments that may lead to new
device: the MOBILE. eMarketer forecasts that
opportunities for subject use. Social networking,
mobile social networking will grow from 82 million
online-Communities and User-Created Content
users in 2007 to over 800 million worldwide by
(UCC) are already an important economic
2012. (See Fig. 5) [11]
phenomenon notwithstanding it originally being

largely non-profitable used. The spread of it and the
amount of attention devoted to it by users appears to
be a significant disruptive force for how content is
created and consumed and for traditional content
suppliers. This disruption creates both opportunities
and challenges for established market participants
and their strategies.

3.1 Developments in SNS
Social networking sites (SNS) are a type of online
or virtual communities (such as Yahoogroups or

Google Groups) with a few differences. [22] Mobile

access, via mobile phones, to SNS such as MySpace
Fig. 5 Worldwide Mobile Social Network Users,
and Facebook is growing. Mobile social networking
2007-2012 (millions)
will help put users’ content into context since their

social interactions will be able to occur in real time.
More than 200 million people in the United
[9] Mobile social networking systems are also
States, and almost 3 billion people worldwide, are
developing that, among other things, allow users to
now using mobile Internet services on their mobile
be aware in real time of social activities. SNS are
phones every day — in every way. According to
also evolving to attempt to offer more value to users.
data from mobile industry market research firm
For example, MySpace is developing a music
M:Metrics, there are 7 1⁄2 million users of mobile
service with Universal, Song BMG and Warner and
social networking services in the United States. [29]
is working with Merlin on future licencing
Examples include Plazes, Dodgeball, Jambo, Jaiku
arrangements. [6] SNS are spreading to new
or Bluepulse. All of them build around the location
countries and cultures e.g., MySpace launched a
awareness concept, which is typically combined
dedicated community for Indian users. And given
with traditional social networking functionality,
the high level of Facebook use in university settings,
such as the centralized exploration of friendship
it is natural that educators are considering if and
links. Some of them, such as Jaiku also offer some
how to use Facebook as a learning tool. One
Bluetooth based features. The power of such
developer recently received funding to work on a
features has been recognized by the developers of
learning management system based on Facebook.
mainly decentralized applications. Commercial
Potential other applications include health care [41]
examples are Nokia Sensor, or MobiLuck, which
where users can get personal health information
from SNS like Facebook. [38]
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Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
3.2 Challenges
buying and ad placement opportunities — let’s face
The challenges that need to be overcome for the
it, getting your brand in front of a subscriber base of
successful adoption of social software include: (1)
200 million is worth something. At the same time,
Security of public storage: concerns that resources
and growing in importance, is your forward-looking
will disappear as public sites disappear, (2) Privacy
opportunity to develop non-interruptive, member-
of organizations’ operational knowledge and
driven social campaigns. [8]
students’ work [17] (3) Integrity of information
Market research firms are increasingly
available: learning to "know who to trust" as reliable
following individuals into virtual communities from
and valid sources, (4) Adaptation: managers,
large services such as Facebook and MySpace to
teachers and students are required to take on new
simpler services such as Twitter and FriendFeed. By
roles within new learning communities. They are
using online focus groups and questionnaires, they
now creators and publishers, guides and scouts for
are able to get immediate feedback and make
new knowledge, moderators and teachers and
decisions about how best to target them in these
learners, (5) Time: it takes time to learn and
environments. For example, at CC Metro, an
implement, (6) Usability is not enough: going
imagined island on the Web, visitors can set up an
beyond Usability: The need to design for persuasion,
“avatar” or a virtual alter ego, which can then shop
emotion, and trust (7) Bandwidth: in some rural
and dance at the Coca Cola diner, visit a movie
communities or even in the major cities bandwidth is an
theater, as well as buy clothes and other accessories
issue with some social software tools, (8) OS
for their avatars, while surreptitiously being
Limitations: Although top-end mobile phones have
monitored by the firm. [22]
good computational capability, often including
Some Social Networking Sites (SNS) are
multiple processors, they are limited in terms of the
dedicated to particular topics, sharing knowledge, or
programmability and resource usage control offered
purchases of products and services, transforming,
to the developer, (9) API Limitations: These API
for example, how users research, search and decide
limitations may not be resolved by the supplier
on travel plans. Yahoo’s Trip Planner, Google’s Co-
because new models replace old models in rapid
Op, TripAdvisor’s Inside, VirtualTourist’s Trip
succession. For that reason, the programmer is
Planner and others share travel journals, itineraries
forced to propose creative solutions to API
and photos. Similar social networking tools are used
limitations, (10) Security Limitations: To protect the
for real estate purchases. [34]
network from malicious attacks and preserve the
Social Networking, as exemplified in the ‘Web
phone’s integrity, phone manufacturers and network
2.0 concept’ by online applications such as
operators control access to critical components,
MySpace, Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Bebo, Hi5,
including the APIs for access to the file system,
Friendster, Gather, Friendster and more, have been
multimedia features, and communications via Wi-Fi
making headlines in the national newspapers, not
or GPRS, through a rights management system.
only for their high profile acquisition by major
Properly signed keys from a Certificate Authority
media companies, but also for their ability to
which are needed to remove all restrictions on using
potentially create a whole new revenue stream, or
these APIs, (11) In the online social networking
even to create a new exploitation route. However,
space, there is a large gap clearly between the big
the interesting question is whether these are the
two social networks (MySpace and Facebook) and
future of the Internet (as the Web 2.0 badge implies),
the others. Consumers do not want to recreate brand
or merely the latest ‘dot.com’ bomb.
new and separate social networks for mobile. They
There are many opportunities for companies to
would rather use their existing social network and
use SNS. Departments that should benefit from SNS
have it accompany them through mobile phone. (12)
include sales (identifying and engaging customers)
Enhancing R&D, innovation and technology.
and operations (so employees can help each other

and find more effective ways of working). Research
3.3 Opportunities
and development could also use SNS to gather ideas
Social networking is all about developing
and insights from customers. [4] Brands can actually
connections or ties between friends and associates.
create Facebook and MySpace accounts and get
While people have always networked with one
users to add them as friends. This will help brands
another, the Internet has allowed us to do this in a
create a list of consumers who are interested in
global manner. These communities are able to
getting information from the brand. Facebook and
generate income from advertising and additional
MySpace are the social sites most visited by mobile
paid services. [40] From a marketer’s perspective,
users mean that advertisers need to be able to access
social networks offer two things: traditional media-
their target audience via the mobile versions of these
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social networking sites. Technology has
transformative effect on urban centers. While blogs
revolutionised communications, massively and
have indeed transformed business, politics and
irrevocably, to the benefit of the consumer, the
publishing, online social networking at social
adaptive and agile organisation, and those who
networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, and
cherish an open society. The future of the Web is
Linked In have impacted an even greater cross-
going to be about branded destinations, which
section of businesses and people. Many businesses
include social networks. Social networks are
have also created social networking sites to
increasingly popular for personal and professional
encourage and support staff collaboration. The
use. Social networks will prove to be the most
mobile becomes a research tool to give its user the
powerful tool for both the social side and the
capacity to collect and share information. Open
working/business side of online marketing. [35] The
information repositories can be created for advocacy
web is a big social network and the trick is to get
work. One outcome is increasing transparency.
your messages to spread further and faster than your
Mobile phones can be a key for collectivity
competitors. The web was designed to give away
contributing to new information systems and
useful information. The closer you can align a
receiving all sorts of information. With Web-
portion of your business model with that, the better
enabled mobile phones touching one-third of the
a chance you have at achieving extreme success. [1]
world’s population or twice as many as the number

of Internet-connected PCs, mobile Web presence

enables brands to reach a far greater audience with
4. Recommendations and Strategies
the content they want, when and where they want it.
Social networks provide a means of making
The mobile serves as a publishing and broadcasting
connections with people who have similar goals and
tool. Text, audio and video is already possible – its
interests. Those connections are the reason social
contributions can support own communication
networks are big and are continuing to grow. As
channels and coincide with existing forms of citizen
more and more businesses are adopting the mobile
journalism. Another trend is about the potential for
Web, it is increasingly important for enterprises
peer-to-peer networking. It is the convergence from
interested in mobile commerce to have a mobile
the social web with the mobile. The mobile let you
storefront.
interact within a network in a highly contextual way.
Social networks are not only for high school or
When interactivity is combined with unified
college kids. LinkedIn, a social networking site for
communications and location awareness, next-
business and professional contacts, has over 46
generation social networks will have significant
million members in over 200 countries and
business value. Businesses will be the most
territories around the world. Executives from all
enthusiastic adopters of mobile social networks.
Fortune 500 companies are LinkedIn members. [21]
They can build knowledge maps on a foundation of
People contribute to them to increase their
expertise contributed by employees and business
intellectual, cultural and social capital. They provide
partners, and enriched by data captured from
a place for opinions to be heard, for achievements to
projects, experiences and observations of others.
be acknowledged, a place to stay connected, and a
Workforces will grow more distributed as the
place for growth. We would recommend that
network replaces the office as the lifeline of
advertisers create integrated campaigns that
information. Logistics will become more efficient,
leverage the viral aspects of these networks. As an
and group interactions faster and more flexible. We
entrepreneur, you can create information about your
will come to expect information to be at our
business, maintain your network, and be continually
fingertips. Regardless of where information comes
informed of what’s going on in your peer group.
from, the mobile social networks of the future will
You can use social networking, online-Communities
give users nearly unlimited choice over how they
and mobile Web site services as well as make
choose to share and consume information.
information on your business available to billions of
Businesses may learn eventually that the types of
mobile Internet users.
powerful communication tools now available for

personal purposes on social-networking sites can be

leveraged for perfectly appropriate and
advantageous business uses. We provide some
5. Future trend and Conclusion
perspective on the research from these literatures,
Over the next few years mobile social
with a focus on the mobile social networks. These
networking will in turn become massive. On a more
conclusions have implications for managers in
global level, mobile social networks can have a
technology-enabled organizations who wish to
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Cheng-Jung Lee, Chang-Chun Tsai,
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMPUTERS
Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
foster an innovative environment in their companies.
[16] Juniper Research: There’s Money In Mobile
This calls for more research that can improve our
Dating Services, by Robin Wauters on January 19,
knowledge on the Mobile social networking
2009. Accessed Aug. 20, 2009.
strategies, system design requirements, business
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/19/juniper-
models and relevant technologies involved.
research-theres-money-in-mobile-dating-services/

[17] Johann Schrammel, Christina Köffel, Manfred
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WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on COMPUTERS
Shung-Ming Tang, Liang-Kai Wang
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