MySpace Mobile

As one of the largest social networking web sites, MySpace, a subsidiary of Fox Interactive Media Inc., specializes in user-generated content and community-based interactions. MySpace's appeal surrounds its viral ability to search from one friend to the next, upload and search photos, update personal profiles and continually check for new comments and messages.

MySpace describes itself as an "online community that lets you meet your friends' friends" and reportedly attracts 230,000 new registrations each day. MySpace is one of the most popular website in the United States. With all this success and the creation of their 100 millionth account on August 9, 2006 it was clear that there was a need to take this community into the mobile domain.

The Challenge

Bringing the functionality of MySpace to the mobile space required a technology that would be able to bring the MySpace experience to users anytime, anywhere and on any mobile device. The solution would need to deliver MySpace users the experience they were accustomed to, in a way that utilized the context and time-sensitive nature of mobile applications. In addition, the application would need to be optimized across a broad range of devices and deliver the best available user experience on the device. It would also need to manage a data-rich mobile application with the dynamic updates in an efficient manner across mobile networks.

The Process

The application was first outlined in reference to the features and functions that would be particularly interesting and relevant from a mobile user's perspective. As the user experience is driven both by device capabilities as well as the latency of the mobile network itself the design of the application had to optimize screen size as well as application flow and user interaction. MySpace Mobile was then interactively built, prototyped and tested.

The Solution

MySpace is now using UIEvolution's world-class UIEngine™ technology to translate its media-rich, connected Web community experiences into an easy-to-use and feature-rich experience on a mobile device.

"We are proud to partner with the leader in social networking," said Travis Beaven, Director of Consumer Products at UIEvolution. "UIEvolution's software solutions for delivering dynamic content to any mobile device coupled with the MySpace experience will lead to multiple opportunities."

UIEngine™, the innovative cross-platform, rich client software technology from UIEvolution, enables the multi functionality the creation and extension of rich interactive of the MySpace Mobile application across devices and networks.

The Result

The UIEvolution® UIEngine brought the popular MySpace online community experience to the mobile space. The cross-platform technology used for developing and deploying the application delivers the high quality experience MySpace members have come to expect. MySpace Mobile provides blog viewing, searching, commenting, and friend list features equivalent to the MySpace website as well as fully-enabled photo uploading and viewing capabilities.

MySpace Mobile users can send messages to their MySpace friends, read and reply to messages sent to them, as well as view and manage friend requests. In addition, users can perform basic friend searches to locate a MySpace profile they wish to add as a friend, and then click to add. Finally, MySpace Mobile users can post new blog entries or make comments to other user's blogs or MySpace profile pages right from their mobile device.

Updates to MySpace member pages are instantly reflected on both the mobile device and on the web site. Users have full messaging capabilities through an easy-to-use and icon-rich messaging and buddy list, enabling one-on-one conversations as easily as larger audience communications.

The Future

"UIEvolution's work is another step towards making the MySpace experience wirelessly accessible to our growing community of members worldwide," said Amit Kapur, Director of Business Development, MySpace.

MySpace Mobile has been one of the most successful subscription applications in mobile application history, running on hundreds of thousands of active end-user devices. The application will also soon offer the ability to upload, seamlessly view, rate and comment videos.

MySpace is currently available on AT&T wireless and Vodafone with full localization for multiple languages. Because the platform solution can run on any device, any platform and any network, it can move to other service providers in the near future.