The Optism Mobile Advertising Solution goes beyond just technical capabilities, the company says. Alcatel-Lucent says the solution provides:

• Mobile operators with an innovative way to grow revenues by offering value-added services and improving subscriber experiences.

• Brands the ability to connect with subscribers through relevant interactions that fit their lifestyles.

• Subscribers control over the brand communications delivered to them via interactive SMS and MMS messaging.

“At the heart of the Optism Mobile Advertising Solution is the advertising platform, fully hosted and managed by Alcatel-Lucent. The platform connects directly into mobile networks offering a single entry point for advertisers to multiple mobile operators. It also provides advertisers with a simple method of booking campaigns and ensures consistent reporting,” the company says.

Thomas Labarthe, vice president of mobile advertising, Alcatel-Lucent, explained in a company video that Alcatel-Lucent's Optism solution removes obstacles and complexity in the mobile advertising domain, and makes it interesting for the users.

When the company started the project, it spent some time dealing with advertisers, brands and agencies – to understand their challenges and opportunities.

“One of the main obstacles are actually the fragmentation of the market on the one hand … but also the technical complexity of this market,” he said. “It’s very difficult for media agencies to buy campaigns and advertising spaces … right now. So one of the key requests was to try to simply the buying ….”

The process started with the brand, then the media agency, then the media owner (operator in this case) and finally the end user.

Through the process, they wanted advertising that got closer to the information.

There were also interactivity mechanisms, such as connecting the end user to call centers or a mechanism for mobile payments, Labarthe said.

“We wanted to create this brand, actually, to create an identity not just to our intelligent platform, but to the skill set that we offer both to operators and advertisers,” Labarthe added.

The mobile advertising space is ready for growth. This promise of significant revenues has led to more companies jockeying for position, making it difficult for companies across this emerging business ecosystem to work together to achieve positive results, according to Alcatel-Lucent.

It says that an effective mobile advertising solution serves the needs of three distinct groups: mobile operators; brands, marketers, media buyers and sellers; and subscribers.

Effective mobile advertising should be relevant, transparent and opt-in. It also delivers reach; encourages interactivity; and achieves a high response rate, Alcatel-Lucent says.