In a 3G world, consumers expect so much more from their mobile experience. It is no longer enough to have access to unique ringtones or fun wallpaper. Consumers now want complete personalization in the experience and those vendors who can deliver are more likely to gain a loyal following. The one hiccup in this process is privacy.

 

Laws abound surrounding the privacy individuals must be afforded in the marketplace. At the same time, these individuals want personalized services. How can the vendor appeal to both, especially where advertising is concerned? By operating on a secure network and capturing user preferences, new advertising models are deployed that appeal directly to that consumer.

 

This is where data mining plays a vital role in advertising to the mobile online user. Each one of these users will leave a footprint detailing his or her activities. Specialists read and analyze this information to provide much more detailed information about user behaviors online.

This process is not about capturing credit card numbers on an individual and everything they purchased. Instead, it is capturing information on the habits of a particular user, their type of devices, sites they will visit, information they will share and products and services they will purchase.

Even as the information captured in data mining processes is not of the highly sensitive manner, some consumers can still view it as an invasion of privacy and network operators must be able to maintain a platform that allows for the ultimate in privacy provisions while still delivering the personalization that consumers demand.

In working with a provider like Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert), service providers can gain a bigger slice of the overall advertising revenue pie as a result of better targeting and detailed metrics that will reveal whether or not marketing efforts have reached the desired consumers. Alcatel-Lucent delivers the tools necessary to accomplish these goals while also preserving subscriber privacy.

Aggregated, real-time data is gathered and analyzed to generate reports to analyze consumer habits. At the same time, advertisers can see performance of their products in real-time, allowing for the adjustment and optimization of their promotions. Personally identifiable data is never used without permission and a subscriber’s anonymity is always protected. It truly delivers the best of both worlds to all players.