We’ve found incoming O2 mms into moblogUK are now simply sending an html link rather than the image itself. This is only happening when sending MMS to an email address, but there are various elements to consider here, which clearly the marketing department making this decision didnt consult anyone with any technical knowledge on.

Firstly, what are the cost implications for O2 to use this method? Well, simply put, instead of there being an actual data cost of around 10p, there is a cost of around 0.5 to 1p as a fraction when considering the 133 bytes or so to write the html link. In that alone O2 are creaming off extra profits from a high end service which is no longer doing what it is advertised to do…in my opinion? Contrary to customer rights and potentially illegal considering profit margins.

Secondly, why on earth would they do this? Is it quicker? Does it make a difference to the end user? (well yeah, as Ill explain), Why is it a good idea?

After thinking about it the only rational reason for doing this is that there is a greater net profit per mms to email. I reckon as users become more educated as to where they can send images via mms they have noticed an upsurge in mms to email sends and saw the profit opportunity… It is not quicker, and it doesnt seem to be a good idea as it radically changes the way people receive MMS messages, making them less comfortable and responsive to the medium

…what happens when you receive an MMS to email from an O2 phone? you are sent to a page where they have re-sized the image to a 160×120 thumbnail, and have to fill in a form to get to the full size image!!! This my friends is un-ethical datacapture, and through almost enforced coercion.

As per Mat’s comment below, not as terrible as one might think, and also perhaps there are extenuating circumstances here, but still: in short? Totally wrongheaded and possibly illegal to boot.

Update: Flickr is confirmed broken, and considering the way we all use scripts to rip out links (ala Sprint), fotolog, TA, etc, are probably all suffering the same way. (thanks Mat)

moblogUK forum :: View topic – O2 MMS

edit 02/08/05: aaaaaaaaaHAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! O2’s “moblog” service with Kodak has gone tits up. From the outset their technicians were maintaining that Kodak was working just fine, but we’ve just had confirmation that the entire system is b0rked. Well done 02, way to stiff your subscribers…again. Bloody lucky you’re getting the i-mode contract if you ask me.

In: Announcements, Mobile | | #