Practicing M-Application Services Opportunities with Special Reference to Oman

摘要

Mobile technologies are opening new channels of communication for people and organizations. According to a survey by the World Bank (2012), no other technology has been in the hands of so many people in so many countries in such a short period. Mobile phones have become a "must-have" electronic gadget for daily business. These devices are likely replacing the need for laptops and desktops. Mobile phones are used for social networking, location-based services, navigation/local search, instant messaging and many other applications. Mobile devices are widely used not only by developed countries but also used by developing nations like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries of which Oman is a member. A recent estimate indicated that over half of the Omani population has internet accessible mobile devices. The mobile devices are continuously getting more sophisticated and advanced; people are getting benefit of these devices in their everyday lives. This progression in mobile technologies has created opportunities and influenced various government organizations to go mobile with their services including Oman and its neighbouring countries. This research presents a synopsis of M-application services offered by many countries with special reference to Oman.