An Exploration on Mobile Social Networking: Dodgeball as a Case in Point

With the evolution of the mobile platform and the rapid adoption of mobile devices such as cell phones and other handheld devices, social networks, which began as web-based applications, have migrated onto the mobile platform. This paper focuses on the development of these networks and how users of these networks have become a prime source of innovation on the mobile platform. Mobile social networks are the impetus for the creation of an entirely new sub-industry in the wireless sector, thus representing a new aspect of wireless innovation, and increasingly are providing a platform for content and technological innovation in the business environment. The paper discusses the implications of mobile social networks for the wireless sector, content providers, technology companies, and the users of the mobile platform. A case study on Dodgeball, a New York City based mobile social networking company, is presented to exemplify usercentric innovation on the mobile platform.