Distribution at worlds end

The world is becoming a smaller place, the wrinkled Captain Barbossa warns his young, dreadlocked counterpart Captain Jack Sparrow in the latest instalment of Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. The world is the same, there is just less in it, retorts Sparrow.

Sparrow may not be the most obvious commentator on trends in the mobile industry. But his curt analysis of life on the high seas is a perfect summary of the state of mobile distribution today.

In the past few months, the long-predicted consolidation in the mobile marketplace has taken place. The new world order is establishing itself before our eyes. Industry insiders go so far as to suggest that just four or five distributors will be sailing strong within the next two years, having swallowed up the smaller fish. That is some rate of reduction there are around 15 distributors in the UK at present and is symptomatic of an industry in flux.

For the full story see the latest edition of Mobile News.