Written by: Christine Demsteader and Geoff Hollingworth

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There are moments in time that should not be missed. A record-breaking Olympic gold, the concert that defines a musical era or the goal that wins the World Cup. Events that shape our world are rarely forgotten in the archives of time and fondly remembered by those who enjoyed a front row seat.

History in the making now rests comfortably in the palms of our hands. Wherever you are in the world, mobile phones can cross continents and journey through time zones, capturing defining moments as they happen.

Mobile portals give direct mobile access
Millions of people watch sporting and musical events on TV. And now, events are empowered by the web. Internet technology has increased user demand for information, anytime and anywhere. Moreover, it has helped to increase audience numbers and bring viewers a cyber-step closer to the action. Now they are about to get even closer, because the next-generation media also happens to be mobile.

Direct mobile access to events is the latest addition to the media mix, giving users virtual access to action while on the go. With no respect for longitude or latitude, mobile portals are on hand to offer the latest information, entertainment and media services, and the chance to take part - a whole event experience in your pocket - wherever you are in the world. "A mobile portal's function," says Mark Murphy, solutions architect at Ericsson, "is to provide a point of entry to a specific content experience. There are many different types of communities who engage in their own type of portal and their own type of experience."

Volvo Ocean Race mobile portal
Murphy recently designed Ericsson's showcase mobile portal  for one of sailing's toughest challenges, the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), which is a round-the-world voyage that takes in nine countries and five continents (Figure 1). The 2005/06 race is an eight-month event that began in Vigo, Spain in November 2005. Navigating the world's waters, the boats and crews will finally anchor in Gothenburg, Sweden in June, 2006. The last time the race was held (in 2001/02) 800 million people followed it on television. This time, people around the world can monitor the adventure live on their mobile phones.

Ericsson is participating in the Volvo Ocean Race both in the water and on dry land. While competing at sea with an ocean-going syndicate, the event gives the company an unrivalled opportunity to reach its customers around the world. At every stopover, Ericsson is taking the opportunity to communicate how its solutions can help to expand the business potential (Figure 2). As the race's official mobile partner, Ericsson is also hosting the VOR mobile portal, which is packed with exclusive content. Covering this event is a unique opportunity for Ericsson to deliver a complete set of services to mobile consumers around the world for a period of eight months.