Mobile Virtual Communities

Abstract

The adoption of mobile phone technology on a large scale in today’s societies turned mobile phones into a universal tool. Phone companies are deploying 3G mobile technology and planning for 4G; nevertheless, the “killer” applications are yet to be developed. Meanwhile, mobile virtual communities (MVCs) are emerging, and their applications are diverse: they range from education, to entertainment and lifestyle. Our vision is that mobile virtual communities will be a major trend and could create a momentum for 3G and 4G mobile phone applications. In this article we analyze the different types of mobile virtual communities, and we draw some research perspectives and applications.