MYDOT.COM: adding value through personalisation

What is personalisation?

• There are currently three levels of personalisation being used in the marketplace across a range of platforms including the internet, mobile phones and digital television. These levels are segmented as follows:

* Customisation

* Rules-based personalisation

* Behaviour-based personalisation

The Technology

• There are a wide range of personalisation technologies available. These include:

* Large-scale content management and customer relationship management applications

* Collaborative filtering technologies

* Targeting and tracking systems

* Neural networks and dynamic algorithms

* Passporting or virtual identity cards

* Overlay applications

The Business Case

• The argument that delivering relevant content and services to users increases the time that they will spend using web sites and other digital services is a no-brainer. It is sticky content and user loyalty that bear fruit when it comes to increasing revenues from advertising and e-commerce. Furthermore, personalisation technologies do have the potential to generate substantial cost savings for customer service-based companies in particular.

Legal Business

• There are important legal implications involved in the use of personalisation technology - primarily concerning the issue of data protection. Those planning to develop or apply such services should ensure that they are aware of these issues before embarking on such exercises.

Future Gazing

• The use of personalisation technologies is likely to grow in the future - particularly in the areas of mobile, smartcard and digital television technologies.