Presence & Identity key to future mobile applications

I was at lunch today with a great local mobile solutions company and we discussed some of the trends that are happening in our market space.

The discussion came around to instant messaging & username password applications. I made the point that the real focus needs to be at a lower level than just the applications and that is,
Presence – which is the ability for the users "state" to be seen by their friends or workmates, in turn allowing this to become and actionable event such as making a video call or playing a game or starting an IM session.
Identity – a system whereby the user only has to remember one username & password to access multiple services and content as well as the ability for systems to recognise users identity and give them appropriate information & services.

Presence & Identity servers are prolific, but their needs to be better synchronicity from the Telco world with what is already happening in the Internet world. In other words I need my Internet identity to follow me into the mobile environment fluidly.

Cellular News has an interesting article on the size of the Presence market.