There’s long been debate as to which year would be the so-called “year of mobile,” with both 2009 and 2010 carrying the moniker.  As the concept evolves, however, it’s becoming apparent that increasing adoption and innovation is causing every year to be the ”Year of Mobile” and 2011 will be no exception.

As we move into the New Year, there are several concepts that began to take shape in 2010 that will flourish over the coming months.   These include retail marketing, mobile commerce, intelligent mobile CRM and mHealth or Mobile Healthcare.

A primary area of mobile marketing that’s set for major expansion, investment, development and consumer adoption is retail-based mobile technologies and marketing strategies.  Retailers are increasingly looking at location-based mobile tactics to drive foot traffic into stores and the rise in mobile loyalty and coupon programs has brought the concept into the spotlight over the last year.  2010 brought hundreds of large scale deployments by organizations of all shapes and sizes.  The success of these has led to mobile marketing plans by organizations that are generally considered to be mid and late stage adopters.

Similarly, mobile commerce, mobile payments and the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) will define mobile marketing in 2011 as NFC-enabled devices hit the market in droves.  As smartphones and feature-phones alike become equipped with the ability to facilitate things like contactless payments, consumers will become educated on the concept and will come to expect capabilities that have been promised for years, such as the ability to pay for items by simply swiping a cell phone over a terminal.

As mobile retail marketing, location-based services and mobile commerce enter the spotlight in the coming year, we’ll likely see a rise in a concept known as “intelligent mobile CRM.”  As brands begin engaging customers via the mobile channel, a need for behavioral-based CRM with regards to customer retention and new client marketing will become a critical aspect of maximizing the power of mobile. Again, retailers and supermarkets are leading this trend in CRM by launching mobile campaigns triggered by changes in customer behavior rather than batch and blast campaigns.

mHealth, or Mobile Healthcare, is arguably going to be where mobile grows the most in 2011. Because of the aging baby boomer generation, the healthcare industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past decade and predictions call for its growth to continue in a near vertical direction.  In order to meet the demand placed on the system as well maximize efficiencies in order to minimize costs, healthcare providers are increasingly turning to mobile as a solution.  For a full analysis of mHealth, where it’s been and where it is going, please download mobileStorm’s comprehensive report – 2011 mHealth Report: Mobile Healthcare Technology Trends and Innovations.

Looking beyond mobile location, mobile commerce, CRM, mHealth and other new-age concepts, mobile applications and the mobile Web will continue to flourish as they have over the last few years.  The debate between the mobile Web and mobile apps will continue to heat up as well, with an emphasis on the former as HTML5 development and “Web apps” continue to evolve.

Whether the “Year of Mobile” is 2011 or simply every year from now on out, one thing remains perfectly clear; the mobile channel continues to evolve into the primary means to connect and engage with consumers.