VoIP, mobile gaming and more: Checking in with the Fierce 15 class of 2005

[1]In the third of our six-part series looking back on the Fierce 15 winners of the past, we look at the class of 2005 [2]. These 15 startups, stretching across a range of market segments and business models, represented what we thought was the best the wireless industry had to offer in 2005.

In looking at the selections of 2005, a few key technology trends emerge. First, 2005 marked a major step in the wireless industry's gradual embrace of Voice over IP technology. The technology stood as a major departure from wireless carriers' standard circuit-switched voice business by transmitting conversations in bits and bytes. The Fierce 15 class of 2005 included a number of VoIP players, each attacking the opportunity from a slightly different angle. Some of these players remain active in the VoIP space, and continue to push the boundaries of the wireless industry, while others have faded from the limelight.

[3]Another key trend from 2005 worth noting was the rise of mobile content and, specifically, mobile gaming. Although the mobile gaming market continues to generate significant interest today--driven largely through possibilities presented by the iPhone and other high-end gadgets--many of the players from just a few years ago were unable to stick around to see the market evolve.

So join us for a stroll back four years into history--the year the last new Star Wars film hit movie screens and Mariah Carey and 50 Cent topped the charts--and take a look back at the Fierce 15 class of 2005 [4].

Click here to see what happened to the Fierce 15 of 2005 [4].

--Mike [5]