WiFi, WiMAX, IMS and mobile content: An eclectic class of 2006

In the fourth of our six-part series looking back on the Fierce 15 winners of the past, we arrive at the year 2006. It was a year that stretched from one end of the industry to the other, and reflected both rising and declining trends.

A number of the Fierce 15 winners from 2006 represented the seeds of today's mobile content boom. Some, such as mBlox, continue to push deeper into the territories they stamped out three years ago, while others, such as ClairMail, have shifted their focus in order to take advantage of newer market trends. Indeed, the class of 2006--both the successes and flameouts--clearly reflect the challenges and the still-untapped potential of mobile content in the wireless industry.

But mobile content is just one area represented by the Fierce 15 winners from 2006. Also on call are players from the mobile WiMAX market, the IMS industry and the now-smoking MVNO space. Some players remain active while others (think MVNO) have washed out.

Indeed, the Fierce selections from 2006 provide further evidence of the dramatic progression of the wireless industry during a span of just three years, as well as the market's volatility. Some of the much-hyped trends from a few years ago remain viable today, while others have faded with the passing of time.

Click here to see what happened to the class of 2006.

--Mike