Customer InsIghts desIgn 127 127 Va l e n t i n e ’s D ay, 2 0 0 8 Outside an o≈ce building on the outskirts of Oslo, four Norwegian teenagers wearing American- style “letter” jackets and baseball caps are engaged in a lively discussion with a man in his 50s . . . Va l e n t i n e ’s D ay, 2 0 0 8 Outside an o≈ce building on the outskirts of Oslo, four Norwegian teenagers wearing American- style “letter” jackets and baseball caps are engaged in a lively discussion with a man in his 50s . . . . . . The teenagers are young, hip snowboarders answering questions posed by Richard Ling, a senior sociologist working for Telenor, the world’s seventh largest mobile operator. Ling is interviewing the group as part of a study to gain insights into the use of photos and photo sharing over social networks. Now that nearly every mobile phone sports a camera, photo sharing is of keen interest to cellular operators. Ling’s research will help Telenor capture the “big picture” of photo sharing. He focuses not just on existing and potential new mobile photo sharing services, but on broader issues, such as the role photo-sharing plays with respect to trust, secrecy, group identity, and the social fabric linking these young men. Ultimately, his work will enable Telenor to design and deliver better services. bmgen_final.indd 127 6/15/10 5:39 PM