The website of Alex Kinch, live from London
Posts tagged Research
Report: 41% of consumers will make smart phones their next mobile device
Jun 10th
Yankee Group research reveals that trends within the smartphone ecosystem are profoundly impacting the power dynamics between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and operators.
The new Yankee Group report “Latest Palm Device “Pre”-views Future OEM-Operator Relationships” shows the smartphone category is emerging as the most important competitive battleground in wireless today:
- Forty-one percent of consumers are likely to choose an advanced OS phone as their next mobile phone purchase.
- Smartphone volumes will grow to 38 percent of all handsets by 2013, representing the largest growth opportunity within mobile devices.
- The average U.S. consumer has had 4 mobile devices, increasing his or her appetite for enhanced features and more sophisticated designs when he or she purchases a fifth device.
Traditionally, operators have had the upper hand when working with device manufacturers to bring a new device to market, but the power dynamics are shifting. With more competitive entrants, tighter budgets and increased consumer expectations, OEMs and operators need to work together, on equal ground, to thrive.
“The release of the Palm Pre spotlights the changes in the OEM-operator dynamic,” says Chris Collins, Yankee Group senior analyst. “Sprint and Palm, Inc. are two companies desperate for a blockbuster hit. And as such, they are either the perfect—or worst possible—partners for one another. The fate of both companies relies on the success of their alliance around the Pre.”
10 year olds should have mobiles, says survey
Mar 31st
A survey by BBC Wales has found that nearly one in four Welsh children under the age of 10 would be allowed to have a mobile.
The research, by Beaufort Omnibus, asked: “At what age should children have their first mobile phone?” 23% of parents said they’d be quite happy with an under 10 having one, with 42% saying 11 or under.
via BBC NEWS | Wales | Wales childhood | Under-10s ‘allowed mobile phones’.
Another survey says no to phones on planes
Oct 29th
Link: Majority Do Not Want Mobile Phones on Planes – Survey
Following on from news that the Telegraph’s campaign to ban mobiles on flights has reached 4,000 signatories, travel website TripAdvisor has carried out a worldwide survey and come to a very similar conclusion – phones on planes are bad bad bad..
According to a survey of travel trends by the website, TripAdvisor – some 78 percent of travelers believe that mobile phones should not be allowed on flights. TripAdvisor said that it surveyed more than 2,500 travelers from around the world for its annual trends report.
“The major trends we’re observing are that travelers value cleanliness above all else and are becoming more environmentally conscious,” said Michele Perry, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Based on TripAdvisor’s TravelCast, the top emerging world destination is Jerba, Tunisia, and Thailand is the hottest country, featuring two destinations in the world’s top ten.”
Shortcodes the most effective platform for mobile advertisers
Oct 24th
According to mobile media research firm M:Metrics, text shortcodes are the most effective platform for mobile advertisers in the US.
“In the United States, CSCs represent the only universal way for brands to connect with almost all mobile users,” said Evan Neufeld, vice president and senior analyst at M:Metrics. “In August 2007, 92.5 million, or 43 percent, of mobile subscribers actively engaged in text messaging. Of these 92.5 million mobile subscribers, 41 million send text messages almost every day. Not only is this number impressive as a stand-alone figure, but it is exponentially higher than the potential reach of the next available mobile advertising method.”
“CSCs create a level of interaction that is unparalleled in any other medium,” said Diane Strahan, vice president of mobile at NeuStar. “The M:Metrics study offers detailed proof of what mobile marketing-savvy organizations across many industry verticals have speculated: that CSCs provide brands with the broadest and the most targeted way to reach today’s mobile consumer. As texting continues to increase in popularity, advertising agencies and marketers are focusing more and more on CSCs as a preferred mobile medium of choice. These firms are embracing CSCs not only to reach today’s on-the-go consumer directly, but also to transform traditional print, broadcast and outdoor advertising into truly interactive touchpoints — thus building significant loyalty among key audiences.”
42% of small businesses can’t live without mobile
Sep 26th
This just in from US mobile network AT&T. According to a recent survey, 42% of American small business owners reckon they couldn’t survive without mobile technology.
Four in 10 of small business owners surveyed said they could not survive — or it would be a major challenge to survive — without wireless technology. This trend will likely increase because more than half (51 percent) of the respondents said they rely on wireless technology more today than two years ago, and more (55 percent) said they expect to depend on it even more two years from now.
“Wireless technology is a critical tool that allows small business owners to stay in touch with customers, suppliers and staff while on the go,” said Carrie MacGillivray, senior analyst, Mobile Enterprise Network Services, IDC. “It is not surprising that small businesses indicate that wireless communications capabilities play a critical role in business success.”
The increased demands of a personal life and owning a small business mirrors the concurrent growth in small business owners’ reliance on wireless technology. Of the 41 percent of respondents who said they were very likely to conduct business while away from the office, more than half (53 percent) said the success of their business depends on wireless technologies, such as mobile phones, PDAs and PC data cards. Additionally, half (49 percent) said they are optimistic about wireless technology giving their business a competitive advantage while only 16 percent of those polled disagreed with that statement.
“Small businesses are more nimble and flexible than ever before, and they need telecommunications solutions built for them by people who understand their needs,” said John Regan, vice president of Small Business, AT&T. “Today’s small business owners have more choices than ever for wireless handsets, Wi-Fi access points, smartphones and other technologies that help keep them connected even when they’re away from the office — whether that’s traveling to meet with customers or staying connected with their business while away from the office.”
Punters to splash $12bn on mobile gambling by 2010
Sep 26th
The increasing deployment of multiple mobile payment technologies and liberalisation of remote gambling legislation in key markets is expected to push total annual wagers on mobile phones to nearly $12bn by 2010, according to a new report by Juniper Research.
Mobile lotteries are expected to be the most popular service by the end of the forecast period, with more than 380m users worldwide. According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, ‘Mobile lotteries have already experienced significant levels of adoption in the Far East, while we envisage that European state lotteries will increasingly embrace the mobile environment in the medium term.”
The report added that growth would also be fuelled by market liberalisation such as the UK’s Gambling Act which came into force on September 1, and by proposed amendments to existing legislation elsewhere in Europe. Furthermore, it suggested that in the longer term, there would also be opportunities in the US market.
‘The intimations from the US are that the act will be repealed or at least reformed,” said Holden. ‘Should that be the case, then, facilitated by location-based technologies, in-state mobile lotteries, betting and possibly casino services will be available in that market by 2010.”
Can you help with this video calling project?
Sep 24th
Had a note in from an SMS Text News reader, who posed an interesting question.
i have a friend who is going to be in tokyo in the next couple of months… she wants to be able to stream back a couple of hours of LIVE video of her walking around tokyo — basically doing live newscasting from the streets. this needs to be reliable(ish) and cheap… so really we need a solution that becomes internet-delivered as close to source as possible to save on any network charges…. (and needs to be accessible this end via a pc or mac)… obviously a laptop plus 3g card and/or access to a wireless network, plus a videocam would work, but we’re hoping for something more lightweight… an ip-enabled video mobile with flat rate 3g data would be perfect… but being japan there are almost certainly problems with carriers, proprietary data formats, internet gateways/proxies etc… know anyone who knows japanese mobile data inside out and wouldn’t mind a call? there’s really no money in this, but it would be great if we can pull it off!
I suggested 3G to 3G video calling, with something like an N95 with AV out at the other end to turn it into something useful. However, that opens a can of worms of whether it’s actually possible to make a 3G video call from Japan back to the UK.
As the reader says, there’s no real budget in it – but it’s hopefully interesting enough to spark someones interest 
No mobile means poverty, say children
Sep 19th
Link: No mobile means poverty, say children | Technology | The Guardian
Almost half of children in some parts of Britain think that not having a mobile phone means a child is poor, according to a poll commissioned by Dare to Care, a new volunteering campaign aimed at tackling child poverty. Not being able to afford to go on a school trip is the next most telling indicator of poverty for 44% of children across Britain, and a similar proportion think that not having the correct school uniform makes you poor
That’s shocking – really shocking! The article is quite lengthy, but worth a read.
(Thanks to Natasha for the tip)
Older generation are suprisingly mobile-savvy
Sep 19th
Link: MediaPost Publications – Study: Mobile-Savvy Boomers The Norm, Not Exception – 09/19/2007
New research carried out in the USA reveals that the older generation aren’t far behind their younger counterparts when it comes to use of mobile features.
InsightExpress surveyed more than 2000 mobile users across the country, separating them into Gen Y (18-24), Gen X (25-44), younger Baby Boomers (45-54) and older Baby Boomers (55-64).
Mobile penetration was unsurprisingly high across all age groups, with 85% of those in Gen Y and 82% in Gen X having a mobile, with the younger boomers coming in at 80% and older boomers at 79%.
What was interesting, however, was the usage of text messaging amongst the older generation. 16% of younger boomers and 10% of older boomers sent or received text messages daily – that compares to 43% and 22% of Gen Y and Gen X.
Director of mobile research at InsightExpress Joy Liuzzo said about the results: “They realize that sending a text message is quick, they can check in with someone, make sure everything is alright and it’s done. No need for a phone call
“As more Boomers come to view text messaging as a convenience that makes communication faster and easier–adoption rates (and potential for mobile marketers) will grow. Think of a pharmaceutical company with a product that’s supposed to be taken once a month. Users could create an account on the company’s Web site and register for an SMS reminder.”
Mobile dating revenues to reach $1bn by 2012
Sep 17th
Revenues from mobile dating and chatroom services are expected to pass $1bn by 2010, according to a new report from Juniper Research.
Globally, the number of users of such services is expected to rise from just over 40m in 2007 to 260m in 2012, driven by strong demand in both developed and emerging markets, including more than 60m users in the Indian sub-continent.
According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, “Major brands such as Match.com and Webdate have recognised that customers are willing to pay a mobility premium for 24/7 access to these services and are increasing deploying mobile applications to complement and enhance their existing offerings.”
Holden added that the sector was also becoming increasingly attractive to start-ups seeking to launch cross-platform services from the outset.
“The increasing proliferation of 3G handsets and a mean that companies are increasing confident of introducing converged services at the outset. Furthermore, those companies which embrace such a strategy – such as Flirtomatic – are experiencing significantly higher levels of traffic from their WAP users than from their users on the fixed internet.”
The report cautions, however, that usage was being retarded in many territories by excessive and confusing data pricing, stating that the high costs of data – particularly for prepaid customers – were continuing to act as a disincentive for regular usage and more widespread adoption.
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