Social networking features are the key drivers responsible for the uptake in mobile content, according to Informa Telecoms and Media.
The European research firm’s report ‘Mobile Content and Services’ (7th edition) found that mobile social networking and community based services and applications received “growing attention and investment from the mobile industry” over the last two years.
In its annual survey conducted last September, 71% of the 307 telecom industry professionals who participated said that they believed social networking and community services will have a “significant impact” on driving the P2P (peer to peer) uptake of mobile content.
“As the mobile content and services market evolves, different business models are emerging that have a significant impact on the relationships between different players in the value chain. The trend towards direct-to-consumer offerings is becoming more evident, and players like Nokia, Apple and many others are exerting increasing pressure on mobile operators to be more innovative and collaborative with their service offerings,” said Shailendra Pandey, Informa’s senior research analyst.
For more information on the report, click here.
In other research news, high-tech market research firm In-Stat says that the nature of cell phones will “change radically” in the next five years.
The designs of handheld devices will undergo an evolution due to increasing availability of mobile broadband, operator support for data-intensive devices, and improvements in usability for mobile devices brought about by the influence of the Apple iPhone.
"Consumers are nearing their limits adjusting to the added complexity of converged devices," said In-Stat analyst David Chamberlain. "Feature proliferation is impinging on usability. Handset vendors and mobile operators must carefully evaluate the drive toward increasingly converged devices with features and functions that add direct value to consumers."
The report, called ‘Future Cell Phones: Diverging the Converged Device 2008-2012’ also found:
– Wi-Fi will become increasingly available in handsets, and more than 300 million Wi-Fi-enabled cellphones will be sold in 2012.
– Annual smart phone sales will double over the next five years.
– By 2012, annual sales of handsets able to receive video content will exceed a half-billion.
– According to a survey of over 1,500 individuals from In-Stat’s technology adoption panel, almost 60% of respondents indicate some level of interest, or already use Wi-Fi for VoIP using a cellphone.
For more information on the report, click here.
