“63 percent of survey respondents said they would be more likely to give up their money than their mobile smart phone if they were mugged”.

For many years it was felt that the computer was Jamaica’s gateway to the internet and that special consideration should be given to allow wider and easier access to this instrument. What is now emerging is that the mobile phone is Jamaica’s gateway to the internet and not the computer.

With an estimated 1,540,000 internet users as of Jun/09 and 54.5% penetration rate with 97,300 Internet broadband connections as of Dec/09, Jamaica is coming a long way from 60,000 users in 2000.

Note: Per Capita GDP in US dollars, source: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

On the international stage, it has been reported from as far back as 2008 by analyst from Nielsen Online that mobile internet use is growing while the number of people going online via a PC is slowing.  The report indicates that some 7.3m people accessed the net via their mobile phones, during the second and third quarters of 2008.This is an increase of 25% compared to a growth of just 3% for the PC-based net audience – now more than 35m.

It also found that the mobile net audience was younger and searched for different things compared to its computer based counterpart. A quarter of the mobile net audience is aged 15-24, compared to 16% for the PC. While 23% of the desk-top based internet population is 55 or over, only 12% of mobile internet audience is.

According to Kent Ferguson, senior analysts with Nielsen Online there are several factors for the dramatic rise in mobile net use. “The barriers are finally being lifted thanks to operators offering flat-rate tariffs for data and more user-friendly handsets and improved network technology,”

It is thought that mobile users spend about 10 minutes online per session with an average of around seven sessions per month. Increasingly mobile firms are encouraging users to venture online via their handsets. Increasingly buttons for Google and popular social networks are being incorporated on handsets.

Mobile phone firm 3 has recently launched a so-called Face book phone, which integrates the networking site with the traditional functions of a mobile.

A quarter of the mobile net audience is aged 15-24, compared to 16% for the PC. While 23% of the desk-top based internet population is 55 or over, only 12% of mobile internet audience is.

According to a report published by the Paul Budde Communication Pty company (BuddeComm’s annual publication, ‘Jamaica – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband’, profiles the fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets in Jamaica), published on the internet site www.budde.com.au there is a lot of money at stake in the local telecoms market.

“In contrast, the relative size and rapid expansion of the mobile sector continues to underpin growth in the telecommunications industry. Despite a slowdown in 2009, largely due to the broader recessionary environment, the mobile sector is poised for strong growth between 2010 and 2015 on the back of the launch of new 3G and 4G networks. In particular, mobile broadband is likely to become a major revenue driver with stronger competition emerging between Digicel, Claro and LIME.”

The BuddeComm’s annual publication indicates “that by early 2010 Digicel had approximately 2 million subscribers in Jamaica, representing around 65% of the mobile market. Both LIME and in particular Claro improved their market shares between 2009 and early 2010. Competition in the sector will be materially improved should mobile number portability, currently being canvassed by the regulator, be introduced.”

According to the report the Mobile subscribers market is estimated to be 3.2 million with an annual growth of 5% and a mobile penetration 112%. The Latest Jamaica Population Estimate is 2,825,825 for 2009.

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The commercial and communication implication for business and commerce in Jamaica should not be ignored. Rather Jamaican companies should now be looking at how they can capitalize on this growing market space.

International surveys have indicated a strong consumer desire for practical mobile content on phones such as phone-optimized banking and travel planning rather than basic entertainment and ringtones. An over whelming number of consumer have indicated that they would be more likely to choose an airline with mobile check-in facilities over one that did not offer them.

Additionally, trust in the mobile Web was inherent throughout the results of the study. In demanding access to mobile banking and mobile commerce abilities for basic utilities such as groceries, plane tickets and books, Consumers said they trust the mobile Web to keep their personal information secure, as opposed to the PC-based Internet, where security remains of utmost importance.

Other results from the mobile Internet usage and attitudes study include:

* Approximately 90 percent of the 2,000 respondents in the online panel provided by Research Now are interested in learning about the mobile Web, demonstrating a need for brands to make their mobile properties findable via mobile search, marketing and advertising campaigns. Fifty percent of respondents were unaware that there are mobile sites optimized for use on mobile phones and the vast majority – 86 percent of participants – said they were interested in knowing which sites are easily accessible on a mobile phone.

* Nearly 50 percent of respondents said that a poor experience on their initial use of the mobile Web made them “reluctant to access” either the site – or the Internet in general – on their mobile phones again.

* Only 2 percent of participants in the survey who have purchased a phone in the past six months chose an iPhone. This indicates that brands that don’t optimize their mobile services for a variety of mobile phones will provide a substandard mobile Internet experiences for a vast majority of consumers.

* Poor site display and layout remain top reasons for mobile Web dissatisfaction among consumers.

* Almost two-thirds of participants stated that they would consider purchasing theater tickets, take-out food and travel tickets via a mobile phone.

* Finally, 63 percent of survey respondents said they would be more likely to give up their money than their mobile “smart phone” if they were mugged.

Daniel Rosen, managing director of AKQA Mobile, said, “The enormous popularity of mobile devices has had a profound effect on the lifestyle of the consumer, unleashing new levels of connectivity and personal mobility. When planning campaigns, global brands need to ensure they take into account the role the mobile device can play in helping them engage with customers and that they create campaigns that have been developed specifically for mobile applications. The survey’s findings show how easily consumers were turned off by earlier, ill-conceived mobile campaigns. With mobile devices more ubiquitous, powerful and sophisticated than ever, there is a real opportunity for brands to deliver ground-breaking mobile campaigns that captivate, engage and entertain their customers.”

Sources.

ü  Nielsen Online

ü  Report published by the Paul Budde Communication Pty company- BuddeComm’s annual publication, ‘Jamaica – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband’, profiles the fixed-line, mobile and broadband markets in Jamaica – published on the internet site www.budde.com.au

ü  AKQA Mobile, the mobile division of the global independent creative agency and dotMobi, announced the results of an extensive consumer study of mobile Internet usage and attitudes. Conducted by the AKQA’s Research & Insights department in conjunction with dotMobi, the survey reveals key insights into the importance of a better mobile Web for consumers in the U.S. and U.K.

http://mobithinking.com/best-practices/mobile-internet-usage-attitudes-study