16/02/2010

Netsize, the leading mobile communications and commerce enabler, today launches the Netsize Guide 2010, the comprehensive annual almanac that uniquely combines analysis of key developments that top the mobile industry agenda in 2010 with a wealth of statistical data on the global mobile services and content markets.

The Netsize Guide 2010, aptly titled Mobile Renaissance, examines the role of mobile as the catalyst for change and improvement in society, enabling innovation across all industry sectors and countries.

"The advance of new devices such as touch screen mobile phones, new services such as mobile healthcare, and new business models such as applications stores are significant developments that together yield an exponential increase in ideas and innovation," says Stanislas Chesnais, Chief Executive Officer, Netsize. "We are indeed on the edge of a modern-day Renaissance, which is why this year's Netsize Guide takes its name from this remarkable period. Mobile is not about technology; it's about the means to collaborate, communicate, and connect with diverse networks of people, breaking down the walls between cultures and bringing together the physical and virtual worlds."

Exclusive interviews with 28 industry senior executives at leading companies and organizations including Havas, Marks & Spencer, Mobile Marketing Association, Nokia, Paypal and Sony provide unique perspectives on these themes and reveal how players across the mobile ecosystem are preparing to meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities ahead.

The Netsize Guide 2010 also includes the results of Mobile Trends Survey 2010. Netsize asked over 1,000 mobile professionals and practitioners from 67 countries for their views on 5 key themes, including the advance of mobile applications stores, mobile social networking, customer-brand relationships through mobile, progress towards global mobile commerce and the increasing importance of mobile across a range of business verticals.

The Netsize Guide 2010 presents detailed data on the wireless telecommunications sector in 41 countries, covering revenues, market shares and value added service offerings for messaging and billing of 194 mobile network operators.

The launch of the Netsize Guide 2010 also introduces its online companion, news.netsize.com. This blog will feature further interviews, findings and market data updates throughout the year.

The Netsize Guide 2010 is available from www.netsize.com, and Netsize Guide partners globally including American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA), Association for Interactive Media & Entertainment (AIME), Comunic@tii Mobile, Direct Marketing Association India, Mobile Data Association (MDA), Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF), Mobile Zeitgeist, MSearchGroove, and Services Mobiles. The Netsize Guide 2010 will be available for Amazon Kindle and EPUB format e-book readers in March.

Facts & Figures from the Netsize Guide 2010

Selected highlights from the Mobile Trends Survey:

• Activation: 87 percent of respondents indicate that the Apple App Store will be most successful, followed by Google's Android Market (60 percent), Nokia's Ovi Store (30 percent) and RIM's BlackBerry App World (27 percent). Surprisingly, applications stores run by mobile operators finished low in the list.
• Interaction: Despite the rising popularity of application stores, side-loading and content-forwarding remains the most important distribution channel for mobile entertainment content, ranked first by 84 percent of respondents.
• Conversation: Mobile is not a stand-alone technology. 92 percent of respondents felt it is most effective when combined with online media – which includes Web, email and social media -- as part of a cross-media message; a significant number of respondents said they also see huge growth opportunities for communications that combine mobile and direct mailing via email.
• Transaction: For 73 percent of respondents search, good navigation and targeted offers lead the list of requirements for a good shopping experience on mobile; 60 percent said a choice of payment methods and the ability to have purchases charged to their phone bill is also central.
• Transformation: 2010 will see the take-off of permission-based mobile commerce. 71 percent of respondents expect these purchases will be triggered by location-aware marketing, while 57 percent believe mobile coupons and campaigns involving 2D barcodes will generate sales.

Selected highlights from the Country Data:

• Developing countries have fastest growing subscriber base: India (45.3 %, from 2008 to 2009), followed by Morocco (30.6%), Malaysia (17.9%), and the other BRIC countries (Brazil, China and Russia).
• Greece is the country with highest mobile phone penetration (170%), and India has lowest penetration (37.5%). For the 41 countries surveyed, the average penetration rate increased from 62.8% in 2008 to 68.9% in 2009, on a total population of 2.66 billion.
• China is forecasted to top USA in 2010 as largest mobile messaging market, with €11.45 billion and €10.5 billion revenues respectively. USA is the winner on mobile internet revenues with a whopping €14.9 billion forecasted revenues, against €11.7 billion in Japan and €4 billion in China.