Four out of five mobile web users would prefer a service provider that gave them more choice in the applications and services on their mobile devices, according to a new survey from IBM. Produced by IBM's Institute for Business Value, the study, titled, "Go mobile, grow," lays out how consumer demand for customization and personalization will drive open standards and other changes in the mobile marketplace.
The market for mobile Internet services is estimated to reach $80 billion by 2011. At the same time, the number of mobile Internet users worldwide is projected to approach 1 billion, a 191 percent increase from 2006.
The IBM survey found utility and transactional services will become increasingly important on the mobile web. For example, nearly 60 percent of consumers are interested in banking via mobile devices. Also, entertainment applications are growing in popularity; the IBM study found 53 percent of consumers interested in mobile TV and 45 percent interest in buying music via mobile devices.
"Clearly the same market forces which empowered consumers to choose personal computers that were open and enabled them to customize their applications are at play in the mobile web marketplace," said Dr. Sungyoul Lee, Global Consulting Leader, Electronics Industry, IBM. "Our survey found 60 percent of consumers do not have a specific brand preference when using mobile Internet services. With consumers clamoring for choice, the marketplace will need to innovate around open platforms and models to build loyalty."
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IBM Study Finds Consumers Want More Control and Choice on Mobile Web (press release)