Strategies for Creating End-User Demand for Mobile Data Services

As mobile operators worldwide face increasing pressure on profitability so revenues from data services become increasingly important. Voice revenues continue to fall and growth has slowed in mature markets, and the long awaited launch of 3G services has failed to lift ARPU as quickly as was hoped for in Western Europe and North America. As all eyes stay fixed on the all-important 'data-as-a-percentage-of-revenue' metric, many non-voice services have failed to provide a significant boost to ARPU. This new study looks at 'best-of-breed' non-voice services around the globe and identifies areas of best practice in driving higher usage from mobile data services.

Introduction

Mobile Data Services – An Overview
Non-messaging Mobile Services
Messaging Services

Successful Strategies – Non-messaging Mobile Data Services
Mobile Portals
Mobile Full-track Music Downloads
Mobile Video Downloads/Uploads
Ringback Tones
Mobile Commerce
Mobile Games
Mobile Video Calling

Successful Strategies – Messaging Services
SMS
Successful SMS-based Services
MMS

Web 2.0 – An Introduction
Mobile and Web 2.0

Conclusion

Glossary

List of Figures
Figure 1: Western Europe Mobile Portal Market (In Millions, 2005-2010)
Figure 2: Worldwide Mobile Music Full-track download market (In Millions, 2004-2009)
Figure 3: Worldwide M-Commerce Revenues (In Billions, 2005-2009)
Figure 4: Mobile Games Annual Revenues (In Billions, 2006-2011)
Figure 5: Worldwide SMS Traffic Volumes (In Billions, 2004-2010)
Figure 6: Worldwide SMS Revenue (In USD Billions, 2004-2010)
Figure 7: Worldwide MMS Traffic Volumes (In Billions, 2004-2010)
Figure 8: Worldwide MMS Revenue (In USD Billions, 2004-2010)
Figure 9: Number of Subscribers to i-mode Services in Japan
Figure 10: The three-pronged strategy of NTT DoCoMo for i-mode
Figure 11: Growth Trends: Verizon Wireless data customers
Figure 12: China Mobile – CRBT Subscribers and Penetration (2003-June 2006)
Figure 13: Percentage of Customers Using Wallet Services at Various Venues
Figure 14: Smart: SMS Traffic Volumes (In Billions, 2000-June 2006)
Figure 15: Smart: SMS-related Services Revenue as a % of Total Data Revenue
Figure 16: SMS Volume (2001-2004)
Figure 17: NetCom: SMS Traffic Volumes (In Millions, 2002-June 2006)
Figure 18: Verizon Wireless: MMS Traffic Volumes (In Millions, 2004-2006)
Figure 19: MMS Sent on SFR’s Network (2002-June 2006)

List of Tables
Table 1: Total Regional SMS Traffic (In Billions, 2004-2010)
Table 2: Total Regional MMS Traffic (In Billions, 2004-2010)
Table 3: Selection Criteria for Portals
Table 4: The History of Services Launched by i-mode in the Past
Table 5: The History of Licensee Agreements with MNOs
Table 6: Selection Criteria for Mobile Music Downloads
Table 7: Selection Criteria for Mobile Music Downloads
Table 8: Selection Criteria for Ringback Tones
Table 9: Advantages of Using G-Cash: Deposit or Withdrawal Process/Tax or Bill Payment
Table 10: Advantages of Using G-Cash: Remittance Process from Bank A to Bank B
Table 11: Selection Criteria for Mobile Games Service
Table 12: Top 14 SMS MNOs (2005)
Table 13: Top 14 SMS MNOs (4Q 2005)
Table 14: Smart: SMS-based Applications
Table 15: Selection Criteria for MMS

Over the last three or four years mobile network operator have been focusing much of their attention on driving the all-important 'data-as-a-percentage-of-revenue' metric. In highly competitive markets voice revenues are being squeezed harder than ever, churn is a constant problem and most operators are pushing non-voice service revenues as the saviour of ARPU. This report looks in-depth at a range of non-voice services to understand the strategies employed by those mobile operators leading the field in each major non-voice service category.This new study looks at 'best-of-breed' non-voice services around the globe and identifies areas of best practice in driving higher usage from mobile data services.

We have looked at the following services
- Mobile portals
- Mobile music downloads
- Mobile video downloads (and uploads)
- Ringback tones
- Mobile commerce
- Mobile games
- Mobile video calling
- SMS
- MMS
- also a special section looking at 'Web 2.0'

This study looks into market leading examples in each service category. We analyze the strategies employed in each case to uncover the underlying best practice driving service adoption and winning market share. This report looks at market conditions across a range of country markets in Asia, Europe and the Americas, with industry leading examples taken from Japan, the UK, the US, South Korea, China, India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Norway and France. Reading this report you will learn about the strategies operators have employed to become industry leaders, how services have been best adapted to suit local market conditions and how applications and services have been marketed to best effect.

This report has been written to act as a 'best practice guide' to the mobile data services industry, helping you to identify best-of-breed services in each service category and understand which mobile operators lead the field, and what they do differently that helps them stay out in front, ahead of the competition. This report is full of recommendations for mobile operators, applications developers and handset vendors, helping you to formulate winning strategies for your mobile service or application.

- Airtel
- Belgacom
- Bouygues Telecom
- China Mobile
- China Unicom
- Cingular Wireless
- Globe
- Hutchinson 3G
- KDDI
- KT Freetel
- LG Telecom
- Maxis
- Mobilkom
- MTS
- MTN
- NetCom
- NTTDoCoMo
- O2
- Optimus
- Orange
- Radiolinja
- Smart
- SFR Telecom
- Singtel
- SK Telecom
- Sprint Nextel
- StarHub
- Swisscom
- Telecom Personal
- Telefonica Moviles
- Telenor Mobile
- T-Mobile
- TMN
- Verizon Wireless
- Vimpelcom
- Vodafone
- Warid Telecom
- Casio
- Hitachi
- Kyocera
- LG Electronics
- Motorola
- NEC
- Nokia
- Palm
- Panasonic
- Sanyo – www.sanyo.com
- Samsung – www.samsung.co
- Siemens – www.siemens.com
- SonyEricsson – www.sonyericsson.com
- Anschutz Entertainment Group – www.aegworldwide.com
- AOL – www.aol.com
- Bubble Talk/ Bubble Motion – www.bubblemotion.com
- EMI Group – www.emigroup.com
- Facebook – www.facebook.com
- Flickr – www.flickr.com
- Google / Gmail – www.google.com
- Hudson Entertainment – www.hudsonentertainment.com
- ICQ – www.icq.com
- Kodak – www.kodak.com
- LogicaCMG – www.logicacmg.com
- Microsoft – www.microsoft.com
- Microsoft (MSN Messenger) – http://messenger.msn.com/
- MTV China – www.mtvchina.com
- MySpace – www.myspace.com
- Qualcomm – www.qualcomm.com
- SAP – www.sap.com
- Symbian – www.symbian.com
- Sony BMG – www.sonybmg.com
- Telsis – www.telsis.com/
- Textamerica – www.textamerica.com
- Universal – www.universalmusicgroup.com
- Warner – www2.warnerbros.com
- WDIG, Disney – http://corporate.disney.go.com
- WiderThan – www.widerthan.com
- Yahoo! – www.yahoo.com/
- Yospace – www.yospace.com
- YouTube – www.youtube.com