tag = "Metrics"

607.5 million mobile internet users world wide are expected to access social networks from their devices by 2013 according to a new report “Mobile Social networks: Marketing by Location Shows Potential“ from eMarketer. In the US, that percentage is expected to be slightly higher (45%) and represent 56.2 million individuals.

Top Social Networks = Top Mobile Social Networks

Not surprisingly, the report found that the top destinations for mobile social networkers are the same for computer users – underscoring the fact that there is no online-vs.-offline, computer-vs.-mobile distinctions, we have one world with multiple means of communication based on what is most convenient at the time.

Location-based mobile social networking services continue to expand into new markets, as illustrated today by industry player GyPSii’s announcement that its technology would now be pre-packaged with the latest generation handsets from Chinese manufacturer Ramar. Market research firm ABI Research (ABI) has revealed the results of its prospective investigation in the field, estimating that the revenue it generates will reach $3.3 billion by 2013.

The consumer location-based services (LBS) market has steadily evolved over the past few years, always promising significant revenue generation, but never quite delivering the critical mass of subscribers that werNow, a number of factors - including the development of third-party location databases and technologies - are poised to finally drive real LBS market growth on mobile phones.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.wireless.frost.com/), North America Consumer Location-based Services (LBS) Market - The Wireless Carrier Opportunity, estimates that carrier-generated consumer LBS revenues totaled over $480 million in 2008 and projects this figure to surpass $3.0 billion in 2013.

A recent forecast by market research firm Report Buyer anticipates that mobile social networking revenues will grow to $60 billion worldwide in 2012. According to researchers CCS Insight, one-third of users between the ages of 16 and 35 regularly access sites like Facebook and Twitter via a wireless device. And British operator O2 contends that phones will soon become the primary vehicle for all social networking activities, crediting the anytime, anywhere connectivity the mobile platform affords.

While behemoths like Facebook and Twitter generate most of the attention, they're not the only social networking solutions worth talking about. Here are five emerging mobile social networking apps you should get to know.

Business continuity planning has evolved from simply something companies hope never to roll out, to an important focus of security operations, according to a new survey from AT&T.

AT&T surveyed IT executives from companies throughout the United States that have at least $25 million in annual revenue to get their views on disaster planning and business continuity trends. Among those surveyed, one-third said it has been necessary to put their business continuity plan into action in the past. The most common scenario for rolling out a BC/DR plan was extreme weather. About 25 percent of companies said weather forced their plan to be put in action. Another 19 percent said power outages at facilities were the cause. More than half of companies in Houston and Miami/Orlando/Tampa, known as regions that have been hit hard with hurricanes in recent years, were likely to have invoked their business continuity plan.(See:BC/DR Challenges in a Hurricane Zone.) That compared with 36 percent nationally.

- Mobile social networking is heating up for Gen Y
- 38 percent have an iPhone or iPod Touch
- Games (53 percent), Entertainment (35 percent), Lifestyle
(31 percent), Financial - Free (28 percent), Financial - Paid
(7 percent) are the most popular mobile applications
- More than one quarter (26 percent) indicated none

A new report by Visiongain (News - Alert) Telecoms states that revenue from these mobile social networking sites and user generated content could go up to $60 billion by 2012.

The report seeks to analyze the major players in social networking and their strategies. It also looks at the different kinds of user generated content available now and expected to be made available in the near future. The report offers a comparative study of mobile social networking versus other online and traditional media and the importance of social networks and user generated content to mobile. It also brings insight into future market opportunities.

Mobile social network MocoSpace is more popular than MySpace among US mobile internet users, according to Hitwise data from April. MocoSpace, a social network designed specifically for mobiles, attracted 15.75% of all mobile web page visits, compared with 10.28% for MySpace’s mobile offering.

Scottish Avatar-based social network WeeWorld also made it into the top 10, attracting 2.88% of all mobile web page visits. Facebook Mobile failed to make the top 10 most-visited mobile pages, despite being the largest social network in the world.

Ringtone web pages also proved popular, with MyxerTones occupying third place in comScore’s rankings with 8.38% of all US page visits. Top-logo-ringtone.net and PhoneZoo were fifth and sixth, both with around 3% of the market.

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported that the number of people using their mobile device to access news and information on the Internet more than doubled from January 2008 to January 2009. Among the audience of 63.2 million people who accessed news and information on their mobile devices in January 2009, 22.4 million (35 percent) did so daily; more than double the size of the audience last year.

According to Comscore, social networking is drawing new European users into the mobile Web. In November, 34 percent of mobile phone owners in Western Europe who visited social networking sites accessed social media exclusive of all other mobile Web content.

With 12.1 million users in Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.), mobile social networking is a rapidly-expanding category that grew 152 percent from November 2007 to November 2008.

A survey that will be released on March 9th, conducted by pure mobile social network itsmy.com who surveyed 2,500 active users in mobile internet, shows that there are comprehensive synergy effects between mobile social networks, the operators and the mobile phone manufacturers.

The survey shows that more than 75% of all active mobile social network users in the US and UK would love to have a quick link to their personal operator or phone manufacturer portal on their personal community site, in Italy and Spain the figure being over 80%.

The famous Dunbar number, or “theoretical cognitive limit to the number of people with whom one can maintain stable social relationships”, is generally accepted to be about 150. However, in a recent interview with The Economist, Cameron Marlow, a research scientist at Facebook, shared some interesting stats on Facebook users’ social behavior patterns.

His findings: while many people have hundreds friends on Facebook, they still only actively communicate with a small few. Or to quote the author of the article, “Humans may be advertising themselves more efficiently. But they still have the same small circles of intimacy as ever.”

According to Wireless Week, “Seemingly every handset vendor and operator is trying to get deals with Facebook and other social networks.”

Why? Social networking applications are increasingly driving the growth of the mobile internet audience - especially among females.

* According to a November comScore report (note: the dateline on the article is actually incorrect), the European mobile social networking audience grew 152% from November 2007 to November 2008 to 12.1 million people. (The UK boasts the highest mobile social networking penetration rate, at 9%.) In addition, 33% of all mobile social networking users access social media sites exclusively.
* In addition, comScore reports that of those users who access social networking sites exclusively, 48% of female. By contrast, women make up only 32% of those seeking other types of mobile Internet content.
* 094335
* Worldwide, eMarketer says the number of mobile social networking users will grow to 243 million in 2009 from 147 million in 2008.

Mobile social networking grew by 152% between November 2007 and November 2008 in Western Europe, according to ComScore. The figures show that in November 34% of mobile social network users in Western Europe accessed social media exclusive of all other mobile web content. The UK has the highest penetration of mobile social networking at 9%, nearly triple that of Germany, where the activity is the least popular at 3.3% penetration. The average penetration rate across...

The number of people in the United States using social networking sites at least on a monthly basis will grow 44 percent from 79 million in 2008 to 115 million in 2013, a new study by eMarketer predicts.



The growth will mostly come from boomers, Generation X and tweens, Media Post reported.



eMarketer estimated that the number of users between ages three to 11 will boost 61 percent, while adults 18 and over will be up 49.5 percent, and teens 20.1 percent, in the next five years.



The overall U.S. social networking users will increase 11 percent to 88.1 million this year, Media Post reported.

The Mobile Social Networks report analyzes the enormous opportunities and challenges presented by this new marketing channel.

eMarketer forecasts that over 800 million people worldwide will be participating in a social network via their mobile phones by 2012, up from 82 million in 2007.

See stats covering -

-- % Mobile Social Networking Users Who Exclusively Use Social Media
-- Y/Y Change in Social Networking via Browseror Application Mobile Social Networking
-- Users as Percent of all Mobile Phone Users

Mobile social networking is rapidly expanding in Western Europe, experiencing 152% growth from November 2007 to November 2008 and racking up 12.1 million users during that time in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, according to M:Metrics data from comScore, Inc.
The UK boasts the highest year-overMobile social networking is rapidly expanding in Western Europe, experiencing 152% growth from November 2007 to November 2008 and racking up 12.1 million users during that time in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, according to M:Metrics data from comScore, Inc.

The British are translating their love of social networking from online to mobile, with the UK boasting the highest penetration in Western Europe of mobile social networking at 9 percent in the three month period ending November, according to a new report from digital measurement group ComScore (NSDQ: SCOR). Indeed, nearly a third of those using their mobiles to visit social nets (29.7 percent) don’t visit any other internet sites other than the social nets.

A similar story is being played out across Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain as well as the UK) where 34 percent of mobile phone users who visit social networks don’t visit any other mobile web sites. As for mobile social networking overall, usage grew 152 percent from November 2007 to November 2008 according to ComScore, with some 12.1 million users in Western Europe accessing these sites.

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, reports that social networking is drawing new users into the mobile Web. In November, 34 percent of mobile phone owners in Western Europe who visited social networking sites accessed social media exclusive of all other mobile Web content.



With 12.1 million users in Western Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K.), mobile social networking is a rapidly-expanding category that grew 152 percent from November 2007 to November 2008.



The U.K. boasts the highest penetration of mobile social networking, at 9 percent, nearly triple that of Germany, where the activity is the least popular. The average penetration rate across all countries is 5 percent.