The number of subscribers using mobile Internet services will rise
from 577 million currently, to top 1.7bn by 2013, spurred by demand for
collaborative applications known collectively as 'web 2.0', and greater
2.5/3G penetration.
Established mobile players face increasing competition from
web-based brands and will have to adapt their commercial strategies to
accommodate greater collaboration with other members of the value
chain, if future revenue growth in the mobile web 2.0 space is to be
achieved.
An Open Mobile Internet
According to a new report from Juniper
Research, the emergence of applications such as: Social networking;
User Generated Content (UGC); Instant Messaging (IM); Location Based
Services (LBS); Search calls for delivery of the mobile Internet as it
was originally conceived - i.e. an open environment in which users are
able to share, collaborate and exploit content/information without any
one party controlling the value chain.
This marks a fundamental shift for the industry towards the D2C
(direct-to consumer) model and places growing pressure on mobile
network operators (MNOs) and handset manufacturers in particular, to
relinquish some of their control over the value chain, by opening up
their networks/devices to third-parties.
New Business Models
"Major web players have already crossed the
Rubicon and established themselves in the mobile domain, placing the
onus on MNOs and other members of the value chain to form innovative
relationships and grab a share of the new revenue streams being
created,"
Other findings from the report
• The Far East & China region will be the largest market for
mobile web, reaching almost 416 million users by 2013, up from a
year-end figure of 190 million users in 2008
• The greatest untapped potential for mobile web lies in South
America, while growth will be more measured in markets such as Eastern
and Western Europe - where fixed broadband penetration is relatively
high
• As with the fixed Internet, many mobile web 2.0 applications will
need to be provided at base cost/flat-data rates (or even free of
charge), forcing industry players to seek new revenue streams
Juniper Research assesses the current and future status of the
Mobile Web 2.0 market based on interviews, case studies and analysis
from representatives of some of the organisations leading this growing
market.
Whitepapers and further details of the study 'Mobile Web 2.0:
Leveraging 'Location, IM, Social Web & Search 2008-2013' can be
freely downloaded from www.juniperresearch.com