There were more than 450 million mobile Internet users worldwide in
2009, a number that is expected to more than double by the end of 2013.
Driven by the popularity and affordability of mobile phones,
smartphones, and other wireless devices, IDC expects the number of mobile devices
accessing the Internet to surpass the one billion mark over the next
four years,
The most popular online activities of mobile Internet users are
similar to those of other Internet users: using search engines, reading
news and sports information, downloading music and videos, and
sending/receiving email and instant messages. Over the next four years,
IDC expects some of the fastest growing applications for mobile
Internet users will be making online purchases, participating in online
communities, and creating blogs. Accessing online business applications
and corporate email systems will also grow rapidly as businesses move
to empower their mobile workforce.
Highlights from IDC's Worldwide Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast (an IDC Database service) include the following:
- More than 1.6 billion people - a
little over a quarter of the world's population - used the Internet in
2009. By 2013, over 2.2 billion people - more than one third of the
world's population - is expected to be using the Internet. - More than 1.6 billion devices
worldwide were used to access the Internet in 2009, including PCs,
mobile phones, and online videogame consoles. By 2013, the total number
of devices accessing the Internet will increase to more than 2.7
billion. - Presently, the United States has
far more total devices connected to the Internet than any other
country. China, however, is the leader in the number of mobile online
devices with almost 85 million mobile devices connected to the Internet
in 2009. The number of Internet devices in India, both mobile and
fixed, is expected to grow commensurate with the number of Internet
users.
- Worldwide, more than 624 million
Internet users will make online purchases in 2009, totaling nearly $8
trillion (both business to business and business to consumer). By 2013,
worldwide eCommerce transactions will be worth more than $16 trillion. - Worldwide spending on Internet
advertising will total nearly $61 billion in 2009, which is slightly
more than 10% of all ad spending across all media. This share is
expected to reach almost 15%% by 2013 as Internet ad spending grows
surpasses $100 billion worldwide.
IDC's Digital Marketplace Model and Forecast provides worldwide and
regional data for a wide range of Internet categories and activities.
Traditional Web 1.0 categories include Internet users, devices using
the Internet, Internet buyers, and B2C and B2B eCommerce. Web 2.0
categories look more closely at what Internet users are doing online,
with breakouts by activity and gender. The database also includes a
detailed look at online advertising spending worldwide. Forecast data
for the 2009-2013 period is supplemented by historical data for 2008.
The Web 1.0 categories include detailed information on more than 40
individual countries.