JiWire, released
its Q4 2009 Mobile Audience Insights Report. The report looks at device
use, consumer adoption of Wi-Fi and browsing behavior of people who access
the Internet in public locations such as airports, hotels and cafés.
Nearly
half of users make purchases online while out of the home and office, and
are doing so on a broad range of devices, showing a rapidly changing
dynamic of how people are engaging with digital media.
The use of Wi-Fi enabled mobile devices in public hotspot locations
continues to increase. Fifty-six percent of respondents report they connect
via their smartphone or other mobile device, and for 14 percent a mobile
device is the primary means to connect to public Wi-Fi.
Looking at the popularity of mobile operating systems, JiWire's research
shows that Google's Android jumped to second place in Q4 of 2009, with 167
percent growth in arket share.
Apple devices including the iPhone and iPod
Touch remain the most popular; however, overall market share for the iPhone
OS declined two percent in the fourth quarter. The report shows that usage
of non-phone mobile devices, such as the Sony PSP, continues to grow among
public Wi-Fi users. Three out of the top ten mobile devices used on public
Wi-Fi aren't phones.
"With the proliferation of mobile devices, more people are accessing the
Internet outside their homes and offices, whether on a mobile phone,
netbook or even a gaming device," said David Staas, senior vice president,
marketing, of JiWire. "Over 890 million new Internet enabled wireless
devices are expected to ship this year alone according to Morgan Stanley,
revolutionizing how people integrate media into their daily lives and
changing the nature of advertising."
Big Brands Drive Consumer Demand for Wi-Fi
Public Wi-Fi is becoming more pervasive with a 21.9 percent growth in
locations in 2009. Additionally, overall Wi-Fi usage continued to grow,
with an 8.2 percent increase in Q4 alone. Travelers took advantage of free
Wi-Fi sponsored by Microsoft (Bing) and Google over the holidays. These
campaigns contributed to an increase in usage at airports and cafés by 26
percent and 22.9 percent respectively in Q4.
Further contributing to the increase in Wi-Fi use is the general shift from
data cards to Wi-Fi: according to the Pew Internet and American Life
Project, nine percent of laptop users made the switch to Wi-Fi in the
second half of 2009.
With McDonald's starting to offer free Wi-Fi in 2010, JiWire projects a 15
percent increase in free Wi-Fi locations in the U.S., which will bring free
Wi-Fi to 52 percent of the total number of public Wi-Fi locations this
year.
Mobile Audiences Like to Shop
When surveyed, the on-the-go mobile audience revealed they are avid online
shoppers and most likely to shop online for convenience:
-- 90 percent make purchases online
-- 49 percent make purchases online while on the go
-- 47 percent use the Internet as their primary source for making a
purchase
-- Internet stores, such as Amazon and eBay, are the most popular shopping
destination with on-the-go audiences
-- Electronics superstores, such as Best Buy and Radio Shack, also appeal
to mobile consumers who adopt new technologies early to stay connected
In December, the most frequently visited Web site categories were news,
search engines and social networking. The top 10 sites reflected the need
for people to connect, with Facebook and Yahoo in the top three.
About JiWire's Mobile Audience Insights Report
JiWire's third Mobile Audience Insights Report is based on data from
approximately 285,000 public Wi-Fi locations, as well as a survey of 2,024
customers randomly selected across JiWire's Wi-Fi Media Channel in December
2009 - January 2010. JiWire serves advertisements to over 30,000 public
Wi-Fi locations in North America and records data from every ad request.
This report is based on the ad request data collected from October -
December 2009. Quarterly public Wi-Fi location rankings and business model
distributions are based on the final day of the quarter.