Revenues for mobile access to Web 2.0 applications and services will hit $18.9 billion in
2014, notes a new report from Juniper Research.
Presence-enabled
communities, such as mobile voice-over-IP (VoIP), will be the primary
market driver, followed by rapid growth in the social Web - which
encompasses social networking, user-generated content (UGC) and mobile
dating, chat & professional applications. Geolocation will also be
an important enabler, and is forming part of an increasing number of Web
2.0 mobile mash-up service offerings.
Although there are significant revenue opportunities for players
across the service delivery chain, the size and complexity of the Web
2.0 mobile market should not be underestimated. There are multiple
routes to market, and there is fragmentation at all levels.
"A
confluence of Web 2.0 concepts and end-user behaviour exploiting both
the Web and the mobile phone as delivery platforms is driving mobile Web
adoption and shaping industry development," says report author, Ian
Chard. "Yet the distinction between service provider roles is becoming
less clear-cut, meaning some commercial allies are finding themselves
increasingly polarised as the market progresses."
The mobile social web report found that despite pricing
models and monetization of Web 2.0 presenting a significant challenge
for many online service providers, numerous opportunities exist in the
mobile market based around advertising, messaging, premium services and
virtual economies, coupled with the strategic micro-billing capability
of mobile.
Off-portal applications and OTT (over-the-top) services -
such as
mobile IM and VoIP, SMS and social network-based 'in-mail' - represent a
significant threat to operator revenues Smartphones, app storefronts,
and Web 2.0 applications are driving demand for cloud computing, and
innovation in the service delivery environment - including Telecom Web
Services, open APIs, and PaaS (platform as a service) and SaaS (software
as a service)
This study published today is the first of two reports focusing on
mobile web 2.0:
1. Mobile Social Web 2.0: Forecasts, Challenges &
Regulations 2010-2014
2. Mobile Web 2.0: Business Models, Geolocation & Presence
2010-2014