Mobile Social Networking
Mobile Social Networking includes a diverse portfolio of technologies and services ranging from simple chat room services where people can meet others and join affinity groups with only texting tools, to multimedia-rich environments and UGC sharing communities which persist after the user logs off.
This is a VERY HOT segment of the mobile telecommunications industry based on incessant media coverage and strong interest from subscribers, but there’s also tremendous confusion about what Mobile Social Networking covers, who is participating, who should be responsible for what and how to take advantage of the opportunities.
A tidal wave of new products and services for Mobile Social Networking hit the market in 2007 and 2008. The number of mobile community registrations surpassed 100M worldwide at the end of 2008 and is growing at double digit rates. Simply put, Mobile Social Networking is reaching its first boiling point and everyone wants to participate. The wave of activity continues in 2009 and reach monsoonal proportions in the years ahead.
Workshop
From October 2008 to January 2009 PEREY Research and Consulting collaborated with the W3C, to manage the first W3C Workshop for social networking experts to define the future of social networking.
To learn more about the workshop, consult this page which has links to the agenda, a page with the 72 position papers submitted, photos, and instructions for how to join the mailing list.
The workshop participants are organizing themselves to pursue challenges identified and discussed.
Please contact us by e-mail to learn more about how you can participate in the process of developing best practices for social networking and the industry.
Market Research Reveals
While some say that it is only a nascent industry, a strong case can also be made that Mobile Social Networking has been developing and evolving for at least the past six years. It was previously perceived as a small segment of the larger communications industry and has only recently begun to blossom.
Going forward, the growth of the mobile social networking industry is multi-directional. It spans:
- high growth in number of active registered users,
- high change in the usage patterns of users in different categories, all pointing upwards,
- high growth in the number and variety in the types of services offered and
- high growth in the number of companies participating in the value chains.
The First Edition
PEREY Research & Consulting prepared a report to capture all that was known about Mobile Social Networking at the time of publication (January 2008). The Informa Telecoms & Media Mobile Social Networking: Communities and Content on the Move First Edition report remains the essential guide for all companies participating in or planning to enter the industry. It explains where vendor groups are positioned in different value chains, what the users are seeking and the directions in which the market will evolve.
The 270-page First Edition strategic report includes over 130 figures.
The forecasts
The forecasts in this report describe an industry with an extremely high potential for growth. The 2007-2012 compound annual growth rates of Mobile Social Networking segments in all regions of the world approach or exceed 50%.
The forecasts depict three scenarios for user and revenue growth. In the most conservative scenario, the revenues from mobile communities in 2007 were approximately US$3.4B worldwide, an Average Income Generated per User of US$62/year, US$5.1/month. In this scenario, the revenues of combined revenue streams are predicted to climb to US$28B in 2012. If the elements around Mobile Social Networking fall into place and there are no significant disruptions to the evolution of the industry, as predicted in the high growth scenario, the global revenues in this market could reach US$52B by 2012.
If you would like to read the Executive Summary of this report to determine its value to you or your company, please contact us by e-mail.
The Second Edition
The Second Edition of Informa's market research report on the topic of mobile social networks is in preparation at this time.
The Informa Telecoms & Media report entitled Mobile Social Networking: Business, Technology and Mobile Operator Strategies will be available on June 1, 2009.
Hot topics covered in this edition:
- The new technology strategies permitting operators and community platform providers to increase stickiness and monetization of their mobile social networking services
- The use of contextual awareness in mobile community services
- The strategies and impact of the "mobilization" of the largest Web-based communities
- The emergence of industry standards and de-facto Application Interfaces for enabling services
- Impact of mobile advertising and new premium services on the near and long term revenues in this industry
Plus NEW in this report:
- Forecasts to 2013 using three scenarios will allow you to base your decisions on the most comprehensive and reliable market data available
- Thirteen in-depth country profiles and Seven "rest of region" analyses permit you discover how and why different mobile community strategies are needed for different countries and regions
Services
The Mobile Social Networking industry is evolving rapidly. We stay on top of all the changes and continually analyse the impacts of various trends on the markets and segments in the industry.
PEREY Research & Consulting can assist executives in your company to understand Mobile Social Networking and to develop or measure the value proposition your company can offer, to adjust your strategies to take advantage of new developments and to win more business. Your company could move from being a footnote to a leader in this area with one-time or ongoing services.
Ask about
Workshops, seminars and presentations about Mobile Social Networking market
Custom risk and opportunity analyses
Platform and technology road-mapping (based on current feature analyses)
Strategy/planning
- Revenue streams
- Value chain and partner positioning
- Brand recognition and business visibility
- Community development
Services are available on a one-time or ongoing basis.
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