Metric: 45% of mobile users in the US want mobile Internet

October 1, 2007

Nearly 45% of U.S. Mobile Users Looking for Better Internet Access in Next Mobile Phone Purchase, According to The Kelsey Group

New ‘Mobile Market View’ study indicates maps and local commercial search are among the leading Internet applications used by mobile subscribers.

Princeton, NJ (October 1, 2007) -- According to “Mobile Market View,” a new mobile consumer study conducted by The Kelsey Group with research partner ConStat, 44.7 percent of U.S. mobile phone users surveyed say a mobile phone with better Internet capability will be a key factor in their next mobile phone purchase decision. According to the survey, only 26 percent of mobile phone service subscribers currently opt for an Internet access plan.

“The combination of unlimited data plans and next-generation Internet-enabled mobile devices, like Apple’s iPhone, suggests mobile Web access will grow to become ubiquitous,” said Matt Booth, senior vice president and program director, Interactive Local Media, The Kelsey Group. “Growing mobile Internet usage and increased satisfaction with mobile Internet applications are among the converging factors that we believe point to a breakthrough year ahead for mobile ad adoption.”

The Kelsey Group announced last month that it expects U.S. mobile search advertising revenues to grow from US$33.2 million in 2007 to US$1.4 billion in 2012, representing a compound annual growth rate of 112 percent.

Among the 500 mobile users surveyed in the Mobile Market View study, maps and local commercial search are preferred Internet applications. In the past six months, 9.8 percent of respondents used their mobile phones to conduct Internet searches for products and services in their local area. During the same period, 10.7 percent downloaded or looked at maps, while 10.9 percent indicated they had downloaded search or mapping applications (for use on the Internet) to supplement those that came with their mobile phones.

Local mobile advertising and mapping will be among the topics examined at The Kelsey Group’s upcoming Interactive Local Media 2007 (ILM:07) conference, which takes place Nov. 28-30, 2007, in Los Angeles and features sessions developed by Search Engine Strategies (SES). One session, titled “The Future of Local Mobile,” will look at the local mobile advertising and services opportunity—what’s real, what’s not and how fast it will materialize. Another session, created and led by SES, titled “Maps: They’re Not Just for Driving Anymore,” will examine the geographic interface as it relates to search marketing.

About Mobile Market View
Mobile Market View is a tracking study of mobile user behavior conducted by The Kelsey Group and research partner ConStat. This first wave of the study was conducted in September 2007 via an online 30-question survey of 500 U.S. mobile phone users aged 18 and over.

About ILM:07 & SES Local
Interactive Local Media 2007 (ILM:07) is The Kelsey Group’s annual conference devoted to digital media with a local focus. This event provides a 360-degree view of the local marketplace, covering a range of important topics, including local search, Internet Yellow Pages, vertical directories, Internet video, online classifieds, social media and mobile search. For the first time, ILM:07 will feature tactical sessions created and led by Search Engine Strategies.

The premier agency sponsor for ILM:07 is TMP Directional Marketing. Additional sponsors include Acxiom, Agendize, Amdocs, Apptus, Call Genie, eStara, Local.com, Localeze, Marchex and Yellowpages.com. Media Sponsors include Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations, TVover.net, VoIP Monitor and VOIP News. Exhibitors include Superpages.com and Zvents. Association partners include Association of Directory Marketing, Association of Directory Publishers, International Classified Media Association, Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, Web Analytics Association and Yellow Pages Association. For more information about ILM:07, visit http://www.kelseygroup.com/ilm2007 [1].

About The Kelsey Group
The Kelsey Group is the leading provider of research, data and strategic analysis on directories, small-business advertising and online local media. Founded in 1986, the company has built a reputation as the premier analyst firm covering the directory publishing community and the emerging local search marketplace, providing advisory services (The Kelsey Report® and Interactive Local Media), publishing (Global Yellow Pages™), consulting (more than 400 individual assignments) and conferences (69 events).

For more information contact:

Eileen Pacheco
For The Kelsey Group
eileen@tango-group.com [2]
(781) 556-1026