User Experience

Nielson study says Google dominates mobile search

Lynnette Luna — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:34:23 -0400

A new study from Nielson Mobile revealed that Google significantly outpaced its mobile search competitors during the first quarter. The study says Google held a 61-percent share of the mobile search market, followed by Yahoo with 18 percent and MSN with 5 percent. Mobile customers used Google an average of nine times per month, while Yahoo was used 6.7 times per month. The majority of mobile searches had to do with general information, while 29 percent of Google searches and 34 percent of Yahoo searches sought local information.

One aspect boosting Google's success is the fact that it is the default search on the Apple iPhone, which boasts the highest browsing rates in the industry. Google has said that 50 times more searches come from the iPhone than any other mobile device. Still, both Google and Yahoo have room for improvement regarding the user experience. Nielson's study said that only 44 percent of mobile Google searchers and 40 percent of mobile Yahoo searches rated their experience high.

For more:
- check out InformationWeek
- read this release

Related stories:
Google CEO: Mobile advertising to generate more revenue than today's web. Google story
Google debuts AdSense for mobile. Google ad story

SPOTLIGHT: Sprint expands partnership with Google

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:59:52 -0400

Sprint announced a partnership with Google that promises to more deeply integrate the web services giant's applications into the mobile user experience. Read more on the Google Sprint deal here.

APC buys bankrupt MVNO Movida

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

Latino-focused and recently bankrupt MVNO Movida has been acquired by Cozac, a subsidiary of APC Wireless, which acquired Liberty Wireless earlier this year. APC plans to keep Movida's pricing plans and subscriber contracts the same for Movida users, but aims to improve the user experience. APC's stated specialty is facilitating the relationship between wireless producers and merchants.

For more on the acquisition:
- read this APC buys Movida release

When will the tide turn for mobile content?

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Last week at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona I was hoping to hear some positive news in the mobile content space. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed.Ã‚Â

Instead I heard a lot more of the same complaints that have been plaguing the mobile content space for the past year. Growth is flat and mobile operators are still demanding a big chunk of the revenue share making it impossible for many mobile content firms to stay afloat. The direct-to-consumer model--once thought to be so promising--is not the moneymaker that many firms thought it would be because marketing to consumers is no easy task particularly if you don't already have brand awareness. Porting applications to devices is still costly and cumbersome but a necessity if you want to work with any of the tier 1 mobile operators.

In all, I heard a lot of frustration in the voices of the mobile content executives. What was once such a promising and exciting segment of the wireless business has turned into an arena full of dissatisfaction and disappointment.

But there are a few signs of hope on the horizon. Many are excited by the prospect of open networks in the U.S. and are hopeful that Verizon Wireless' pledge to open its network to any device and application in late 2008 will be a boon for the mobile content industry.

Others are hopeful that developments like Nokia's Ovi mobile Internet platform and Sony Ericsson's PlayNow platform will help drive more consumer adoption of mobile content and allow for more entrants into the mobile content space that until now has been very tightly controlled by the operators.

I certainly hope that between now and CTIA Wireless 2008 (April 1-3) there are some positive developments in mobile entertainment that will get us out of this gloomy place.Ã‚Â There are two developments that I've been anxiously waiting for and have yet to see come to fruition:

1. AT&T's much-heralded launch of MediaFLO's mobile TV service. It was originally supposed to launch at the beginning of the year. Rumors then swirled that it would launch earlier this month but that never happened.

2. Verizon Wireless' launch of Real Networks' Rhapsody America's music service. Last August Real Networks announced it would merge its Rhapsody music service with MTV's Urge music service and it would be distributed by Verizon Wireless.Ã‚Â It was expected to debut in early 2008. When asked about the status, Real Networks defers all questions to Verizon Wireless and so far Verizon hasn't responded to my inquiries. -Sue