Strong Global Demand for MMS and Mobile Email
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23rd November 2006 - Barcelona: Multimedia messaging (MMS) has become a popular service among mobile phone users worldwide and mobile email may have even greater potential, according to a major consumer survey commissioned by the GSM Association, the global trade association for mobile phone operators.
More than 40% of the 3,061 consumers surveyed by Circle Research in Europe, North America and Asia regard MMS, which allows mobile phone users to swap pictures, music and video, as an indispensable service, while 38% see mobile email in the same light. When asked which mobile data services they prefer, the respondents ranked text messaging (SMS) first, followed by email and MMS ranked third.
"This comprehensive survey shows that there is considerable appetite for rich messaging services that broaden the range of communications options open to mobile phone users," said Bill Gajda, Chief Marketing Officer of the GSMA. "After a slow start, MMS has gained a loyal following, while mobile email is clearly emerging as a must-have service for many people."
Mobile email has become an increasingly popular service among business people, in particular, thanks to technology that pushes the messages to users' handsets mimicking the experience offered by text messaging. First launched in 2002, MMS has been gaining in popularity as handset displays have improved and mobile operators have signed interoperability agreements enabling the exchange of messages across networks.
The survey uncovered some significant regional differences. North American respondents ranked mobile email as the service they most prefer, ahead of text messaging and mobile instant messaging. In Europe and Asia, text-messaging scored highest, followed by mobile email and MMS.
Preference for Mobile Data Services
| Service |
Ranking |
| Text messaging (SMS) |
1 |
| Email |
2 |
| MMS |
3 |
| Alerts via SMS/MMS |
4 |
| Instant messaging |
5 |
| Web browsing and searching |
6 |
| Location-based services |
7 |
| Mobile radio |
8 |
| Financial transactions |
9 |
| Downloading content |
10 |
| Mobile TV |
11 |
| Video calling |
12 |
| Video sharing |
13 |
| Gambling |
14 |
Source: Survey of 3,061 consumers in Europe, Asia and North America by Circle Research for the GSMA
Notes to editors:
The research is the first in a series of GSM Association surveys on consumer appetite for mobile services. The full results of the surveys will be available to the GSMA's membership.
About the GSM Association
The GSM Association (GSMA) is the global trade association representing 700 GSM mobile phone operators across 215 countries of the world. In addition, more than 180 manufacturers and suppliers support the Association's initiatives as key partners.
The primary goals of the GSMA are to ensure mobile phones and wireless services work globally and are easily accessible, enhancing their value to individual customers and national economies, while creating new business opportunities for operators and their suppliers. The Association's members serve more than two billion customers - 82% of the world's mobile phone users.
For further information contact:
Mark Smith / David Pringle
GSM Association
Tel: +44 78 50 22 97 24 / +44 79 57 55 60 69 9
Email:press@gsm.org
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