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Wireless
Mobile customers want more control
Mformation says operators should focus on personalizing the mobile experience
by Kendrick Struthers-Watson
Global revenues from mobile applications and services are being hampered through the inability to personalise mobile devices, according to new research commissioned by MDM (mobile device management) specialist Mformation.
“Consumers want to use more applications and services but these need top be tailored to the needs of each user. They want a more personalised mobile experience”, Matthew Bancroft, vice president of Mformation said. “Operators could achieve this by allowing a ‘pick-and-mix’ approach to applications and services. Our research indicates that consumers want to be able to choose from a range of applications and services and tailor them to their needs when buying a new phone. As they use the phone, they want similar flexibility to personalise and add new services."
The research was undertaken by the independent research house Coleman Parkes which asked 4,000 people in the UK and U.S. about their mobile usage and preferences.
80 percent of survey respondents indicated that they would use mobile services more if greater personalization were possible, while 67 percent of mobile subscribers stated they would be willing to pay a premium to personalise their mobile devices and the applications and services on them. In fact, 86 percent of people said this would enrich their mobile experience. The research also revealed that over two thirds (68 percent) of mobile users find buying a phone frustrating when they know there are applications and services on it they will never use. This clearly demonstrates that greater personalisation offer an opportunity to unlock pent-up demand.
The research also uncovered the following trends:
Mobile data services:
Revenue generating mobile data services such as mobile e-mail (43 percent). Internet (51 percent) and picture messaging (46 percent) are gaining ground as the most frequently used applications. Still, there are a large number of people who never or rarely use these applications - e-mail 57 percent, Internet 49 percent and picture messaging 54 percent.
Ease of use:More than half of people surveyed who don’t currently have access to these applications said they would use them if they were made available in a simple and compelling manner – e-mail 62 percent, Internet 58 percent, picture messaging 68 percent.
Additionally, 94 percent of consumers are already attempting to personalise their phones with items such as specific ringtones or accessories. However, 89 percent said they would like a higher level of personalisation through the ability to pick and mix applications, services and other characteristics of the handset such as form factors and designs. Moreover, 81 percent would switch to a provider that offered greater choice for customization.
“The message is straightforward. Greater investment in personalisation will ensure better targeting of services relevant to users. As we’ve seen in many other industries, when consumers have a greater opportunity to specify the make up of products and services they purchase, they will use those products and services more”, concluded Bancroft.
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