Everybody’s on the Phone

I accidently left my cell phone at home this past weekend while out running errands… needless to say, I went back to get it. Although I didn’t have any missed calls or texts, I felt unarmed and disconnected in those few minutes.

It would appear that I’m not alone, marketing articles abound on the pervasiveness of mobile users and the future of the industry. Many believe that mobile devices will be the main entry point for messaging, social networking, entertainment and Web access in just a few years. There are also tons of data on users and how they are accessing information. According to comScore (courtesy of eMarketer,) the male/ female split in mobile subscriber data is fairly equal – 53% women, 47% men.

Usage is another point of interest, with text messaging trumping voice calls as the main means of communication; Nielsen showed that in 1Q09, the average US mobile subscriber sent/ received 486 text messages but only made 182 calls each month. Usage has carriers struggling; a recent Fortune article cites Cisco Systems estimate of global mobile data traffic exceeding 200 terabytes per month (six times the 2009 estimated levels.)

These stats along with the evolving sophistication .. …

I accidentally left my cell phone at home this past weekend while out running errands… needless to say, I went back to get it. Although I didn’t have any missed calls or texts, I felt unarmed and disconnected in those few minutes.

It would appear that I’m not alone. Marketing articles abound on the pervasiveness of mobile users and the future of the industry. Many believe that mobile devices will be the main entry point for messaging, social networking, entertainment and Web access in just a few years. There are also tons of data on users and how they are accessing information. According to comScore (courtesy of eMarketer,) the male/ female split in mobile subscriber data is fairly equal – 53% women, 47% men.

Usage is another point of interest, with text messaging trumping voice calls as the main means of communication; Nielsen showed that in 1Q09, the average US mobile subscriber sent/received 486 text messages but only made 182 calls each month. Usage has carriers struggling; a recent Fortune article cites Cisco Systems estimate of global mobile data traffic exceeding 200 terabytes per month (six times the 2009 estimated levels.)

These stats along with the evolving sophistication of users, technology and access plans set the stage for increased marketing opportunities especially among smartphone users – so the question remains, do you have a mobile strategy? You can start by accessing our recent SIA Mobile Podcast…

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