17/02/2009

Netsize, the leading mobile commerce and communications enabler, today announced the publication of its report on the mobile telecommunications sector, titled “The Netsize Guide 2009: Mobile Society & Me, when worlds combine.” The Netsize Guide 2009 provides a detailed view on the current state and the direction of development of the mobile industry. The 360-page report contains analyses of 10 mobile market subsectors, interviews with 34 top executives of leading companies including Nokia, Blyk, Microsoft, Visa and Zed among others, a global market survey, and mobile telecommunications data on 39 countries in collaboration with Informa Telecoms & Media.

“This year’s Netsize Guide is especially important as it provides a roadmap to change, and to navigate the tough terrain ahead,” says Stanislas Chesnais, CEO and Chairman, Netsize. “The mobile device is on its way to becoming the primary touch point across all media and communications, merging the physical and virtual worlds. To understand and map out the business models and strategies needed to succeed in this new environment is the goal of this report.”

The Netsize Guide 2009 gives an insider’s view of the mobile strategies of several of the world’s leading companies. Grouped in three themes, Entertain (social networking, gaming, music, and video), Engage (advertising, selling, and customer relationship management) and Expand (mobile 2.0, internet, and the merger of virtual and physical), 34 C-level executives and commentators share their views and vision on the role of mobile.

Netsize surveyed 880 executives, analyzing trends in Mobile Entertainment, Mobile Marketing, Mobile Financial Services, Mobile & the Enterprise, and Privacy and Regulation.

According to the survey, the music and social networking sectors combined with an unlimited download business model will be the top three drivers of growth in the mobile entertainment market, mentioned by 52%, 31% and 54% of respondents respectively. Mobile marketing moves from test stage to high growth, with 88% of the surveyed companies that spend more than 25% of their budget on digital marketing also dedicating budget to mobile marketing in 2009-2010.

A third of the Netsize Guide is dedicated to extensive mobile telecommunications market data relating to 39 countries in Western and Eastern Europe, North and South America, and Asia Pacific. For the whole of 2008 non-voice telecommunication revenues are expected to exceed US$ 200 billion. Revenues are skewed towards emerging markets, with 39% in Asia Pacific, 25% in Europe, and 19% in North America. However, in terms of enthusiasm for non-SMS data services, North America is way ahead of Europe, leading with US$ 10 per month versus US$ 5 per month global.

A new topic in the Netsize Guide 2009 is privacy and regulation. The market survey reveals that professionals globally share the view that mobile privacy is a key concern. Protection of location data, better control of profile information and ensuring permission are mentioned as the top three areas of privacy in a mobile 2.0 world. Support is strong for effective regulation as the mobile market develops: regulation is necessary for a healthy services market but few feel able to influence the process of regulation and setting of regulatory controls. The report also looks at regulatory developments such as the European Commission’s Telecoms Reform Package.

Since its first edition in 2002, The Netsize Guide has been downloaded over 50,000 times and close to 20,000 copies of the print edition have been distributed.

The Netsize Guide 2009 is available in PDF format (free download) and the print edition can be ordered online at €75 including VAT.

The report is also available from distribution partners in France (Geste, ACSEL), Germany (Mobile Zeitgeist), Hungary (HVG, Techline), The Netherlands (MEC), Romania (Comunic@tii Mobile), Sweden (Telekomidag), United Kingdom (AIME, MDA, Mobile Entertainment, MEF) and USA (mSearchGroove).

The Netsize Guide 2009 will be launched during the GSMA Mobile World Congress taking place in Barcelona, 16-19 February 2009.
The Netsize booth is located in Hall 2, stand 2 B57.