11 October 2011

MEF unveils Global Consumer Survey exploring habits of mobile phone users across five continents

The changing role of the mobile phone in everyday life from simple communications device to the indispensable multi-purpose tool we are familiar with today has been well documented. What the mobile device today is actually being used for by real consumers globally however remains less clear, and is explored in minute detail in The MEF Global Consumer Survey released in full today, which provides a fascinating insight into what kind of activities we are using our phones for. 

From trends in accessing the internet via the mobile device to the dissection of mobile shopping and banking, the report explores the consumer habits of over 8000 mobile phone users surveyed from nine countries across five continents, giving unprecedented insight into the behaviour of consumers around mobile engagement across a variety of contrasting markets.

Said Rimma Perelmuter, MEF Executive Director; “MEF’s GCS report provides invaluable insights to both mobile specialists and new entrants to the wider ecosystem looking to gain a deeper understanding of the evolving mobile habits of consumers across developed and developing markets.” - read the full press release here.

The Full report and the nine Country Data sets are available for MEF members to download in their entirety for free. For non-MEF members the full report is on sale for £1999. The Executive summary is also available for free for members and non members alike.

Free access to such reports are just one of the benefits of being a MEF member, for more information check out the MEF website, or contact Rupen Patel.

For a brief roundup of some of the key findings from the report - hit the link below..

Mobile is increasingly the dominant platform for accessing the Internet

The Global Consumer Survey reveals fascinating insight into the way consumers globally choose to access the internet, showing that mobile is increasingly becoming the primary platform for internet usage. 72% of respondents worldwide reported using the mobile internet daily, 18% of whom reported that they no longer accessed the traditional “fixed line” internet via laptop or computer whatsoever. This was found in developing markets where fixed line internet access is limited, but also in developed markets such as the UK and US.

Mobile Commerce shows real scope for growth

The report explores in detail the habits and motivations of consumers buying products using their mobile phones, providing valuable insight into the kinds of physical and digital goods and services being purchased, the various ways in which consumers pay for them, as well as where within the mobile ecosystem purchases are made.  An astonishing 82% of consumers surveyed reported using their mobile phone to research or purchase a retail product and findings across the regions concur that the vast majority of respondents are actively using their mobile in some form or another in the purchase of goods and items.

Security fears top list of barriers to uptake

The report also explores the barriers to m-commerce preventing further and faster expansion of the markets across the nine countries. Concerns around security remain the most widely cited reason for not using mobile to make purchases more widely with 27% of consumers stating they would use mobile to make purchases more often if security was addressed. MEF Global Board Chairman, Andrew Bud cited this as a wake up call for the industry, commenting "the need to build trust further in order to satisfy growing consumer demand is a clear industry call to action.  There is work to be done, and MEF’s Global M-Commerce initiative is already addressing the issue of security as a core focus.  We invite all forward-looking companies to take part.”

Mobile Banking becoming widespread

The role of banking in the mobile space is revealed to be making great strides, with 57% of respondents having used some form of mobile banking, while a remarkable 10% reported having paid a bill via mobile. The report explores the trends of usage across the different regions and uncovers some surprising consumer behaviours in the mobile banking space which may provide valuable insight to parties in the financial sector.

Again, the full report and the nine country data sets are available for MEF members to download in their entirety for free. The countries surveyed were Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, UK and the US.

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