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..

MEF Partners with CTIA to take centre stage at CTIA Enterprise & Applications 2011

In North America next week from 10-13th, MEF will be in attendance at CTIA Enterprise & Applications in San Diego, and is thrilled to be CTIA’s partner for the mCommerce Pavilion & Showcase, a unique area of the CTIA floor space focusing on the boundless capabilities of mobile commerce and showcasing companies providing the platforms and applications key to mobile commerce.

Programmed by MEF and with significant benefits for MEF members, this is a must attend part of the show for mobile network operators, retailers, financial institutions, media and entertainment companies interested in the digital transfer of money mobile technology.

MEF will also be hosting an M-Commerce Panel at CTIA - Which M-Wallet? - to be held on Wednesday the 12th on the CTIA Exhibit Innovations stage.
MEF’s M-Commerce initiative has focused on bringing together brands, financial institutions, content owners/producers, carriers and retailers to create greater transparency while increasing consumer confidence in mobile transactions. MEF has assembled an expert panel to delve into the complex privacy, security and transactional issues surrounding m-commerce, while providing practical advice to assist brands, financial institutions, and content owners/operators to best utilize new and old forms of payment. Make sure you don't miss this one.

For more information on MEF's involvement at CTIA - contact North America General Manager Marjorie Daleo.

Reminder: Less than 24 hours for Early Bird Registration for MEF Americas 2011

MEF Americas 2011: Mobile Content and Commerce, is the essential gathering for North America and LatAm companies looking to understand cross continental opportunities and drive investment in mobile.

The Early Bird registration deal offers significant savings of over 30% for MEF Members and non members alike, representing a $200 saving on the cost of entry! The deadline for Early Bird registration is midnight PST, October 7th, and will not be subject to further extension, so act quickly to save!

Headline speakers for MEF Americas include Citibank, Coca-Cola, MTV and Turner Broadcasting.

MEF is still accepting submissions for speakers until the deadline - If you or one of your senior executives would like to be considered as a speaker at this landmark event, you can register your interest here.

MEF Connects Dubai - GITEX Tech Week

Busy time for MEF coming up, lots of exciting events across the globe with great benefits for MEF members. Next week in Dubai it's GITEX Technology Week, and the MEF Middle East Office will have a strong showing.

In addition to it's dedicated stand and series of open panel discussions at GITEX itself, MEF ME will be hosting MEF Connects Dubai, an exclusive member invite only networking event, brought to our members in association with inMobi. Held in the Novotel in DWTC, right in the heart of GITEX on Tuesday the 11th October, MEF Connects Dubai will offer the opportunity to mingle with local and international business guests including the leading Middle Eastern companies from the mobile content and commerce value chain. Attendees will be able to leverage MEF's extensive global network in addition to networking with operators, handset manufacturers, content owners, aggregators, retailers, financial institutions and the media.

The event is strictly invite only, open only to MEF members and their guests ensuring the quality of attendees and resultant opportunities for conversation and discussion, for the lowdown on this, and MEF's presence at GITEX contact George Daaboul, General Manager of the MEF Middle East Office.

We're also offering free complimentary passes to GITEX to 20 lucky MEF members, again contact George, but it's strictly first come first served so act fast..

MEF Extends Early Bird Registration for Miami Event by 1 week

MEF has announced that the registration deadline for MEF Americas 2011: Mobile Content & Commerce has been extended by 1 week, due to popular demand. Scheduled to expire at midnight PST today, the Early Bird registration deal knocks a whopping $200 off the cost of entry to the prestigious Miami event, to be held November 29-30. The new deadline to get your registration in is midnight October 7th - and indications are that this will be the one and only extension on the offer!

Register now and save 30%!

MEF Americas 2011: Mobile Content & Commerce  is an exclusive two-day event, now in it's second year at the beautiful Fontainebleau resort in Miami, and will see the coming together of key players and thought leaders from right across the mobile commerce and content value chains. While undoubtedly an appealing locale, Miami more importantly represents the ideal meeting point between North and South America allowing attendees to come together in a cross continental exchange of ideas and interests, which is what made the event such a success in its inaugural year when over 200 attendees from across the regions gathered for focused deal making and industry shaping debate.

Speaking of the 2010 event,  Ron Czerny, Chair MEF LatAm said; “One of MEF’s goals for the event was to exploit the organization’s global footprint and strong representation in both regions to facilitate cross-border business.. Utilizing innovative programming including a round table Leadership Summit format, MEF facilitated an interactive discussion amongst business leaders to take a deep dive into the industry’s critical issues and business opportunities.”

Full details of the savings you can make on registering before the October 7 deadline can be found on the event website. It's worth noting too that the deadline for speaker submissions has also been extended, so MEF members can still propose speakers for the many panels to be hosted.

Amazon Kindles Fire under tablet market

This week, Amazon unveiled their first foray into the tablet market with their new full colour, 7 inch Kindle Fire. The launch immediately ignited debate as to whether the Fire constituted a credible threat to Apple’s dominance in the market, primarily because of the pocket friendly $199 price tag, a fraction of the iPad’s which starts at an eye-watering-by-comparison $499. And while the debate rages on, the general consensus thus far seems to be; Apple needn't lose too much sleep, but everyone else should sit up and take note.

Running a modified Android OS, the Fire will be able to access all of Amazon’s considerable online offerings via wifi (crucially however, no 3G as yet) including movies and TV shows, music downloads and the millions of books and magazines available from the Kindle store. Angry Birds fans are catered for via the well stocked Android App store and the Fire features ultra fast web browsing thanks to the new Amazon Silk web browser.

With just 8GB of on board storage, the Fire will heavily utilise Amazon’s cloud storage facilities to host all your content for free, no mean feat considering the wealth on offer. Amazon has also eschewed the other expensive components of larger tablets such as embedded cameras and mics in favour of a more streamlined experience, no doubt instrumental in reaching that all important price tag which could prove so disruptive to the tablet market.

So the price may be right, the content is all present and correct and the overall package looks slick and appealing, but will the lack of all important 3G connectivity prove to be the plucky pretender’s undoing? Surely to get the best use out of all that cloud based content and processing power users will want to be able to get at it on the go? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

MEF LATAM M-Commerce Summit is resounding success

On the 22nd of September, MEF hosted its MEF LATAM M-Commerce Summit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The event aimed to explore the topics of micro payments and virtual goods from the perspective of the many varied players in the market including content producers, online games companies, social networks, mobile carriers, billing aggregators, banks and credit card companies and more! Much to our delight, the gathering has already been hailed as a great success, with over 120 attendees from across the MEF membership and beyond giving a resoundingly positive response to the afternoon of panels and discussions, not to mention the fabulous cocktail party at the close of the day. This of course bodes extremely well for the impending MEF event in Miami, MEF Americas 2011:Mobile Content & Commerce.

Click below for a brief roundup of the afternoon, and for more pictures from this great MEF event.

MEF Connects… event roundup

As you may know, MEF provides its members unrivalled opportunities for business development and facilitates brand visibility for mobile content and commerce leaders on a global scale. Exclusive event co-ordination and participation with significant member discounts is just one of the many benefits our members enjoy. MEF is involved in numerous events around the world in the coming months, many exclusively organised by MEF for the benefit of our members and the wider industry. An events calendar can be found on the MEF homepage and is continually updated with new events of interest across the mobile spectrum. Such events are always being suggested by our members, so it's worth checking the calendar frequently to ensure you’re up to date with where in the world you need to be to avoid missing the best gatherings in the world of mobile content and commerce.

A roundup of all our current events can be found after the break, with details of some fantastic savings and opportunities for MEF members – click continue reading to check out what we have lined up for the rest of the year..

MEF announces the return of MEF Americas 2011 - Mobile content and Commerce



MEF has formally announced the return of its hugely popular MEF Americas 2011- Mobile Content & Commerce conference. This prestigious event is to be held on the 29-30th November 2011 in the fabulous Fontainebleu resort, Miami Beach Florida, the ideal meeting place between North & South America. This annual gathering is set to be the must-attend event of Q4 for mobile professionals from right across the mobile value chain looking to looking to do business in the Americas. Last year’s was cited as the “deal making event of the year”, and all signs point towards a repeat performance for 2011 with confirmed first speakers including Citibank, Coca-Cola and MTV. Registration for this unmissable event is now open, and those who get theirs in before the 30th September can take advantage of the early bird discount to make significant savings on the cost of entry.

MEF Executive Questionnaire #25 Nickhil Jakatdar , Vuclip

MEF continues to seek new ways to profile its members and promote the thought-leadership of the senior executives within these companies. We are pleased to launch the MEF Executive Questionnaire to reveal the real people behind the industry in an informal and entertaining manner.

This will be a regular feature of the MEF blog, so make sure you subscribe via email or RSS. If you are a senior executive from one of our member companies and would like to be featured then please contact your local GM

The twenty fifth in the series is from Nickhil Jakatdar - CEO & Co-Founder of Vuclip.