July 7, 2005

According to a new study released yesterday by LogicaCMG, mobile content will expand to a $9 billion industry in 2006.

The survey of 4,000 users in four global markets indicated the percentage of wireless phone owners who download content will triple from 20 to 60 percent in the next year.

Ringtones, games and music will continue to be the most popular content, although users are also interested in getting news, sports and video clips on their handsets.

But operators looking to cash in on the content boom should make it easier for consumers to purchase and share files, LogicaCMG warned.

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Nearly half of respondents said they want a simplified payment system, and 41 percent said they want the ability to share content with others. Seventeen percent said they wanted their carrier to store downloaded content on their networks.

More than one-fifth of those polled didn’t think their phone was able to receive downloads, though, and half said they had security concerns about downloaded content.

"Mobile phone users are starting to experiment with their phones’ capabilities but, drawing a parallel with the popular SMS experience, it is clear that the service needs to be simple, safe and intuitive from initial browsing through to payment and download," said Paul Glenn, chief operating officer at LogicaCMG global telecoms.

"To secure a share in this booming industry, mobile operators need to look at the bigger picture, building strong relationships with customers and content partners alike to deliver high-quality services that meet the markets’ needs."

Source: RCR News