BOSTON-Two companies released reports that highlight the potential of wireless Internet access and mobile data communications and their possible effect on the electronic commerce market.
“Mobile Electronic Commerce: The New Economy on the Move,” released by the Aberdeen Group, predicts one-third of all wireless subscribers, roughly 74 million users, will access the wireless Internet by 2004.
The report noted that mobile e-commerce has emerged as the next generation of electronic business due to the combination of new wireless services and Internet-ready devices.
“Users want portable, localized information and personalized services,” said Kelly Quinn, co-author of the report. “The demand for anytime, anywhere access to the Internet, declining wireless tariffs and new mobile applications is driving the m-commerce market.”
The ARC Group’s “Wireless Internet: Applications, Technology & Market Strategies” report forecasts the number of mobile data users will total 1.2 billion worldwide by 2005, exceeding users of fixed Internet, which will grow to around 750 million during the same period.
ARC said this growth in mobile data will see wireless data communications eventually outpace voice as the mobile market’s driving factor, with 70 percent of mobile subscribers worldwide using data in 2005.
Western Europe is set to lead the world in mobile data use with 409 million users forecast by the middle of the decade. Asia/Pacific is predicted to have 282 million users by the same time period, followed by 224 million users in the United States.
