MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-MTV Networks International is teaming with VeriSign Inc.’s mobile content subsidiaries to study the international wireless entertainment market, the companies said Thursday.
Jamster! and Jamba! will join the Viacom Inc.-owned network to study usage, mechanics and frequency of user downloads and streaming media to mobile phones. The companies also hope to analyze the impact of content creation as well as consumers’ dependence on their handsets.
The partnership is the latest move by the industry to quantify how much consumers use wireless data. Seattle startup M:Metrics launched a service earlier this year that tracks the use of wireless applications via consumer polling, while Telephia Inc. recently began publicizing results from its service, which culls information from users’ bills.
“This study will be an invaluable tool to understand the market of today and anticipate the trends of tomorrow,” said Vernon Irvin, general manager of VeriSign Communications Services.
