Archive for the category: Mobile Site

Mobile Web Usage Keeps On Growing, And Growing, And Growing …

Posted at 27/10/2009 by Nextology in Mobile Site, Opera Mini

Browser maker Opera has released its latest ‘State of the Mobile Web’ report this morning, claiming that there was a huge surge in mobile web usage past September.

Last month, more than 35.6 million people used Opera Mini (which is now serving over 500 million pageviews per day on average on a wide range of mobile devices), up 11.5% compared to August 2009 and more than 150% compared to September 2008. The Norway software developer also claims more than 2 petabytes of data is now processed by its servers on a monthly basis. That’d be 2,000 terabytes.

Data traffic through Opera’s mobile browser — which compresses up to 90% of the data to save network bandwidth – rose 8.7% in September compared to August, the company said. In total, it gained about 4 million new Opera Mini users in that same period of time.

Opera also said users in the top 10 countries (Russia, Indonesia, India, China, Ukraine, South Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Poland and Vietnam) save up to $672 million USD per month, or over $8.1 billion USD per year, thanks to the compression rate of 90% and the subsequent savings in mobile data charges from users’ operators.

To calculate these numbers, which I question, Opera looked at the top operators in each country, determined how much they typically charge per MB of browsing, and averaged those figures together. The average cost of browsing in each country was then multiplied by the amount of traffic generated in each country, and the resulting totals were summed and compared to the totals for uncompressed data traffic. The big caveat: Opera’s survey only reflects metered rates (cost per MB) and not flat-rate subscription options, which skews the numbers in their favor.

The fact that mobile web usage continues to surge is hardly surprising, but Opera’s monthly reports reflect the rate of increase quite nicely on a monthly basis. Here’s a graph that shows the evolution as measured by data consumption:

Via: TechCrunch

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Volkswagen of America launches mobile Web site

Posted at 12/10/2009 by Nextology in Automotive, Mobile Site

logho_volkswagenDespite a rising tide of opposition to the mixing of mobile phones and automobiles, Volkswagen of America Inc. is encouraging the combo, launching a mobile Web site compatible with Web-enabled cell phones and mobile devices.

Volkswagen of America, which is headquartered in Herndon, VA, said in announcing its new site that “constantly on the go” shoppers could now avoid having to do research about a new Volkswagen at home. Instead, potential owners could, “find a vehicle they’re interested in while on the way to their Volkswagen dealership. And, if they have any questions before they arrive, the Volkswagen dealer’s number is just a click away.”

The site, mobile site (m.vw.com) is data rich with all of the information found at vw.com, including instant access to Volkswagen’s full model range of vehicles, along with links to national and regional special offers. Visitors to the site can also pick up free exclusive ringtones and wallpapers featuring popular imagery and sounds from recent Volkswagen advertising.

“When we designed our mobile site, we kept in mind that many of today’s consumers are constantly on the go,” said Volkswagen general manager of digital marketing Charlie Taylor. “We focused on location-based services such as the ability to find a dealer, schedule a test drive, and get a quote,” Taylor said. “The result is a service that can help consumers and owners find the information they need when they need it.”

Volkswagen said in its announcement that over 270 million Americans, almost 9 out of 10, are mobile consumers and use their cell phones to help navigate their lives and accomplish daily tasks, according to the CTIA Wireless Association. But proliferating mobile phone use has provoked some societal push-back. On October 1st, Maryland made text-messaging while driving illegal, punishable by a $500 fine, and the Obama Administration announced it would seek to will seek to ban text messaging by interstate bus drivers and truckers and push states to pass their own laws against driving cars while distracted.

Volkswagen of America is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Via: Business Weekly

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