2010 to see rise of 'books for mobile' and micropayments
Industry predicts major changes
The coming year will see a big rise in book sales for smartphones an increase in micro-payments for media and a 25 per cent growth in revenue for apps, music and video for mobile devices, according to latest research.
The Mobile Entertainment Forum's fourth Business Confidence Index (BCI) compiled by KPMG points to likely trends and has encouraging predictions of revenue growth in excess of 25 per cent.
Green shoots
Andrew Bud, the Global Chair of MEF commented: "Our industry has faced a difficult period, but these latest findings clearly show that confidence in the growth of our industry has not diminished in the last year.
"81 per cent of respondents report that their actual performance for the last quarter was either better than or in line with budget, and viewed alongside the consistent and significant market growth predictions being made by our industry is very positive news as we move into a new year."
The list of predictions from the MEF's report is certainly interesting, predicting increased competition for Apple's App Store from the Android equivalent and several other movers and shakers including books for mobile and micro payments.
MEF's Top 10 Mobile Media Trends for 2010
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1. Fragmentation and variance amongst handsets and now application stores will continue to plague the industry, however the growth of applications on the Android platform will close the gap on Apple's App Store
2. Operator enabling services will start to be widely deployed, facilitating the growth of rich media content that is simpler, faster and offers a better user experience
3. Media publishers will start to experiment with micro-payments, subscription service models and alternative payment methods which challenge the operators' dominance, with Rupert Murdoch's decision to charge for online media content highlighting an already fierce debate
4. Books will emerge as a new and popular content category for smartphones
5. Technology innovation will continue, with content developers experimenting with 3D mobile video viewers and augmented reality for mobile
6. The emerging risk of illicit charging by in-app billing will be met by firm regulatory action
7. Significant tightening of premium rate regulation in the Atlantic region will spread across the world
8. 2010 will be the year of multiplatform dual-delivery of content including music, video and games, across mobile phones, TVs and PCs
9. The growing consumer demand for data-heavy services will put greater pressure on networks, with flat rate data tariffs increasingly subjected to stringent download limits
10. Complexity, confusion and ambiguity in the application of rights to the mobile platform will be addressed seriously in 2010
Feeling App-y
Mark Harding, Director of Digital Content at KPMG, who analysed the survey findings, stated that: "Applications have developed considerably as a driver of growth over the past 6 months, illustrating the dynamism of this new business model for monetising mobile content.
"Overall, these are very positive findings following a necessary period of adjustment and refocus."
Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content. After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.