Global Mobile Technology Users Overwhelmed by Device Features; Under-Whelmed by Buying and User Experience.Milestone CMO CMOSee: Collateralized mortgage obligation CMO See collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO). Council/GMI Study of nearly 15,000 Consumers in Nearly 37 Countries Shows Developing Nations Are New Power Users of Wireless Technology; Report Highest Device Dependency and Greatest Receptivity to Latest Mobile Applications BARCELONA, Spain -- "Function Fatigue" is afflicting af·flict tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on. [Middle English afflighten, from afflight, mobile technology users worldwide and tops several consumer issues negatively impacting the embrace of new wireless devices and services, reports the CMO Council's Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience (FAME). The CMO Council's Global Mobile Mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. Audit[TM], a milestone study of some 15,000 consumers in 37 countries, shows that "too many functions I did not use" is the number one device problem in all regions of the world. Compounding this complaint were disappointments in the early buying and ongoing ownership experience. Most notably, consumers gave low marks to retailers and carriers for lack of product demonstrations, sales associate knowledge, as well as slow service at point-of-sale. Powered by GMI GMI Governance Metrics International (New York, New York) GMI Giant Magneto-Impedance GMI Global MSF Interoperability GMI General Motors Institute GMI General Mills, Inc. (Global Market Insite, Inc.), the CMO Council research initiative is part of an extensive authority leadership program by FAME, a strategic interest group of top marketers, associations and experts drawn from all sectors of the wireless ecosystem. Supported by Palm, Inc. and the GSM Association (GSM Association, Dublin, Ireland, www.gsmworld.com) A membership association founded in 1987 that promotes the development and evolution of the GSM communications standard worldwide. the study's early findings were presented here today at the opening of the 3GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) A digital cellular phone technology based on TDMA that is the predominant system in Europe, but also used worldwide. Developed in the 1980s, GSM was first deployed in seven European countries in 1992. World Congress in Barcelona. Key findings show that: * Internet destinations have eclipsed friends and family as the most important source for researching and selecting devices * There is a new generation of mobile technology power users in developing nations * Function fatigue and feature frustration among users will challenge device makers to improve usability and education * Global mobile users, particularly in developing countries, are willing to pay for a wide range of mobile content and service offerings * Pain begins at point-of-purchase as users see lack of demos, product knowledge and slow service as problematic at retail * Cost of service along with poor battery life tops the Irritation Index globally * Americans and Western Europeans are most bothered by loud cell phone conversations * Paranoia paranoia (pr'ənoi`ə), in psychology, a term denoting persistent, unalterable, systematized, logically reasoned delusions, or false beliefs, usually of persecution or grandeur. of phone and data loss/theft is a key concern along with the annoyance of disconnects and drop-offs "Clearly, wireless operators, device manufacturers and sales channels need to be much closely aligned and integrated in creating a simpler, more satisfying and predictable user experience," notes Dave Murray Dave Murray can refer to:
"We saw profound variations between countries, cultures, user demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. and genders," observes Michael Allenson, executive vice president at GMI, which fielded the survey through their research panel of six million people in nearly 200 countries worldwide. "There are huge opportunities in both established and emerging markets to extend the value, utility and appeal of mobile devices and services." Most Surprising Most surprisingly, the Global Mobile Mindset Audit reveals that consumers in developing countries are the new power users of wireless technology and report the highest levels of device dependency and greatest receptivity to the latest mobile applications and services. While a global economic powerhouse A fourth-generation language from Cognos that was introduced in the late 1970s for midrange computers. It supports both character-oriented, terminal-based applications as well as Windows clients. Applications developed under PowerHouse can be imported into Cognos' Axiant client/server environment. , the U.S. lags all other regions in mobile device ownership, advanced feature adoption, intent to buy and dependency. There is also less interest in personalizing devices with ring tones, wallpaper wallpaper was used in Europe in the 16th and 17th cent. as an inexpensive substitute for costly hangings. The French developed marbled papers, introduced from the East via Italy and used at first for box coverings, into larger sheets for wall coverings and also made , and accessories. Given the opportunity to re-engineer their own devices, mobile users would first upgrade memory and storage and reduce the form factor; then improve design and styling, and make the device simpler and easier to use; and lastly, improve voice quality. Design innovator, Palm, Inc., which has received accolades for the user friendliness of its new Treo Series and Palm operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. , sees usability as a critical area of focus and investment. "Given the growing global dependency on mobile devices for all manner of business and lifestyle-essential interactions, our industry needs to take heed to be careful or cautious. See also: Take of these findings and apply our best resources to the needs and requirements of all customers worldwide," notes Roy Bedlow, VP of Marketing, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Refers to that region of the world. For example, one might see products packaged differently for the UK, EMEA and Asia Pacific markets. of Palm, Inc. "Ironically, most purchases are made through carriers and specialty cell phone stores where you would expect better customer handling and expertise, states Murray. "There appears to be a real opportunity for device makers and carriers to differentiate themselves by improving the buying experience," he adds. About the Global Mobile Mindset Audit[TM] The CMO Council's Global Mobile Mindset Audit is the largest survey of mobile technology users in the world with nearly 15,000 participants across some 37 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa. Powered by GMI (Global Market Insite, Inc.), the research initiative is part of an extensive authority leadership program by the CMO Council's Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience (FAME), a strategic interest group of top marketers, associations and experts drawn from all sectors of the wireless ecosystem. An executive summary of the study, which has been funded by Palm and other industry leaders, is available now for download from CMO Council, GMI and participating partner web sites. A full report and accompanying data sets will also available to the mobile technology industry later this month. |
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