Mobile phones constitute an essential element of our daily life. We can hardly conceive it without these devices. And if they are smartphones, even less so. The spectacular rise of this type of telephones is reflected both in global figures as well as in those referred to the United States. In the worldwide arena, the sales of smartphones (51.6%) surpassed for the first time those of conventional mobile phones in the first quarter of 2013. As far as the United States are concerned, it is estimated that in 2016 there will be more than 196 million smartphone users and that the penetration rate of this type of handsets will reach 67% by 2017. However, we do not need to wait until that date to confirm this exceptional boom. If we just look around us, we see it is true.
One of the main functionalities of smartphones is Internet browsing, which means that the widespread use of these devices is intimately linked to the exponential growth of Internet browsing through them. This has led to a dramatic paradigm shift in this field. Tablets and smartphones (WiFi or 3G/4G) are gaining ground over fixed network connections (ADSL or fiber optic) by leaps and bounds. Here goes the data that endorses it: it is estimated that by 2015 in the G20 there will be 600 million fixed network connections and 2,100 million mobile connections. Yes, that’s right, more than triple.
A few years ago we had to wait to get home or to the office to sit in front of a computer with a fixed network connection. Now we are citizens of the ‘immediacy society’ and can access the Web on the go: while having lunch at a restaurant, on the train back home, etc. This has opened the doors to a great many possibilities, both personal and professional: we can manage our emails, check our bank account and make a transaction, chat, buy a plane ticket, play video games or apply for a job.
Thanks to mobile Internet, our productivity has increased fivefold across all areas. So much so that this has given rise to the so called ‘mobile Internet economy’. According to a recent study published by Google, in 2013 mobile Internet generated €90B in five key EU countries: Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain. But that’s not all: last year this phenomenon created 500k jobs.
And forecasts are more than promising: mobile Internet revenues are estimated to reach €230B by 2017, which represents an annual growth of 25% in these five countries. The most significant thing about this data is that this increase is not expected to come from setting higher prices, but from developing more stable and affordable mobile connections, designing innovative applications and generating new contents. All of this without forgetting the rapid expansion of mobile shopping and advertising.
The document management software industry has managed to ride the wave and take advantage of the fresh impetus provided by mobile Internet. Companies in this sector have designed products that allow users to manage document processes from any mobile device with Internet access. It is already possible to monitor document processes from a visual dashboard accessible from the Web, or fill in and distribute online forms in an efficient and agile way.
The great beneficiaries of this technology boom are consumers, since the market has pushed prices downwards as a result of increased competition (especially fierce between manufacturers of mobile phones and operating systems) or the development of new technologies. Users now enjoy cutting-edge applications at lower prices. According to the previously mentioned study published by Google, these resulting savings have generated a not inconsiderable annual ‘surplus’ of money (€4,700 per capita on average in the five economies subject of the analysis) consumers would be willing to reinvest in new products and services related to technology and the Internet. Here is where the main advantage for companies lies.
In conclusion, mobile Internet is boosting economic growth and job creation across the world. Mobile applications and services allow us to be more productive at work, keep better informed and enjoy an extensive leisure offering. There is no doubt whatsoever that the innovations that will take place in the years to come will keep on affording new opportunities and contributing to economic and social development.
Sources:
- https://googleespana.blogspot.com.es/2015/02/la-economia-del-internet-movil-en-europa.html
- https://www.bcgperspectives.com/content/articles/telecommunications_digital_economy_devices_mobile_internet_economy/
- http://www.statista.com/statistics/201182/forecast-of-smartphone-users-in-the-us/
- http://www.statista.com/statistics/203713/smartphone-penetration-per-capita-in-nor713/smartphone-penetration-per-capita-in-th-america-since-2000/
André Klein
Freelance Consultant for DocPath