MEDIA-I: SAR top in mobile use but no benefit to WAP

<p>HONG KONG: A survey by Taylor Sofres Interactive has found 83 per </p><p>cent of the adult population in Hong Kong has a mobile phone, while 14 </p><p>per cent have WAP, ranking the SAR first in mobile ownership and fourth </p><p>in WAP phone ownership in Asia-Pacific. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>While the figures highlight the potential growth of mobile commerce in </p><p>Hong Kong, TNS Hong Kong managing director, Wander Meijer, said the </p><p>opportunities for m-commerce to benefit from e-commerce were "still </p><p>comparatively low". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"Technological advancement made via broadband services will certainly </p><p>help to speed up internet access via mobile phones, especially with the </p><p>introduction of GPRS and 3G technologies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>"However, m-commerce still has a long way to go before it achieves wide </p><p>acceptance among internet users in Hong Kong. The major obstacle is that </p><p>most WAP phone owners do not perceive it as a tool for accessing the </p><p>internet," Meijer said. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>He added that there were numerous limitations to WAP technology, </p><p>including "a lack of confidence in online shopping due to relatively </p><p>limited experience of the internet and perceived security issues", which </p><p>suggested a reluctance by WAP users to fully utilise the services </p><p>offered. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The study also showed that 14 per cent more people own mobile phones </p><p>than PCs in Hong Kong with household penetration reaching 69 per </p><p>cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Mobile phone ownership was highest among the 15-24 age group and </p><p>25-49-year-old group in all the countries surveyed, although in less </p><p>affluent countries like China, Thailand and the Philippines, ownership </p><p>was higher among middle-age adults. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The results of the survey implied that mobile phone usage was mainly for </p><p>commercial and business purposes, and young people in those countries </p><p>did not have the purchasing power yet to own a mobile phone. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Interestingly, only 25 per cent of WAP phone owners accessed the web </p><p>through their WAP phones, while a mere seven per cent of all internet </p><p>users in Hong Kong accessed the Web through WAP phones. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Despite all the bad press for WAP, 16 per cent of respondents in Hong </p><p>Kong said they would be "very likely" or "quite likely" to buy a WAP </p><p>phone in the next 12 months. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The survey also found Nokia led the mobile phone market in Asia-Pacific </p><p>with a 31 per cent share, followed by Motorola at 12 per cent and </p><p>Ericsson at nine per cent. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The WAP phone market is dominated by Nokia followed by Panasonic and </p><p>Motorola. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Meijer added the study provided information related to local and </p><p>regional trends developing in m-commerce and could give online marketers </p><p>a lead in devising and formulating marketing strategies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The report surveyed eight countries in Asia-Pacific - Australia, China, </p><p>Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>