The document summarizes key findings from a survey on mobile internet usage in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Some of the main points are:
- Mobile internet usage has risen dramatically in all three countries between 2011-2012, with 58% of German respondents, 71% of Austrian respondents, and 76% of Swiss respondents reporting using mobile devices to access the internet.
- Smartphones are the most popular mobile device for internet access, used by 50% of German respondents, 62% of Austrian respondents, and 67% of Swiss respondents. Tablet and netbook use is also growing.
- Younger people are more likely to use mobile internet, but usage is growing among older age groups as well, showing
3. Executive Summary
Mobile devices are rapidly becoming the primary medium to access the
Internet across all age groups in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In
a world brimming with smarter smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and
other affordable Web-enabled mobile devices, and powered by better
network coverage, faster broadband connections, Wi-Fi networks,
and the explosive growth of mobile apps, the demand for ubiquitous
availability of Internet is only getting stronger.
As the excitement around every new version of a smartphone or
tablet gathers momentum, more and more people in Germany
alone, for example, there are 30 million mobile Internet users.
Unlike in 2008, when the first Accenture survey was conducted
to assess mobile Internet usage, German users are no longer
ambiguous about connecting to the Internet on the go, nor are
they deterred by the cost of data connection. The fifth edition
of the Mobile Web Watch confirms that mobile Internet usage,
which first started gaining significant momentum in the 2009
survey, continues to be on an upward trajectory in delete gap
between 2012. Respondents in Germany, for example, are
accessing the Internet on their smartphones, tablets and netbooks
not just for e-mails but also to buy products, compare prices,
monitor the weather, download videos, and keep up with news.
Indeed, there has been a dramatic jump in mobile Internet usage
with users nearly doubling since 2011.
Significantly, this trend of increasing mobile Internet usage is
taking place simultaneously with the growing use of stationary
devices such as personal computer, TV and gaming consoles to
access the Internet. The boundaries between devices are clearly
blurring in this multi-device and multi-platform environment.
The survey results for Germany, Austria and Switzerland mirror
the findings in ten other countries from Europe, Latin America
and South Africa—the countries that have been included for the
first time in the Mobile Web Watch survey. The major highlight
of the survey is that mobile Internet usage is on the rise across
mature and emerging markets, and also across age groups.
Indeed, it has now reached the stage when market players across
communications, media and technology should look forward to
business opportunities and the operational efficiencies of a mass
market. That is, if they are prepared for it.
Mobile Web Watch, 2012, brings to the fore five key trends in the
digital consumer’s behavior that have implications not only for
players in telecommunications, media and technology, but also for
those in industries such as retail and automotive, and in utilities.
A key finding of the survey is that a majority of Internet users
connected to the Internet with a mobile device in the past year,
with smartphones emerging as the most popular mobile Internet
access medium. In fact, activities or transactions on mobile
Internet have become so much a part of daily life that those who
don’t own a mobile Web-enabled device intend to buy one soon.
The survey identifies usability and mobile apps as the primary
drivers of mobile Internet use, with a higher proportion of users
having downloaded programs and apps on their mobile devices in
the past year.
Consumers are now more willing than ever before to pay for
premium services. The survey also identifies mobile payments
as a significant growth avenue with growing use and awareness
of these services. The opportunity in augmented reality services
is huge with half the mobile Internet users surveyed expressing
interest or planning to use these services in the future. In fact, a
large segment is even willing to pay for cloud services.
A key driver of mobile Internet usage has been significant
improvements in network quality and coverage over the years—
the user’s primary criterion in selecting a service provider. The
survey highlights how consumers are increasingly looking for
superior Internet experiences on their mobile devices, similar
to what they are used to on their computer or television. While
on-the-go online services, such as news, traffic and travel
information, and banking are of the highest importance to mobile
Internet users, concerns about data security persist, especially
for those using or considering the use of cloud services. With
users expressing annoyance with online advertising, marketing
companies will need to focus on more targeted advertising.
In the following pages, we explore the findings for Germany,
Austria and Switzerland in greater detail and discuss the
implications they may have for companies looking at seizing the
opportunity arising out of the growing use of mobile Internet in
this region.
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4. • 58%, 71%, 76% of respondents in Germany, Austria and Switzerland respectively,
connected to the Internet through a mobile device.
• 50% of participants in Germany connected to the Internet through a smartphone as
compared with 62% and 67% of the survey respondents in Austria and Switzerland,
respectively.
• There is growing use of netbooks and tablets for mobile Internet: 28% in Germany and
around 35% in Austria and Switzerland did so through a netbook; tablets are more popular
in Switzerland (26%) for mobile Internet use than in Germany and Austria (17% and 16%).
• 59% of men in Germany compared to 58% of women used mobile Internet; in Austria it was
76% of men vs. 66% of women; Switzerland (80% vs. 72%).
• 48% used mobile Internet for personal matters compared with 15% for work-related
matters; Austria (59% vs. 22%); Switzerland (64% vs. 26%).
• 38% of those above 50 among the respondents in Germany use mobile Internet vs. 84% of
those in the age group 14 to 29. (Austria: 53% vs. 88%; Switzerland: 55% vs. 91%).
• 58% of respondents in Germany (Austria: 59%, Switzerland: 55%) accessed online
communities such as Facebook.
• 50% of respondents in Germany (Austria: 50%, Switzerland: 38%) conducted a banking
transaction using their mobile device.
• 67% respondents in Germany and Austria (Switzerland: 78%) downloaded programs or apps
on their mobile device.
• 47% of respondents in Germany downloaded or viewed short videos (less than five minutes);
(Austria: 57%, Switzerland: 55%).
• 74% of respondents have concerns over data
security (Austria: 66%, Switzerland: 68%).
• 72% are interested in cloud consumer
services (Austria: 71%, Switzerland: 65%).
• 86% are interested in premium technical
services (Austria: 88%, Switzerland: 80%).
• 36% accessed the Internet through a TV
and 25% through a gaming console
(Austria: 35%, Switzerland: 43%).
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5. Core Findings for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• Growing use of mobile Internet
Mobile Internet usage is rising across countries. For example, in
Germany alone, there are 30 million users of mobile Internet-a
dramatic rise from 28 percent in the 2011 survey to 58 percent
in 2012 survey. (Austria: 71 percent in 2012; Switzerland: 76
percent).
• Narrowing gender gap
Germany has bridged the gender gap use with 59 percent of
men accessing mobile Internet compared with 58 percent of
women, with 59 percent of men accessing mobile Internet as
compared wirh 58 percent women. In the previous survey, only
17 percent of women accessed the Internet through mobile
devices as against 37 percent of men. In Austria, the gender
differences are wider at 76 percent vs. 66 percent. The gap is
also narrowing in Switzerland (80 percent vs. 72 percent).
• More personal than work-related use
48 percent of the respondents in Germany (Austria: 59 percent,
Switzerland: 64 percent) accessing the Web on a smartphone
did so for personal matters against 15 percent (Austria: 22
percent, Switzerland: 26 percent) for work-related matters.
• Finally the world is always on
85 percent use their mobile device to access the Internet once a
day or more. Of those accessing online communities, Twitter or
mobile blogging, over 80 percent do so more than once a week.
• Gen X showing growing appetite for mobile over Internet
A little over 80 percent of those in 14-29 age bracket accessed
the Internet on a mobile device, but at least 38 percent of those
above the age of 50 were also involved in such activities in
Germany; Austria (53 percent vs. 88 percent), Switzerland (55
percent vs. 91 percent).
• There is an app for everything
A majority of mobile Internet users in Germany (58 percent),
Austria (59 percent) and Switzerland (55 percent) used their
mobile device to access online communities such as Facebook.
However, these numbers were below the total survey average
of 62 percent. In the case of mobile banking, the usage in
Germany (50 percent) was higher than the average of 46
percent of all respondents in the survey. Marginally fewer users
in Germany and Austria (67 percent) downloaded programs or
apps on their mobile device compared to 71 percent across all
the surveyed countries.
• Videos on mobile grabbing eyeballs
47 percent of the users in Germany, 57 percent in Austria and
55 percent in Switzerland downloaded or viewed short videos
of less than five minutes as against the survey average of 57
percent.
• Quality is king
Quality of the network and coverage are the most important
criteria in choosing a network provider for access to the
Internet over a mobile device while cost of data is ranked the
fourth-most important factor, behind connection speed.
• Data security concerns impede mass adoption
More mobile Internet users in Germany (74 percent) than in
other countries (70 percent) are concerned about data security.
The comparable data for Austria and Switzerland is 66 percent
and 68 percent, respectively. Data costs are a concern for only
10 percent of the German users as compared to 23 percent
of the global survey average. Even fewer users (5 percent) in
Austria cite data costs as higher than expected.
• Opportunity to monetize new services
86 percent of respondents in Germany, 88 percent in Austria
and 80 percent in Switzerland are interested in premium
technical services; 72 percent (Germany), 71 percent (Austria)
and 65 percent (Switzerland) are interested in cloud services.
Half the respondents in Germany, for example, are even willing
to pay up to €10 for premium services.
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8. Strong demand for Web-enabled
mobile devices
The plethora of Web-enabled mobile devices available
clearly shows growing demand. While the average for all the
countries was 46 percent (respondents claiming their intent
to buy such a device soon), it was around 35 percent for
Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Even those who don’t own
a Web-enabled phone have tried to use the Internet through
a mobile device at least once (45 percent in Germany as
compared to the average of 60 percent for all countries) or
plan to do in the near future (22 percent versus 45 percent
average of all countries).
While smartphones are the dominant mobile devices for
Internet access, the rising popularity of netbooks and tablets
shows that the digital consumer seeks an array of features
while connecting to the Internet, anywhere, anytime. Indeed,
their increasing use across countries and across demographics
highlights the unprecedented computing power in the hands
of the hyper-connected consumer. In Germany, for example,
there has been an upsurge in the number of people using
these devices—jumping up from only 3 percent using tablets
in the 2011 survey to 17 percent in 2012.
The emerging markets lead in terms of future demand too.
For example, more respondents in the emerging markets
than in mature markets, expressed their intention to buy
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a Web-enabled mobile phone in the near future (Brazil 78
percent, Russia 73 percent, Mexico 61 percent, South Africa
57 percent versus an average of 46 percent for all countries
versus 38 percent in Germany).
This segmentation of the market by device category
revealed by the survey has implications for not only device
manufacturers but also for players in the communications,
media and technology value chain, such as communication
service providers, device manufacturers, content providers,
communications operators, Internet security companies and
Internet advertisers.
Increasing consumerization of IT at
workplace
According to the survey results for Germany, there is a
reversal in the trend of using smartphones for professional
purposes: 15 percent of the people accessing the Web on a
smartphone did so for work-related matters versus 48 percent
for personal activities. In the 2011 survey, those doing
work-related activities on smartphones totaled 56 percent
as compared to 25 percent for personal work. This finding
reflects the fact that until recently smartphone was driven
by business use on account of high costs. However, in a mass
consumer market, the usage pattern has reversed.
10. Growing use of mobile Internet for
e-mail, phone or video calls and
social media
Receiving and sending e-mails continues to be the most
pervasive use of the Internet on mobile devices in Germany
with 65 percent (Austria: 69 percent, Switzerland: 73
percent) using an e-mail program installed on their mobile
device, while 58 percent used the website of an e-mail
provider (Austria: 57 percent, Switzerland 59 percent). This
falls marginally lower than the average for all countries –70
percent and 62 percent, respectively.
Phone or video calls via the Internet ranks as another popular
activity among mobile device users in Germany (67 percent
of the users indicated this service as “quite and extremely
important”). However, a host of other activities such as
messaging through social media, blogging and tweeting,
and watching videos are also on the rise; 58 percent of
the respondents in Germany said they access social media
platforms and online communities through a mobile device,
and 50 percent use instant messaging apps. The data for
Austria and Switzerland are similar to that of Germany.
Germany ranks below the all-country average for these online
services with Mexico and South Africa as the top users of
these services, especially instant messaging (84 percent and
80 percent, respectively), and blogging and tweeting (40
percent and 39 percent, respectively). Following closely are
respondents in Brazil (73 percent) and Spain (70 percent).
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The frequency of these activities is also trending upwards in
all countries. The survey results for Germany show that of
those into mobile blogging or accessing online communities
or Twitter, over 80 percent did so more than once a week with
younger people more active than older people: 90 percent
of those aged 14-19 compared to 82 percent of those in the
above 50 age bracket. This trend of using mobile devices to
access social media and online communities provides the key
to understanding consumer behavior. Increasingly, mobile
phone manufacturers now focus on providing user-friendly
features or embedded platforms for such activities.
15. Blurring device boundaries: Using the Internet via TV and gaming consoles
in Germany
Going beyond drawing the attention of communications, media and technology players toward the growing popularity
and use of mobile Internet, the Mobile Web Watch Survey 2012 also presents interesting findings around multi-device
usage. Ushering in a second stage of evolution with Internet content relocating to multiple devices and platforms,
a remarkably high—92 percent of the respondents in Germany (Austria 95 percent, Switzerland 94 percent)—have
used stationary devices such as personal computer, television (TV) or gaming console—to access the Web in the last
12 months. The survey reveals 36 percent of these respondents accessed the Internet through TV, a significant share
considering that the uptake of “smart or connected TV” has been more pronounced only in the last couple of years.
Around a quarter of the respondents have watched movies, TV shows or longer video clips (more than five minutes) over
the Internet on TV.
Another device class that has emerged as an entry platform for consumers’ Internet activities is the gaming console with
25 percent of respondents in Germany and Austria (Switzerland 26 percent) using these for accessing the Internet. Not
surprisingly, the highest penetration of gaming consoles is in the younger age group (44 percent among those between
14 and 19 years) but those in the 30-39 age bracket (38 percent) are also using the Internet via consoles.
With the boundaries of devices becoming increasingly blurred, these findings undoubtedly signal a new leap in
convergence that calls for market players to shape their service offerings to maximize the “connected world” experience
of consumers—both at home and on the go.
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16. Challenges
Data concerns persist, especially
over cloud services
One of the biggest obstacles to a faster adoption of the
Internet on mobile devices first detected in the 2008 survey
was the concerns over data security. This has extended
to the use of cloud services too. The consumer wants a
secure environment—74 percent of the mobile Internet users
surveyed in Germany, 66 percent in Austria and 68 percent in
Switzerland, were worried about the security of their data. In
the case of those using or considering using cloud services,
these concerns ranged from losing personal data, hacking of
personal data to viruses harming mobile devices (Germany: 82
percent, Austria: 83 percent, Switzerland: 74 percent).
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This finding highlights a significant opportunity for cloud
service providers to work with network service providers to
meet the data security needs of the digital consumer through
adapted tariff plans and appropriate privacy policies.
Additionally, companies across the communications, media
and technology value chain will need to take note of a finding
that reiterates the annoyance factor associated with online
advertising. A higher share of the mobile Internet users—who
most often come across ad banners and coupons on tablets
and advertising through texting on smartphones—find these
services annoying. This again brings to light the growing
struggle of advertising and marketing companies in finding
innovative ways of getting their messages across. Service
providers and content developers will need to explore
opportunities to collaborate with marketing and advertising
companies to overcome this barrier.
25. The fifth edition of the Accenture Mobile Web Watch survey
extends beyond the three countries (Austria, Switzerland
and Germany) of the previous two surveys to include 10
more countries: Brazil, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico,
Russia, South Africa, Spain and the UK. The 15-minute online
survey, covering 17,225 respondents, was conducted in native
languages with a sample representative of Internet users
across age, gender (51 percent men and 49 percent women),
and incomes.
The survey explored the use of smartphones, tablets,
netbooks, personal computers, television and gaming consoles
to access the Internet; frequency of mobile Internet usage;
range of activities on the Internet; use of social media,
online platforms and online services on mobile devices;
brand preferences for devices and operating systems;
the consumer’s criteria for network selection, ability and
willingness to pay for premium services; and the barriers to
the adoption of mobile Internet.
# Interviews by country
Age
Austria
Brazil
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Mexico
Russia
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
14-19 years
20-29 years
30-39 years
40-49 years
More than 50 years
Total
789
1,624
1,085
1,615
1,615
785
1,616
1,611
1,637
1,058
1,615
560
1,615
10%
24%
21%
18%
27%
17,225
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26. Conclusion
Mobile Internet is Mass Market in Germany
The upswing continues: After a brief downturn in 2009 and 2010, growth in the market for the mobile
Internet rose sharply from 2011 to the present and has achieved mass-market penetration in Germany.
% of Market
Penetration
Mobile Phones only
50% in Germany
Market
Entry
Mass Market
Capability
“Early
Adopters”
Market
Mobile phones, tablets, notebooks
58% in Germany
Mass Market
Penetration
Mass Market
Efficiency
“Bring followers
on board”
“Handle
Customer Portfolio”
Ideal course
Typical course
Real and projected
course
Customer
58%
50%
28%
13%
18%
17%
2008
2009
2010
Figure 6. Accenture Analytics
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2011
2012
This shows the
development of mobile
Internet usage via mobile
phones from 2008 - 2012
in Germany
In 2012 in Germany, the
use of the mobile Internet
via mobile phones, tablets
and notebooks was 58
percent
27. The Accenture Mobile Watch Survey, 2012, again underscores
the need for companies in the mobile Internet business to
focus on the basics first as the mobile Internet mass market
becomes a reality. For communications service providers
(CSPs), that would mean a greater emphasis on building their
network and more bandwidth, and on investing to ensure
better coverage and quality of service. As mobile Internet
usage rises (in Germany alone, there are 30 million mobile
Internet users), these improvements in infrastructure can
help the CSPs build enduring relationships with customers
and stay ahead of the competition in this intensely dynamic
environment. These improvements in infrastructure can
help them in building enduring relationships with customers
and staying ahead in this intensely dynamic environment.
The hyper-connected consumer—with unprecedented levels
of computing power thanks to innovative devices such as
smartphones and tablets—is an active participant in the
market and not just a passive recipient of services.
The trend of multi-device Web access that the survey
highlights presents a real opportunity for communications,
media and technology companies to outperform the
competition through differentiated, multi-device and
multi-platform offerings. The possibilities associated with a
“connected world” have already been demonstrated through
the growing uptake of connected homes and over-the-top
TV services. Broadcasters, technology companies and service
providers need to brace themselves for a new generation of
Web users looking for increased interoperability, multi-device
and multi-platform support, and superior experience.
In this connected world that includes the network and
services (Internet, entertainment, video and gaming), CSPs
are taking on the role of enablers. To outperform as enablers,
CSPs will need to get smarter about their customers and
the way they market to them. Companies that have been
successful in this role are differentiating by leveraging
analytics to process the vast amounts of data that the
consumer generates while using the Internet.
Additionally, as CSPs need to upgrade their infrastructure
continuously to keep pace with customers demands as well as
their data security concerns, a focus on maximizing costefficiency (whether through outsourcing of customer service
or billing or through back-end integration) could help these
companies balance costs as well as service levels.
As communications, media and technology players try
to monetize the opportunities in the mobile Internet
era (whether in the area of mobile payments, banking
transactions, augmented reality services, cloud services
or apps for tablets and smartphones), collaboration and
innovation will anchor and sustain the new ecosystem.
Collaboration with other service operators on networksharing strategies could well be the key to balance
consumers’ demand for quality with the inevitable high cost
of infrastructure investments.
With the massive capital investments that will be needed
to keep up with the increasing bandwidth, speed and
quality demands, collaboration among all operators in the
value chain will help in bringing innovative services to
the market. Building collaboration tools, IT and common
industry platforms to incubate and test new ideas could add
significant value to offerings and quickly add capabilities
that the operators currently lack. This will lead to new
alliances and business models, efficient back-office and
business processes as companies build faster go-to-market
strategies and a strong focus on innovation to stay ahead of
the competition. As mobile Internet approaches mass market
stage, the various players in the ecosystem—from mobile
service providers to content generators—will be compelled
to explore avenues for innovation in providing end-to-end
services.
This business imperative for change and innovation is also
applicable to other industries such as retail or banking where
the hyper-connected consumer’s behavior and needs are
already transforming operating models and IT infrastructure.
Such organizations are making use of mobile and cloud-based
customer relationship management technologies to keep
pace with the demand for new and improved capabilities
as consumers increasingly use smartphones and tablets for
online commercial transactions.
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