Medio Systems Research Panel 2H07 tracks shift in mobile search from Downloadable Content to Mobile Web

Emerging trend fuels positive growth in mobile search adoption
 
Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain (February 11th, 2008) - Today at Mobile World Congress, Medio Systems, Inc., the leading provider of mobile search and advertising solutions, announced that its 2H07 research demonstrates the emerging use of mobile search to find information from the Mobile Web. Medio's research illustrates the evolution of mobile search away from downloadable content towards information on the Mobile Internet.  As a result of this growing use of Mobile Web search from the handset, Medio is also tracking a healthy adoption of mobile search among users as well as the predominance of certain ad-related functions that are well-suited to the mobile interface.

The majority of mobile search queries have traditionally been performed in relation to downloading mobile content. Information from Medio Systems' research suggests that downloadable content is still the most popular query type in mobile search, but that the prevalence of this type of search has shrunk by just over 10% to 60% of all searches since July 2007. This finding corresponds with the associated growth in the Web/WAP category which has seen the greatest usage increase of 43% in the same period.

Brian Lent, CEO, Medio Systems said, "Our recent findings support the notion that the Mobile Web is primed for rapid growth. Users are beginning to see the mobile platform as not only a way to find a growing range of mobile downloadable content including music, wallpapers and games, but to the wide universe of information that is out there on the Mobile Web. By making the search experience as simple as possible and by delivering highly relevant answers based on the search query, we hope to drive further growth in the adoption of mobile search as well as the more widespread implementation of search-based advertising benefitting both user and operator alike."

The increased use of Mobile search coupled with growth in unique customer search queries has given Medio additional insight into the way that search-based advertising is currently being received and experienced by consumers. Medio calculates the average click through rate on search ads delivered in this way as high as 29%. For pay-per-call advertisements, call-through rates as high as 22% have been measured.

As part of Medio's mobile search and advertising ecosystem, Medio can show sponsored results across its MobileNow Ad Network of participating operator and publisher properties, to drive traffic to landing pages or to generate calls to an advertiser. By maintaining relevance, the ad-sponsored results that Medio's mobile search and advertising technology deliver are far more likely to be perceived by the user as content rather than advertising. Medio's research into mobile search and advertising usage has also found that as well as being unique to mobile, the 'click to call' facility is the most applicable action for users looking for information from their phones.

About Medio Systems, Inc.

Medio Systems delivers best-in-class mobile search and advertising solutions that help mobile operators and publishers implement the best customer experience and allow advertisers to reach their intended target audiences. Created specifically for mobile, Medio Mobile Search combines an intuitive, effortless user interface with powerful recommendation and personalisation technologies.

Leveraging the precise targeting capabilities of the mobile search platform, Medio enables advertisers to identify and reach audiences who are interested in what they're selling -at just the right time—and achieve the best results for their campaigns. Through unique partnerships with mobile carriers and mobile publishers, ads are integrated into the mobile search experience, where increased relevance drives maximum response.

Medio's customers and partners are leading mobile operators, publishers and advertisers, including: Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile International and USA, Telus Mobility and CBS Sports Mobile. For more information visit: www.medio.com

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