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News
Issue #2002 - 05
(February 2002)
(Updated Feb.
6, 2002)
MARKET
OUTLOOK & TRENDS
On-line Travel Setting the Stage
for M-Commerce, study says
Western Europeans en masse
have become accustomed to the convenience and cost-savings of
purchasing travel services and products on-line, which will spill
over into the mobile commerce sector, according to a recent study by
IDC.
With on-line travel services currently leading the e-commerce
category, analysts "believe this trend will be mirrored on the
mobile Internet."
In its report ‘Mobile in Travel: Prospects for Western Europe,’
the research firm predicts that more than 23 million mobile users on
the continent will use their handsets to purchase on-line travel
services by 2006.
"In the travel sector, value is increasingly shifting
towards the non-intermediated way of purchasing travel
services," said Claudia Lonardi, senior research analyst at
IDC. It then makes perfect sense for travelers to benefit from
mobile services at every stage of their travel experience, from
journey planning through traveling to reaching their
destination."
Highlights of ‘Mobile in Travel: Prospects for Western Europe’
- It is estimated that 49 million users will buy public
transport tickets with their mobile devices by 2005.
- Other mobile commerce segments such as bill payment, tickets
for entertainment, parking meters and vending machines will be
positively affected.
- The m-commerce sector will begin to show signs of growth
between 2003 and 2005, as the technology and services, such as
mobile billing and payment, become widely available.
For more information: http://www.idc.com
Mobileinfo Comments & Advisory: IDC
study seems to be more realistic than other m-commerce forecasts that
came out in 2001.
Note: This news release may contain
forward-looking statements. Readers should take appropriate caution in
developing plans utilizing these products, services and technology
architectures. All trademarks used in this summary are
the property of their respective owners.
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