US Mobile Web Growth

5 Jun 2007 07:03

Bango PLC05 June 2007 BANGO PLC ("Bango" or the "Company") Mobile web use in the US surges ahead with three fold increase in last 12 months Search fuels appetite for mobile web surfing June 5, 2007 - Bango (AIM: BGO) today published statistics which confirm thatthe United States is at the forefront of the mobile web growth as seen by Bango,with a three fold increase in usage over the last year. This rapid rise, takingthe US to second position by volume behind the UK, is being fuelled by theincreasing popularity of mobile search as a way of finding new content andservices. Bango is able to track where users are coming from world-wide and what handsetsthey are using. The top five countries accessing the mobile web via Bango* inApril 2007 were the UK at 27%, the US at 21%, South Africa at 11%, India at 9%and Indonesia at 3%. In total, Bango detects mobile web users from over 190countries. Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango added, "The US is set to become a significant marketfor us, and this increased use of the mobile web as a means for accessingcontent is an encouraging signal of future growth. The relationships we have inplace with mobile operators around the world mean that as each new territorymoves onto the mobile web we are well positioned to benefit from that growth." In addition to growth in the US, Bango's data shows that 9% of all access eventsto mobile websites now come from India, up from 4% a year ago. India, with apopulation of just over 1.1 billion and lack of an established fixed phone linenetwork, relies on mobile phones to stay in touch. Here, mobile phone usage isset to exceed European levels within the next few years. "We see that wherever flat-rate mobile data charges are pervasive in a countrythen there's much more web browsing," continued Anderson. "This is certainlytrue of the US and South Africa and the imminent introduction of flat-rate datacharges in the UK is expected to push up mobile web usage in the UK evenfurther." More businesses are now launching a mobile web presence so they can engagedirectly with their consumers and potential customers anytime and from anywhere.Through a common integration point, Bango makes it easy for businesses to drivetraffic to a mobile website, understand who the visitors are, track marketingcampaigns and collect payment for digital content world-wide. * Bango identifies users by their country and network of origin. The ranking isproduced by measuring the number of user visits to mobile websites from eachcountry. For further information:Bango plc ICIS LimitedTel. +44 1223 472777 Tel. +44 20 7651 8688Ray Anderson, CEO Tom MoriartyPeter Saxton, CFO Caroline Evans-Jones About BangoBango delivers the technology that makes the mobile web simple for everyone.Bango created the world's first global exchange for the mobile web. By providinga common integration point for brands, businesses and individuals, Bango removesthe complexities that make the mobile web difficult to exploit. Through Bango's global exchange, content providers see all users as a unifiedglobal community. Users easily discover and access the widest range of contentand the world's leading mobile operators partner with Bango to give theirsubscribers the widest choice. Billing providers, search engines and advertisersare automatically connected to content providers in Bango's global exchange. Bango has offices in USA, UK, Spain and Germany and is quoted on the LondonStock Exchange (AIM:BGO). Learn more at www.bango.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange