Mobile Social Networking Driving Growth of the Mobile Internet in Europe, According to comScore

London (ots/PRNewswire) -

- One Third of European Mobile Social Networking Users Access
Social Media Exclusively

comScore, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital
world, reports that social networking is drawing new users into the
mobile Web. In November, 34 percent of mobile phone owners in Western
Europe who visited social networking sites accessed social media
exclusive of all other mobile Web content.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO)

With 12.1 million users in Western Europe (France, Germany,
Italy, Spain and the U.K.), mobile social networking is a
rapidly-expanding category that grew 152 percent from November 2007
to November 2008. The U.K. boasts the highest penetration of mobile
social networking, at 9 percent, nearly triple that of Germany, where
the activity is the least popular. The average penetration rate
across all countries is 5 percent.

Mobile Social Networking Usage
Three-month Average Ending November 2008
European Mobile Phone Owners (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK)
Source: comScore M:Metrics
% Mobile Social Mobile Social
Networking Users Y/Y Change in Social Networking Users as
Who Exclusively Use Networking via Browser Percent of all Mobile
Social Media or Application Phone Users
Germany 39.1% 145% 3.3%
Spain 46.5% 114% 5.0%
France 21.6% 167% 4.5%
Italy 38.2% 151% 4.7%
UK 29.7% 167% 9.2%
Total 33.5% 152% 5.4%

"A large portion of the growth in the mobile Internet audience
can be attributed to social networking," observed Alistair Hill,
analyst, comScore M:Metrics. "In the UK, for example, the audience of
those accessing news and information, but not social networking
services, with their mobile browser or an application grew by 149,000
unique users, whereas the number of those exclusively accessing
social networking grew by six times that number in the past year."

Mobile Social Networking Heavier Among Females

comScore also analyzed the demographics of social media users in
Europe, and found that those who use social networking exclusive of
other mobile Internet content skew more female than those who consume
other forms of mobile Internet content. Women comprise 48 percent of
the audience accessing only social media, but only 32 percent of
those who access other types of mobile Internet content. In addition,
the median age for social media-only users is 28, versus 36 for other
mobile Internet users.

"This development is encouraging for the future of the mobile
Internet," commented Hill. "Social networking is taking the mobile
Internet out of the early adopter demographic, and into the
mainstream."

comScore M:Metrics also released the results of its Mobile
Benchmark Study. Social networking and e-mail usage posted some of
the largest gains, while playing downloaded games and watching video
dipped in most European markets.

comScore Mobile Benchmark Study
Three-month average ending November 2008 and % Change Vs Year Ago
(% Users Measure is Based on All Mobile Phone Users)
European Mobile Subscribers (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK)
Source: comScore M:Metrics
Germany Spain France Italy UK
% % % % % % % % % %
Activity Users Change Users Change Users Change Users Change Users Change
Watched
video 5% 2% 8% 0% 6% -7% 7% -4% 4% -27%
Listened to
music 20% -2% 23% -1% 17% -3% 17% -2% 22% -1%
Accessed
news/info
via browser 9% 10% 10% 10% 14% 5% 10% 5% 19% 5%
Received
SMS ads 27% 0% 75% 5% 64% -1% 54% 2% 36% 0%
Played
downloaded
game 8% -2% 10% -6% 4% -14% 8% -5% 10% -4%
Accessed
downloaded
application 4% 25% 5% 26% 3% 16% 6% 12% 6% 17%
Sent/
received
photos or
videos 23% 0% 31% -3% 25% -6% 30% -5% 30% -2%
Purchased
ringtones 4% 10% 4% 2% 3% -8% 4% 6% 3% 4%
Used email 9% 7% 11% -1% 9% 11% 12% 2% 12% 12%
Accessed
social
networking
sites 3% 25% 5% 33% 5% 20% 5% 33% 9% 12%

About comScore

comScore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the
digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence.
For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.

ots Originaltext: comScore Networks
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
Jaimee Steele of comScore, Inc., +1-206-757-1360,
jsteele@comscore.com; Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080115/COMSCORELOGO