OpenMarket Survey of Global Enterprises Reveals Varying Mobile Maturity Levels Across U.S., Asia, UK and Major European Markets
- With Mobile as the Primary Form of Effective Communication in Emerging Regions, Research Confirms Strong Business Priorities and Investment Growth of Mobile Messaging Use Cases
SEATTLE, March 31, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenMarket, a leader in enterprise mobile engagement, today released additional findings from a commissioned study conducted by the International Data Corporation (IDC). The research surveyed 600 technology decision makers representing global 2000 enterprises across the U.S., UK, and major markets in Europe and Asia, and examined how mobile messaging can help organizations meet today's most pressing business challenges, including improved business operations and enhanced communications with customers and employees. To download the white paper, "Enterprises Adopting Mobile Messaging to Enhance Communications and Improve Business Operations," visit http://www2.openmarket.com/idc-cross-functional-white-paper.
Global businesses must be engaged with the more than 3 billion mobile subscribers using 6 billion connected devices,1 making mobile devices so pervasive that business priorities for the use of messaging services are aligned across regions. As a result, mobile may be the primary form of communication for effectively engaging this vast audience. Despite similar business priorities across the globe, the survey results revealed a discrepancy in maturity levels across the various North America, Asia and European regions. For example, the results indicated that the U.S. was the most mature region for mobile messaging, while Asia was the least mature. However, the study shows Asia is further along in its enterprise adoption of mobile messaging technology than experts anticipated. This outcome is likely due to the wide deployment of mobile devices in emerging regions and the end user familiarity with messaging technology.
The top customer-focused use cases in production in these regions are customer promotions and alerts. In terms of top investment priorities for customer-centered messaging technologies, businesses are looking for ones that differentiate or improve the customer experience, attract and retain customers, and offer deeper insights into customer preferences. The most popular internal employee-focused messaging use cases are company announcements, mobile workforce management notifications, and IT system status and network outage alerts. The top priorities for future investments in internal use cases are centered on mobile messaging that enhances multichannel delivery, improves employee communication, and optimizes the workforce.
"Although all of the regions have varying levels of mobile messaging maturity and use cases can differ in terms of how global enterprises are integrating mobile messaging, the study revealed that the business priorities for mobile messaging services are aligned across markets," said Robert Parker, Group Vice President, IDC Insights. "It will be critical that enterprises understand how to cater to the different preferences of each region. By utilizing proven mobile messaging providers with technologies that can be implemented across a global organization, businesses will be able to meet the mobile messaging needs of all internal and external stakeholders worldwide."
Key enterprise mobile messaging findings from each region include:
The United States: The U.S. is more mature than other regions in its use of customer service-focused use cases such as promotions and alerts. Fifty percent of this region's respondents are in pilot or production for mobile messaging services and are using mobile messaging for customer promotions and offers, while 49% are using the technology for customer alerts, reminders, and notifications. This is due to restrictive consumer privacy protections and established promotion practices. However, the U.S. is less mature relative to the overall results in employee engagement, particularly with regard to surveys, timesheet reminders, and authenticated sign-in.
The United Kingdom: The U.K. has the highest expectations for mobile messaging to drive brand awareness, as 59% of this region's respondents believe that mobile messaging has a considerable or major impact on increasing brand awareness. The region is significantly ahead in customer-focused categories, with consistently higher maturity in use cases for promotions, alerts, and surveys. The common language spoken in this country, as well as native conditioning to nontraditional commerce channels has created an advantage for brands using mobile messaging.
Continental Europe (excluding the U.K.): When compared to adjacent regions, Continental Europe is ahead of the U.K. in several employee-related services, including company announcements and mobile workforce management use cases. Additionally, using mobile messaging to enhance multichannel delivery is an important priority for this region.
Asia: Despite being the least mature region of all, Asia had the strongest showing of employee-related messaging services. One hundred percent of responding organizations are in pilot or production of mobile messaging services, with 69% of use cases within mobile workforce management and 29% utilizing mobile messaging for timesheet reminders.
"This research validates the importance of effective, traditional mobile messaging and its ability to improve customer and employee communication in key regions of the world," said Jay Emmet, General Manager of OpenMarket. "With billions of mobile subscribers worldwide, nearly every one of a global business' employees and customers has messaging-capable devices, and enterprises must utilize this technology to capitalize on the communication and engagement opportunities it provides."
The commissioned study by IDC surveyed technology decision makers across automotive, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), education, financial services, healthcare, high tech, media & entertainment, transportation & logistics, travel & hospitality, and utilities. Respondents represent corporations with 500 or more employees, from all parts of their organizations, including, customer service, human resources, IT/security, operations and logistics, and sales and marketing.
About OpenMarket
OpenMarket, a division of Amdocs, helps enterprises use mobile to transform their business. OpenMarket provides mobile engagement solutions for organizations to optimize their operations and enhance relationships with their customers and employees. Major enterprises choose OpenMarket for our domain expertise, service flexibility, demonstrated performance and reliability, global scale, and corporate maturity. We provide smart, interactive connectivity to more than 200 countries, enabling businesses to engage with nearly every mobile user around the world. Our clients trust us to power their mobile business. For more information, visit www.openmarket.com.
About Amdocs
For more than 30 years, Amdocs has ensured service providers' success and embraced their biggest challenges. To win in the connected world, service providers rely on Amdocs to simplify the customer experience, harness the data explosion, stay ahead with new services and improve operational efficiency. The global company uniquely combines a market-leading BSS, OSS and network control and optimization product portfolio with value-driven professional services and managed services operations. With revenue of $3.6 billion in fiscal 2014, Amdocs and its more than 22,000 employees serve customers in over 80 countries.
Amdocs: Embrace Challenge, Experience Success. For more information, visit Amdocs at www.amdocs.com.
Amdocs' Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Amdocs' growth and business results in future quarters. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations will not be material. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, Amdocs' ability to grow in the business markets that it serves, Amdocs' ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, adverse effects of market competition, rapid technological shifts that may render the Company's products and services obsolete, potential loss of a major customer, our ability to develop long-term relationships with our customers, and risks associated with operating businesses in the international market. Amdocs may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future; however, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These and other risks are discussed at greater length in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 filed on December 8, 2014 and our quarterly 6-K form furnished on February 9, 2015.
1 GSMA, "GSMA Announces New Global Research that Highlights Significant Growth Opportunity for the Mobile Industry," October 2012.
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