Internet2Go - An Opus Research Advisory Service

Internet2Go captures the emerging opportunities created when wireless, real-time communications and content delivery are aligned with location-targeted advertising and transactions. Search initiates relevant content discovery and mobility extends the Web-based experience into the dynamic need-it-now environment of wireless. Geo-targeting creates value for both advertisers and communities of users.

"Free access to a growing array of information about local businesses and services is the basis of a $4 billion business that is destined to double in the next five years."

Our Mission: Solid Foundation for Business Planning and Execution
Internet2Go is documenting and quantifying developments that define conversational access to local search, mobile advertising and promotions, enhanced directory assistance and social networks through mobile devices.

Our Focus: Usage and Spending Patterns by Mobile Subscribers and Local Advertisers

• Mobile is the new mass medium: At year end 2006, there were roughly 2.7 billion mobile phone subscribers around the world (with roughly 230 million in North America). That amounted to roughly 40% of the world's population. By 2010, the number of subscribers to wireless services will exceed 3 billion, approaching 45% of all the people in the world and most of the adult population.

• Search is the prevailing metaphor for interacting over the mobile Web: Finding nearby people, businesses and things to do make for the foundation for mobile commerce, spawning activity that generated $4 billion in 2006 and will approach $8 billion in 2010.

• Advertiser-supported models migrate from desktops to mobile: Popularization of "free" directory assistance (which is currently growing to cover all sorts of advertiser-supported search) is creating a better delivery infrastructure for relevant search results.

• Local enhancements and social networking are poised to revolutionize mobile search: As a result Mobile Search will supplant directory assistance as the prevailing modality for finding individuals and merchants with which to do business. In North America, for example, the 3.6 billion calls to directory assistance originating from mobile phones are ripe for delivery of targeted advertising and promotional messages.

• Goog411 is the first "crossover" service: The search giant's entry into automated local search signals a turning point for free DA. It can leverage existing infrastructure for geographic search, driving directions and advertising support.

• Voice and text play important near-term roles: Services from Google, Tellme/Microsoft and several others give their users a choice between automated speech, text and browser-based handling for local search and content search.

Our Perspective: Speak and Ye Shall Buy
The mobile Internet is on the cusp of a major growth spurt as a growing number of wireless subscribers use mobile devices to learn: "Where am I?, Who's nearby? and What is there to do?" Meaningful revenues (and profits) will flow from building business models and revenue drivers and by tackling many of potential areas of concerns and objections, surrounding security, privacy, usability and utility. Local and national businesses are aware of the value of delivering targeted advertising and promotional messages to ready buyers. Opus Research, through Internet2Go, proposes to play the important role of raising awareness among wireless subscribers and advertisers alike and reinforce the value proposition underlying timely delivery of local search results to mobile subscribers.

For more information about I2G, please contact:
Pete Headrick
p | 415-904-7666
e | pheadrick@opusresearch.net