As a growing numbers of internet users now use their smartphones instead of PCs to get on the web, media companies are studying how prone people are to pay for content when they are on the go, according to Reuters.

The report points to the success of app stores – online shops for wireless phone applications like fitness aids and dictation software – that sell their services for low costs but have gained billions from overall sales.

"Media companies longing to bring a paid-for culture to the internet might just get what they want if they pay more attention to the smartphone revolution that is changing the way people access the web," says Reuters analyst Georgina Prodhan. "They need consumers to rethink their presumption that web content must be free in order to fund the creation of high-quality news and entertainment."

The report cites research by Gartner that predicts the market will grow to $6.8 billion in 2010.

Another study by Gartner says that total sales of smartphones will triple to 491.9 million units in 2012 from 139.3 million in 2008, while the PC market will stay steady, expanding from 290.8 million units to 443.1 in this period.

This entry was posted by Mobility Management News Desk on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 4:34 pm and is filed under Managing Mobile Devices News, Mobile Strategy and Policy News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.

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