The report found that the combined revenues from these services are expected to increase from $2.5bn in 2009 to nearly $5.5bn in 2013, driven by a array of factors including a greater variety of applications and content, all-inclusive data packages, consumer friendly UIs and an increase in handset storage capacity.

According to mobile music report author Dr Windsor Holden, “While some of the more traditional music services – most notably polyphonic ringtones and realtones – are in decline across many markets, we’re now seeing a surge in the adoption of more sophisticated offerings. Recent positive developments, such as Apple announcing that iPhone customers can use the 3G network to download full-tracks, will offer a further stimulus to growth.”

However, the Juniper report found that those music services launched using an ad-funded model face a potential shortfall in revenue followinga global reduction in advertising budgets: under the worst case scenario, it warned that adspend could reach just 50% of pre-downturn estimates.

Other findings from the report include:

• Ringback tone revenues will exceed those of ringtones by 2010 as service adoption increases outside Asia
• The Far East & China region will account for the largest share of mobile music revenues throughout the 2009-2013 forecast period, followed by Western Europe
• Aggregators must expand the depth and breadth of their portfolios beyond ringtones if they are to remain competitive

Mobile coupons are attractive to both consumers and vendors as they can be targeted at specific groups of customers and can be matched against particular interests and purchasing patterns, as opposed to the vanilla approach where “everybody gets every coupon” as in the traditional model.

Mobile Coupons Report author Howard Wilcox explained: “We believe that merchants will see targeted, quick one-to-one marketing campaigns via mobile coupons as a valuable marketing weapon. Considering that mobile coupons offer much better redemption rates and are more cost effective, they represent a win-win approach for innovative retailers.”

Other findings from the Juniper Research report:

• With in excess of 100m mobile phone users globally forecast to use mobile coupons in 2010, Juniper Research sees significant growth across the developed markets of North America, Western Europe, the Far East and China.
• As well as the key drivers, however, there are some significant hurdles, including the lack of suitable point of sale (POS) infrastructure at the supermarket checkout allowing for the quick and easy redemption of coupons, which is critical to the consumer shopping experience.

The runaway success of Apple’s App Store – reportedly 300 million applications were downloaded by iPhone users within five months of its launch – underscores the rapidity with which smartphones are being adopted by ordinary consumers, eager to build a complete multi-utility lifestyle tool rooted in the Web 2.0 culture. The App Store was not the first on the market, but its high visibility and ease of use has prompted players such as Nokia, RIM, and Google also to jump into the applications market.

According to smartphones report author Andrew Kitson: “As vendors increasingly open up the operating system software on their devices, so will the rate at which mobile handsets evolve into personalised Internet-centric mobile computers gather momentum. In this way, users are having an indirect impact on the way in which devices are changing their form and function as well as how they interact with their surroundings. Very soon, the majority of new phones will be smartphones.”

Other findings include:

• By 2013, annual smartphone sales will reach around 300 million
• Sales of smartphones will remain healthy during the recession as fewer mid-range devices compete for buyers’ attentions and pricing becomes more attractive, while consumers will come to believe that they will be getting more for their money by buying high-end devices
• Device vendors are seeing falling margins on handset sales and need to diversify into service provision with high-value content from which they and their network operator partners can profit

Report author Howard Wilcox gave more details: “Transactional or “push” mobile banking is being offered increasingly by banks via downloadable applications or the mobile web, complementing existing SMS messaging services for balance and simple information enquiries. Mobile banking is a key element in banks’ distribution channel strategies as they compete to attract and retain customers.”

The Juniper report highlighted the extra user convenience as a key benefit. The mobile phone is the device that people – especially Generation Y – will not leave home without. Mobile banking is an addition to the wide choice of applications and services that they can access through their handsets to make life easier, especially via smart phones such as the iPhone.

However the report identified several factors that will need addressing to really foster market development including financial regulations which vary from country to country, application slickness, and security. Whatever the reality of the strength of the security, it is the perception and image in the mind of the user that dictates whether they will trust the service.

The Juniper report found that the mobile payments market, which is today is dominated by purchases of digital goods such as ringtones, music, and games, will in future be driven by subscribers transferring money and using NFC features on their handsets to make purchases. This will drive the overall mobile payments market to grow by a factor of ten between now and 2013.

Report author Howard Wilcox explained: “We see significant opportunities for new services making it easier for the ‘underbanked’ population and migrant workers to make remittances, using their mobile phones as mobile wallets: the services already in operation are seeing rapid growth.” Wilcox added that mobile wallets will incorporate NFC which will enable people to use their mobile phones to pay for small value items such as refreshments and magazines.

The top 3 regions for this sector will be the Far East & China, Western Europe and North America). Together these will account for over 70% of mobile money payments on a gross transaction basis by 2013. However, there will be hurdles to be addressed for the market to reach its tipping point, including NFC handset availability, workable business models and financial legislation.

The report found that there is a significant opportunity for mobile money transfer service providers and vendors, for both national services between mobile users in a single country and internationally. The study explores how mobile money transfer will transform the ability of the ‘underbanked’ population and migrant workers to make remittances, using their mobile phones as mobile wallets.

Report author Howard Wilcox explained: “The vast increase in migrant workers globally has fuelled the number of remittances being sent home to friends and families regularly. The mobile phone will become a vital enabler in developing countries because often many more people have phones than have bank accounts. The GSM Association Mobile Money Transfer global initiative emphasises the importance that is attached to this across the mobile industry as a whole.”

The report says that mobile music will remain the largest single sector of the mobile entertainment industry over the next five years. Revenues from music will rise from nearly $9 billion in 2007 to $17.5 billion in 2012, bolstered by the increasing availability of full-track download and streamed services, the former in both paid-for and rental formats.

Likewise, mobile games will retain its second-ranking in terms of end-user generated revenues: boosted by rapid growth in mass market “casual” gaming, revenues are expected to rise from just under $5 billion in 2007 to nearly $16 billion in 2012.

Meanwhile, strong growth is also expected from mobile TV, with many developed (and some emerging) markets launching dedicated mobile broadcast networks within the forecast period. This, plus increased adoption of streamed TV bouquets, should see the market rise from $1.4 billion in 2007 to $11.9 billion in 2012.

According to report author Dr Windsor Holden, “With revenues from voice services declining and messaging revenues flatlining, last year finally saw a number of more sophisticated entertainment services begin to fulfil their potential and redress the balance. With more widespread penetration of 3G handsets – or entertainment-focused 2.5G handsets like the iPhone – there is likely to be a much greater surge in both the adoption and overall usage in rich media services.”

Other findings from the Juniper report include:

• Regulations and prohibitions will limit opportunities in the adult and gambling sectors, although Juniper Research envisages that restrictions on gambling services in the key US market will ease in the medium term
• China and the Far East will remain the largest regional market for mobile entertainment throughout the period covered by the report, with revenues rising from $8.5bn in 2007 to nearly $21.3bn by 2012
• Entertainment service adoption remains constrained by difficulties with the user interface, network speed and coverage and the excessive cost of data services

White papers and further details of the study ‘Mobile Entertainment Markets: Opportunities & Forecasts (Second edition) 2007-2012′ can be freely downloaded from http://www.juniperresearch.com

Ian Chard, panel judge and Analyst at Juniper Research says, “Supporting one-click transfer of digital content between mobile phones and 50+ social web destinations, geo-tagging, mobile-to-web messaging, and behavioural targeted advertising, ShoZu offers mobile network operators an established, all-round Mobile Web 2.0 on/off-deck turnkey platform. The average user is said to generate 20 network ‘events’ (i.e. content uploads/downloads) per month, with heavy users generating in excess of 100 events per month. This success demonstrates what can be achieved if users have the right tools available. ShoZu has partnered with Telecom Italia, Singapore’s StarHub and 3 (Austria and UK) under revenue-share agreements, while shipping as an embedded application on Motorola and Samsung handsets. By providing the mobile web equivalent of a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and catering to the needs of the prosumer, ShoZu is a deserving Gold winner this year.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

ShoZu is a mobile utility that enables users to connect to over 50 Web 2.0 sites – ranging from Facebook to YouTube, Flickr, Kodak EasyShare Gallery, Photobucket, Twitter, Google Blogger, WordPress and beyond – from a single interface. With ShoZu installed on the handset, smartphone, iPhone or BlackBerry, users can mass-publish any photo or video to multiple websites and/or email addresses with a single upload; send Twitters and update Facebook status from the same interface; have friends’ photos, comments and other posts delivered directly to the mobile device.

In the third report in its Mobile Payments Series, Juniper Research found that there is a significant opportunity for the providers and vendors of mobile money transfer services as the market takes off, beginning as soon as 2010. The study explores how mobile money transfer will transform the ability of the ‘underbanked’ population and migrant workers to make remittances, using their mobile phones as mobile wallets.

Report author Howard Wilcox provided some insight into this new market: “New services and trials are being announced almost every day. Judging from the response from users so far to services like M-PESA and SmartMoney, prospects for these services are excellent, both in developing and developed countries. For many people it has been costly and difficult for them to transfer money via existing services even to friends and family: using mobile phones solves the problem.”

Highlights from the report include:

• Global annual gross transaction value (including the remittance itself) will grow over 10 times between 2009 and 2013
• The opportunity for companies providing these new services is forecast to exceed $5bn by 2013. 
• The top 3 regions (W. Europe, Africa and Middle East and Far East & China) will represent over 60% of the global mobile money transfer gross transaction value by 2013.

The report provides six year regional forecasts of mobile money transfers and remittances, providing data on subscriber take-up, transaction sizes and volumes for both national (domestic) and international transactions. Crucially, the report identifies the incremental ARPU opportunity for mobile network operators, arising from these new services. The report also offers detailed case studies from companies pioneering in this market. Juniper Research interviewed 14 key vendors and operators active in this market.

Report author Howard Wilcox said: “NFC will achieve traction initially in developed countries and regions, with Japan already leading the way with FeliCa-enabled phones. North America, Western Europe and countries such as Korea, Singapore and Australia are likely to see service take-up.”

Highlights from the report include:

• Global annual gross transaction value will grow over 5 times between 2011 and 2013
• 2009 will see limited numbers of NFC devices shipped (except in the Far East & China region) but the market will begin to ramp up from 2010 onwards and by 2013 20%, or 1 in 5 phones shipped, will possess NFC capability.
• The top 3 regions (Far East & China, North America and W. Europe) will represent nearly 90% of the $75bn p.a. market (by gross transaction value) by 2013.

However, Howard Wilcox cautioned: ”While trial results so far have been encouraging, the industry as a whole will need to convince both consumers and merchants of the merits of yet another payment mechanism on top of cash, cheques, credit and debit cards, and to allay understandable (even if unfounded) fears and scepticism about the security of The Mobile Wallet.”