UK on top in mobile mapping usage

19 April 2010, 11:34pm

Apr 19, 2010 - The UK has recorded the highest annual growth in the use of mobile mapping and direction services in Europe, according to research from comScore.

Use of these services grew by 86% over the last year to reach 5.7 million mobile map users in the UK, compared with growth of 68% for the whole of Europe. In the EU5 countries - the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy - there were more than 21 million mobile users by the end of February this year.

Italy, with 4.9 million mobile map users, ranked second to the UK in total usage but also recorded the lowest growth (53%) during the year. Germany ranked third with 3.9 million users, France fourth with 3.5 million, and Spain fifth with 3.1 million.

More than two-thirds of comScore's survey respondents who accessed maps through their mobile devices, or 68.2%, did so while in a car or other vehicle. More than one-third (35.3%) accessed the services while using public transportation, and just over one-quarter (27%) did so while walking, running or cycling.

Alistair Hill, a comScore senior analyst, commented: "The higher incidence of A-GPS usage in cars suggests that the superior speed and precision in these devices are being used for more than just identifying locations - they are being used as full in-car navigation systems."

He added that the growth of mobile mapping and direction services held out good promise for other location-aware services, including location-based advertising and mobile social networking.

Read the article at The Where Business

Geo: International