Research Analyst

Competitive salary, Slough, UK

CCS Insight is looking for a self-starting, motivated graduate with one or two years’ experience in the technology sector. An interest in mobile communications would be an advantage.

The successful candidate will become a key member of CCS Insight’s rapidly expanding team. The role will focus on supporting our existing activities tracking mobile phone manufacturers, network operators and retail and online distributors.

The person in this role will be expected to liaise with clients to ensure they have a full understanding of the research tools/products offered by CCS Insight. Duties will include training, support and feeding back information to our team of analysts to improve existing products and to create new ones.

The successful candidate will also work with the team to compile and analyse the latest market information. Results will be delivered in regular reports and on CCS Insight’s Web site. In addition, this person will support our analysts in delivering other research products and projects.

The role requires a good team player with excellent writing, numeracy and presentation skills. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint would be advantageous.

The position is based in our Slough office, but will involve regular travel in the UK.

To apply, please e-mail your CV to Michael Walker or send by post to CCS Insight, Westport House, 29 Park Avenue, Solihull B91 3EJ

No agencies.

Ben Wood, CCS Insight’s director of research, was included in the Power 50 list in recognition of his position as “arguably the number one commentator in the handset space”. His enthusiasm and dedication clearly impressed the judges, who also highlighted his collection of over 800 mobile phones.

Our managing director, Shaun Collins, gained a place in the Power 50 for his work in building a team of analysts that “is saying the right things to the industry and people are listening to what it is saying.” Shaun was commended for his accurate predictions and his bold stance in challenging network operators to change.

These two latest awards confirm that CCS Insight’s team of directors, researchers and managers produce some of the most authoritative, timely and insightful analysis of the global telecom market. The company goes from strength to strength, with a growing roster of analysts and services. Mobile Magazine cites CCS Insight as “one of the fastest growing telecom analysts in the world”, and we look forward to announcing further expansion — and perhaps some more awards — later in the year.

As a result of this growth, the directors decided it was also time to expand the board. As the wireless communications industry evolves and embraces new technologies, we wanted an individual who would spearhead our move into these new sectors.

I’m pleased to announce that we have appointed Martin Garner to the board, effective immediately.

Martin joined CCS Insight last year. He’s a well-known figure in the mobile industry, having served as director of wireless at Ovum, where he built up the practice, and then establishing the Wireless Intelligence joint venture with the GSM Association. He has built a strong reputation within the mobile industry, and is recognised for his incisive opinions and insightful research. At CCS Insight, Martin focuses on Internet services and experiences.

I’m certain you’ll join me in offering Martin congratulations on his appointment.

Michael Walker, Chairman

February 9th, 2010 — A survey published today by CCS Insight reveals that while a significant proportion of young Europeans now access the Internet from their mobile phones on a frequent, often daily, basis, most of them ignore the services offered by mobile phone companies in favour of more-familiar names from the Web. While the research suggests ways for network operators and phone-makers to maximise uptake of the mobile Internet, results indicate many of these opportunities are being overlooked.

Key findings of the survey include:

Martin Garner, Director of Mobile Internet at CCS Insight and one of the report’s authors, said: "Our survey reveals the true picture of mobile Internet usage among young consumers in Europe’s top five markets. It shows that as smartphones become more affordable, people are using them to access the sites they know and love on their PCs. Mobile network operators and handset manufacturers are losing the battle to define the mobile Internet experience, despite the huge sums they’re pouring into sites that compete with the familiar Web names." On the eve of the industry’s biggest gathering in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, CCS Insight’s report highlights some key lessons still to be learned.

While the survey shows that over 60 percent of mobile Internet users in Europe’s five largest markets prefer to ignore specifically tailored portals from mobile operators, it does reveal that mobile phones have a role to play in other current consumer trends. For example, in Italy, over 40 percent of young people who expressed an interest in e-newspapers said they would only read them on their phone. This finding and data from other countries in the survey suggest that despite excitement around the launch of several e-book readers, the mobile phone is still the device of choice for many consumers accessing multimedia content.

The report also found that although many young people are reluctant to pay for music or video downloads on mobile phones, 39 percent do pay for mobile games, and a further 19 percent of respondents would be willing to. Combined with the popularity of social networking sites for mobile Internet users, this suggests a big opportunity to drive mobile Internet traffic through popular social gaming applications.

In contrast to the general reluctance to access networks’ mobile Internet portals, over half of all mobile Internet users surveyed said they access Facebook on their phone and 10 percent access Twitter. The most popular mobile Internet application is e-mail with 61 percent of young mobile Internet users in Europe’s top five markets accessing e-mail on the move.

Paolo Pescatore, Director of Operator Strategy at CCS Insight and co-author of the report, commented: "Despite the warnings for the mobile industry, the opportunities are there. Network operators, phone-makers and media companies need to focus less on what they want to sell and more on what consumers want to access on their mobile phones. The alternative will be to sit back and watch the large Web brands continue to define the future of the mobile Internet."

The CCS Insight report, Mobile Internet Usage in Europe, 2009 by Martin Garner and Paolo Pescatore, is available for purchase here.

Notes to Editors

CCS Insight

CCS Insight is a top mobile industry analyst firm. The company provides a blend of timely and authoritative market information, analysis and intelligence for companies around the world who are focused on the wireless and mobile sector.

CCS Insight has a global team of expert analysts, with offices in the US and Europe. It has earned a reputation for unparalleled knowledge and understanding of the communications market, and an ability to synthesise information and predict market movements and developments. For more information, visit www.ccsinsight.com

Mobile Internet Usage in Europe, 2009

The survey was conducted among a sample of 5,000 mobile phone owners aged 16 to 35 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The field work was completed in December 2009.

For media enquiries please contact:
Gareth Williams, Harvard PR
gareth.williams (at) harvard.co.uk
T: +44 7554114882

The report highlights the spectacular growth that mobile broadband will experience in these markets, as well as reviewing the current state of tariffs and allowances.

Each chapter in the report provides a country-level overview of the mobile landscape, examines the proportion of revenue derived by operators from non-voice services, predicts mobile broadband subscribers and revenue, and analyses key mobile broadband tariffs.

Total subscribers to mobile broadband services in Europe’s five largest markets will rise from about 22 million at the end of 2009 to over 43 million by 2011. Growth in the number of subscribers will be tempered by falling average spending. Nevertheless, operators will reap substantial rewards: total revenue from mobile broadband access in the five major markets will rise from less than €6 billion in 2009 to more than €11 billion in 2011 (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Mobile Broadband Revenue, Europe, 2007-2011

As mobile broadband access grows, operators will find their network capacity stretched. They will find further investment in infrastructure harder to justify as average spending declines, although the influx of new users will boost total revenues. As capacity comes under pressure, some operators may be forced to offer bundled Wi-Fi access, unloading some of the traffic onto other networks. Operators with fixed-line assets will be well placed as traffic increases, and some, such as Telefonica in Spain, already offer inclusive Wi-Fi access.

There is currently no consistency in mobile broadband access across Europe’s five major markets. Subscribers in the UK enjoy some of the lowest average prices per gigabyte, thanks in part to fierce competition between the country’s five network operators, while those in France pay on average twice as much as their UK counterparts (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Key Mobile Broadband Tariffs and Averages, Europe, 4Q09

Most of Europe has adopted volume-based pricing, with operators charging a flat fee for mobile broadband access up to a predefined limit. However, policies vary once that limit is reached. In Germany, most operators throttle network speeds (often to 50 Kbps); in the UK, some operators charge for excess data; others appear to have no strict limits.

In Italy, most mobile broadband tariffs are time-based, charging for access by the hour or by the day. Data limits are effectively set by network speeds, making direct comparisons difficult. We expect operators in Italy will fall in line with the rest of Europe from 2010, introducing more flat-rate tariffs with volume-based limits.

In some markets, challenger networks are driving mobile broadband access forward. In the UK, 3 has set its sights on providing users with an experience based on data, rather than just talk and text. Its mobile broadband prices are among the most competitive in Europe. In other markets, challenger brands with limited network coverage are focussing on more modest offerings or providing a bare minimum of services. For example, Bouygues in France and Yoigo in Spain advertise a single mobile broadband tariff each.

Competition — or lack of it — will have a huge impact on the adoption of mobile broadband services. France needs a fourth operator to stimulate its moribund market; the UK’s high rate of adoption is a product of fierce rivalry between the country’s five networks; and in Germany, the dominance of T-Mobile and Vodafone has seen competition spring up beyond traditional channels, with mobile broadband available from food retailers, coffee shops and pharmacies.

Prepaid services are still nascent in some markets, and the variable nature of the cost of a prepaid account makes comparisons difficult. However, as prepaid mobile broadband access grows across Europe, we anticipate that future editions of this report will cover prepaid accounts.

For information or for a PDF summary of the report, please contact CCS Insight on +44 (0)8450 574223 or e-mail info@ccsinsight.com

This reflects the growing importance of Web companies and their services in the mobile sector — an area where we are increasingly being asked to support our clients in Europe and the US.

Martin is a well-known figure in the mobile industry. He was Director of Wireless at Ovum and one of the firm’s most senior analysts, where he built up the wireless practice and went on to establish the Wireless Intelligence joint venture with the GSM Association. During this time he built a strong reputation within the mobile industry and became a prominent commentator, recognised for his incisive opinions and insightful research.

After leaving Ovum he established Commvine, a consultancy practice focused on Internet services and experiences. The skills Martin developed building this business are a perfect fit with CCS Insight’s vision of future research directions, making him an ideal addition to the team.

At CCS Insight Martin will continue his focus on these areas. We plan to launch several new products on mobile Web services and leading research on mobile Internet related topics.

Martin’s appointment coincides with additional expansion at CCS Insight. Despite the broader economic environment, we continue to gain clients in Europe and the US. North American growth has been supported by the office we established in Boston, Massachusetts at the start of 2009 following the recruitment of John Jackson in 2008.

Expansion in Europe has seen the recruitment of a further three team members.

Lulu Young joins CCS Insight as an Associate. She leads our Pricing research, leading the management and development of the CCS Insight Pricing Portal and the soon-to-be-launched Prepay Portal. Lulu has a wide range of industry experience having worked in Motorola’s Global Strategy team, at Vodafone’s group and UK operations and with 3.

We have also appointed Robert Poynter as an Associate to focus on the UK mobile retail market. Bob previously worked with Nortel, Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel Lucent), Vodafone and BT.

In addition, Digantam Gurung has joined as a Research Analyst. Dig will support our Pricing research activity as well as focusing on other Web-related activities.

We hope you join with us in congratulating these new team members as the growth at CCS Insight continues.

13 October 2009

CCS Insight is proud to announce that Digantam Gurung has joined the company in the role of research analyst.

Dig previously researched voice technology in Germany for a consultancy company, including interactive voice response systems for call centres, voice biometrics and voice-activated applications for mobile devices. Prior to that, he worked as a business and political journalist in Nepal, writing for the Nepali Times, and Boss and Vow magazines. At CCS Insight his responsibilities include price analysis, and handling CCS Insight’s media enquiries and Web-related activities.

Key coverage areas:

The report provides answers to the following questions:

Figure 1. Frequently Accessed Mobile Internet Sites by Users’ Phone Brand

Figure 2. Frequency of Mobile Internet Access by Users’ Network Operator

The cost of this report is £2,995. This includes copies of the report in electronic and bound formats, and a half-day workshop offering detailed analysis of the results and a PowerPoint presentation tailored to your area of focus (for example, mobile device manufacturer, media company or network operator). The report can also be purchased separately.

For information please contact CCS Insight on +44 (0)8450 574223 or e-mail info@ccsinsight.com

Below are sample pages and the report’s table of contents and table of figures.

Table of Contents

Table of Figures

• Figure 1. Respondents’ gender and age
• Figure 2. Respondents by region
• Figure 3. Contract type by age
• Figure 4. Contract type by gender
• Figure 5. Frequency of mobile Internet access
• Figure 6. Frequency of mobile Internet access by age
• Figure 7. Frequency of mobile Internet access by gender
• Figure 8. On- and off-portal mobile Internet browsing
• Figure 9. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites
• Figure 10. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites by age
• Figure 11. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites by gender
• Figure 12. Frequently visited mobile social network sites
• Figure 13. Method of payment for mobile Internet access
• Figure 14. Method of payment for mobile Internet access by gender
• Figure 15. Payment per month for flat-rate mobile Internet access
• Figure 16. Payment per month for pay-per-use mobile Internet access
• Figure 17. Respondents that purchase mobile music by age
• Figure 18. Sources of paid-for mobile music
• Figure 19. Purchase methods for mobile music by age
• Figure 20. Downloads of free music among mobile Internet users by age
• Figure 21. Potential sources of paid-for music among non-buyers by age
• Figure 22. Potential payment method for music among non-buyers by age
• Figure 23. Respondents that watch mobile video by gender
• Figure 24. Free and paid-for video usage among mobile video watchers
• Figure 25. Sources of paid-for mobile video
• Figure 26. Purchase methods for mobile video by age
• Figure 27. Potential sources of paid-for video among non-buyers
• Figure 28. Potential payment method for video among non-buyers by age
• Figure 29. Frequency of games purchase
• Figure 30. Level of interest in purchasing games among non-buyers
• Figure 31. Phone brand by age
• Figure 32. Phone brand by gender
• Figure 33. Frequency of mobile Internet access by phone brand
• Figure 34. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites by phone brand 1/3
• Figure 35. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites by phone brand 2/3
• Figure 36. Frequently visited mobile Internet sites by phone brand 3/3
• Figure 37 Contract type by phone brand
• Figure 38. Respondents by mobile network operator
• Figure 39. Respondents’ mobile network operator by age
• Figure 40. Respondents’ mobile network operator by gender
• Figure 41. Mobile network operator by contract type
• Figure 42. Frequency of mobile Internet access by mobile network operator
• Figure 43. Which service would you most like to see on your phone?

]]> http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?feed=rss2&p=15 http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=14 http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=14#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:52:36 +0000 tombyrd http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=14 We’d like to draw your attention to the CCS Insight Pricing Portal, which can be found at http://pricing.ccsinsight.com

We’ve updated the portal with several exciting new features. One of the most important new capabilities is a colour-coded device comparison tool that we’ve called the “traffic light”. This feature allows you to instantly compare products according to their specification and price, and visually assess where one product is better (green), the same (amber) or worse (red). To experience the traffic light comparison tool, log on to the Pricing Portal and perform a detailed comparison of up to six phones.

If you currently subscribe to our pricing service, we would be delighted to provide a face-to-face or online demonstration of the new features.

The Pricing Portal is continuously updated with the latest price data. It includes a database of over 800 phones with prices dating back to 2004. Detailed information on each device is available, with up to 40 different features included in the specification of each product.

The service also features a comprehensive search function, making it possible to access the data by feature, price, date and manufacturer.

Eligible subscribers can access the Pricing Portal using their CCS Insight Hotline account username and password.

For more information, contact info@ccsinsight.com

]]> http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?feed=rss2&p=14 http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=13 http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=13#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:54:04 +0000 robertcaunt http://www.ccsinsight.com/company-news/?p=13 The mobile phone industry faces a tough year ahead. The number of new phones sold will fall for the first time since 2001; some big names may disappear in the next 12 months, while others are in good shape to prosper during a downturn.

CCS Insight has drawn up a list of predictions for next year. The top 10 are presented below.

1. Global sales of mobile phones will shrink in 2009.

   Global economic conditions will hit all players, from handset manufacturers and network operators to component suppliers, developers, distributors and retailers. Consolidation is highly likely, most noticeably in handset manufacturing, chipset supply, distribution and retailing. We predict Nokia’s unrivalled advantages in distribution, economies of scale and supply chain efficiency will take its global market share beyond 40 percent in 2009. By 2010, Samsung will have increased its market share above 20 percent.

2. Sales of phones in emerging markets will buck the recession in 2009.

   India, sub-Saharan Africa and China still have low penetration rates. In the long term, growing sales of replacement phones will provide opportunities for phone makers without the scale to compete with Nokia and Chinese manufacturers in entry-level segments. These segments will see greater competition and falling prices in 2009 as Nokia’s keen pricing of ultra-low-end devices such as the 1202 puts more pressure on the likes of Huawei and ZTE.

3. Most European networks will make mobile broadband their top priority in 2009.

   The smaller networks will use mobile broadband to attract users to their voice and text tariffs. We expect to see further development of prepaid mobile broadband. The demand for mobile broadband will prompt many operators to extend their range of laptops and netbooks.

4. Every operator in Western Europe will offer an “unlimited” tariff by the end of 2009.

   More and more people will expect their phone tariff to include “unlimited everything” — voice, data and text. So-called unlimited plans will be complemented by other tariffs with large bundles of voice minutes, text messages and data allowances, enough to give people the impression they have unlimited access.

5. Mobile advertising will fail to live up to the hype.

   By the end of 2009, annual mobile advertising revenue in Western Europe will amount to €236 million, with mobile search and off-portal advertising representing the largest proportion of this sum. Advertising agencies are still learning about the opportunities to engage with consumers on this powerful medium. For advertisers, the mobile medium provides a much more effective and targeted way to reach people than traditional media, such as TV and print.

6. At least 20 Android phones will be announced in 2009 and five global network operators will declare support for the platform.

   The Open Handset Alliance and its Android platform will gather significant momentum, mounting a major challenge to other licensable mobile software platforms.

7. Mobile TV still won’t take off in 2009.

   Although more than 3 million people in Western Europe will own a mobile phone that can receive a broadcast signal, usage will be limited, especially beyond major sporting events, news stories and reality shows. Adoption will be driven by people’s desire to own the latest fashionable phone and by attractive flat-rate bundles, rather than a focus on mobile TV content.

8. The megapixel arms race will see 10- and 12-megapixel cameras appear in 2009.

   Consumers will still equate more megapixels with better image quality. We expect camera phones with up to 12-megapixel sensors to appear in 2009; flagship phones will feature 15-megapixel devices by 2010.

9. In 2009, phone manufacturers will engage in “gigabyte wars”.

   Gigabytes will join megapixels as a measure that consumers will use to assess the performance of a mobile phone. The low cost of memory will make it possible to have tens of gigabytes of memory on high-end phones. This memory will be used to store the huge selection of content (user created, side-loaded and downloaded over the air) that will become available.

10. Four manufacturers will launch “green” phones in 2009.

    Environmental initiatives will be a key theme at Mobile World Congress 2009 as phone makers flaunt their green credentials. However, consumers will remain largely unimpressed unless saving the planet means a lower price tag.

About CCS Insight

CCS Insight is a research and analysis company that specialises in the communications market. Since 1993, CCS Insight has helped mobile network operators, phone manufacturers and content providers understand the connected world. Further information is available on the company’s Web site at www.ccsinsight.com

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