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Social networking by mobile tipped to soar
16.06.09
Social networking is likely to grow explosively over mobile networks, the industry's trade body said today.
Robert Conway, chief executive of the GSM Association which represents 750 mobile phone companies, said: "We are seeing the tip of an iceberg of usage of social networking via mobile."
He said smart phones and netbooks with internet connections had "led to an explosion of mobile social networking use". But he also warned that this growth would only partly counter a slowdown in other areas.
"There is going to be some contraction in overall revenue within the mobile industry" during the recession, Conway said. More attention is switching to emerging markets, where "we see the usage will continue to go up."
He added that the industry still needs to adopt a single platform to allow all customers to use the same services.
