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New study shows mobile dating has international text-appeal says SmartTrust and Landmat

6/2/2004

New study shows mobile dating has international text-appeal says SmartTrust and Landmat
Date:
28 April, 2003
New 12-month study by Landmat finds that users over the age of 30 are the most profitable and loyal users of mobile dating services, delivering up to 80% growth in ARPU.
Mobile dating applications are proving to be amongst the most profitable data services for mobile operators says SmartTrust and application developer Landmat. A recent study by Landmat into operators that have deployed its DateTrak application has shown ARPU increases of up to 80% as a result of the huge numbers of subscribers actively texting their possible love matches. The application, which allows users to anonymously search for, and text, compatible partners across mobile networks, has already been deployed across the world with several operators.

Landmat, who launched the first version of the DateTrak application 2001, actively monitored service usage across two European and one Asian operator for a period of 12 months. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the company discovered that despite the majority of users being under 25, more than 50% of revenue comes from users over 25 years of age, with those over 30 representing the most profitable user group.

“Users over the age of 30 generate up to x4 more APRU than 15-20 year olds. The majority of data services offered by operators are traditionally targeted at the youth market so this study is a perfect example of how, with the right application, revenue from data can be found across all age groups,” explains Eythor Arnalds, director of strategic relations at Landmat. “Initially the results took us by surprise, but we soon realised that whilst the dating application is multi-generational, the over 30's are simply more frequent users. In fact, 28.4% of all users used the service over 100 times in the 12-month period. This figure represents an extremely high level of repeat usage.”

SmartTrust, whose Delivery Platform (DP) solution offers a complete infrastructure for operators looking to deploy and manage mobile services, worked closely with Indian operator Bharti Airtel on the launch of its mobile services portfolio – which included Landmat´s DateTrak (branded Trak-Ur-Mate in India).

SmartTrust DP enables the delivery of such services over multiple data channels, including SMS, MMS and WAP on existing GSM, GPRS and future networks. The platform can also be used to integrate location-based functionality.

“Our infrastructure technology has helped Bharti Airtel launch a series of revenue-generating services, ranging from travel information and news to sports results,” says Tim Barber, Vice President of Global Sales, SmartTrust. “However, it is the mobile dating application that has been the most popular, and the most profitable. As a direct result of its entire service portfolio, the operator saw a 500% rise in data traffic, much of this came from the dating service alone. Where Landmat´s DateTrak has been deployed it repeatedly generates over 40% of the total value added services revenues.”

Study findings (summary)
• Take-up of service over a 12-month period On average, nearly 8% of all operators' customers try DateTrak within the first year of launch
• Age? The majority of users (40%) between 20-25. +30 age group account for 16.5% of all users.
• Most valuable customers? The +30 age group (16.5% of all users) account for 30% of the revenue. 15-20 year olds account for 11.9% of revenue
• Sex? 78% male / 22% female
• Repeat Usage? 58% of users used the service more than 20 times during the study period. 28.4% used the service over 100 times.
Source: Landmat International 2003. Research based on two Scandinavian and one Asian operator. Duration: 12 months (2002-2003)

About SmartTrust
SmartTrust is a leading provider of infrastructure solutions designed to provide mobile subscribers with easy to use and secure personalized services. Using SmartTrust's solutions, mobile operators are able to mange and optimize both handsets and GSM/3G (U)SIM cards to deploy revenue-generating Value Added Services (VAS). Operators that have implemented SmartTrust's solutions have significantly reduced churn and increased ARPU.

More than 85 SmartTrust systems have been deployed with leading operators around the world. Customers include Vodafone UK, Vodafone D2, Telenor, SONOFON, Cosmote, MTN, Cingular Wireless, China Mobile, Airtel/Bharti Cellular, Virgin Mobile, M1 and Satelindo. The SmartTrust CertifiedTM Partner Program includes all major SIM vendors that have licensed its technology for implementation within their cards. Over 120 million WIB-enabled SIM cards are now in circulation with SIM vendor partnerships covering 95% of the SIM card industry.

The company is headquartered in Sweden with a regional presence in Finland, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Malaysia, India, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States. Additional information and news on SmartTrust can be found at smarttrust.com.

About Landmat
Landmat develops applications and services for the Mobile Internet. Landmat meets the mobile space application demand by offering advanced applications and brand name content designed for the mobile lifestyle. The applications are built for delivery across multiple delivery platforms. The Landmat applications have proven business models and are ready to generate revenues today. Landmat customers include Vodafone, AT&T and SingTel. For more information on Landmat, visit: landmat.com