M:Metrics Data Shows Solid Growth in Consumption of Mobile Content - with Games Taking the Lead; Measurement firm expands reporting of branded IM clients and reports AOL Instant Messenger tops market with 46 percent reach among IM users

Business Wire, April 11, 2005

SEATTLE -- The latest data from M:Metrics, the pioneer in measuring subscriber consumption of mobile content and applications, shows that consumers are increasingly using their mobile devices for mobile data services. The hottest category - mobile gaming - gained the most traction, growing more than 8 percent from last month's report.

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     US Mobile Subscriber Consumption of Content and Applications
               M:Metrics Benchmark Report: February 2005
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Activity                                   Projected Percent  Change
                                           Monthly            from
                                           Reach              Previous
                                           (000s)             Report
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Downloaded Mobile Game                        6,232     3.5%      8.2%
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Received Text Message Alert                  15,424     8.8%      5.7%
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Used Mobile Instant Messenger                15,438     8.8%      5.2%
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Sent Photo Message to Phone or Email         12,244     7.0%      3.9%
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Downloaded Ringtone                          23,097    13.1%      3.0%
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Accessed News and Information via Browser    22,628    12.9%      2.5%
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Sent or Received Text Message                65,680    37.3%      1.0%
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Source: M:Metrics, Inc., Copyright (C) 2005. Survey of US mobile
subscribers, quarter ending February 28, 2005, n=35,188.

"Consumers are taking advantage of the advanced capabilities of their new handsets," observed Mark Donovan, senior analyst and vice president, product, M:Metrics. "Our data showed a significant acceleration in the rate of handset replacement the last quarter. Apparently, the aggressive marketing of new BREW and Java devices and their ability to download content, send messages and send pictures, is paying off."

Additionally, the company is the first to report on the consumption of branded mobile instant messaging. AOL Instant Messaging held the top position, with 46% of mobile IM users using its service in February, followed by Yahoo Instant Messaging with 30%, and MSN Messenger with 21%.

M:Metrics' monthly Benchmark Report, which provides the most detailed and accurate data on the consumption of mobile content, the demographics of mobile media users and benchmarks for the performance of mobile operators in the US market, reveals that overall, the consumption of mobile content increased by 3 percent.

Beginning next month, M:Metrics will expand its Syndicated Measurement Service to include reporting of brand affinity for news and information sources and personal e-mail services. M:Metrics will also augment its measures of video consumption by distinguishing short video clips and longer-form video, including TV.

About M:Metrics

M:Metrics is the pioneer in measuring consumer consumption of mobile content and applications, benchmarking the performance of carriers, handset OEMs, platform vendors, media companies and others. M:Metrics monthly syndicated services empower senior executives in the mobile content and wireless applications sector to make better business, creative, and production decisions informed by highly granular and verifiably true measures of subscriber consumption. M:Metrics, Inc is a private, venture funded corporation headquartered in Seattle, Washington with offices in San Francisco, California.

About M:Metrics Data

Based on continually refreshed samples of nationally representative mobile phone consumers, M:Metrics reports summarize market size, device reach, and key demographic and mobile phone usage characteristics. The data presented here is drawn from an extensive survey questionnaire that collects specific device model and carrier subscription information from each month's sample of mobile phone subscribers, and also drills down into specific details related to current and past usage of various mobile phone applications and content. Data collected from each sample are statistically balanced and projected to the total national population of mobile phone subscribers.

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