The document summarizes key findings from a survey on mobile internet usage in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Some of the main points are: - Mobile internet usage has risen dramatically in all three countries between 2011-2012, with 58% of German respondents, 71% of Austrian respondents, and 76% of Swiss respondents reporting using mobile devices to access the internet. - Smartphones are the most popular mobile device for internet access, used by 50% of German respondents, 62% of Austrian respondents, and 67% of Swiss respondents. Tablet and netbook use is also growing. - Younger people are more likely to use mobile internet, but usage is growing among older age groups as well, showing

1. Mobile Web
Watch 2012
Special Edition:
Germany, Austria,
Switzerland
Mobile Internetspawning new growth
opportunities in the
convergence era

2. Contents
Executive Summary
3
Usage Behavior
6
Drivers of Usage
12
Challenges 16
Opportunities 20
About the Survey
24
Conclusion 26

3. Executive Summary
Mobile devices are rapidly becoming the primary medium to access the
Internet across all age groups in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In
a world brimming with smarter smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and
other affordable Web-enabled mobile devices, and powered by better
network coverage, faster broadband connections, Wi-Fi networks,
and the explosive growth of mobile apps, the demand for ubiquitous
availability of Internet is only getting stronger.
As the excitement around every new version of a smartphone or
tablet gathers momentum, more and more people in Germany
alone, for example, there are 30 million mobile Internet users.
Unlike in 2008, when the first Accenture survey was conducted
to assess mobile Internet usage, German users are no longer
ambiguous about connecting to the Internet on the go, nor are
they deterred by the cost of data connection. The fifth edition
of the Mobile Web Watch confirms that mobile Internet usage,
which first started gaining significant momentum in the 2009
survey, continues to be on an upward trajectory in delete gap
between 2012. Respondents in Germany, for example, are
accessing the Internet on their smartphones, tablets and netbooks
not just for e-mails but also to buy products, compare prices,
monitor the weather, download videos, and keep up with news.
Indeed, there has been a dramatic jump in mobile Internet usage
with users nearly doubling since 2011.
Significantly, this trend of increasing mobile Internet usage is
taking place simultaneously with the growing use of stationary
devices such as personal computer, TV and gaming consoles to
access the Internet. The boundaries between devices are clearly
blurring in this multi-device and multi-platform environment.
The survey results for Germany, Austria and Switzerland mirror
the findings in ten other countries from Europe, Latin America
and South Africa—the countries that have been included for the
first time in the Mobile Web Watch survey. The major highlight
of the survey is that mobile Internet usage is on the rise across
mature and emerging markets, and also across age groups.
Indeed, it has now reached the stage when market players across
communications, media and technology should look forward to
business opportunities and the operational efficiencies of a mass
market. That is, if they are prepared for it.
Mobile Web Watch, 2012, brings to the fore five key trends in the
digital consumer’s behavior that have implications not only for
players in telecommunications, media and technology, but also for
those in industries such as retail and automotive, and in utilities.
A key finding of the survey is that a majority of Internet users
connected to the Internet with a mobile device in the past year,
with smartphones emerging as the most popular mobile Internet
access medium. In fact, activities or transactions on mobile
Internet have become so much a part of daily life that those who
don’t own a mobile Web-enabled device intend to buy one soon.
The survey identifies usability and mobile apps as the primary
drivers of mobile Internet use, with a higher proportion of users
having downloaded programs and apps on their mobile devices in
the past year.
Consumers are now more willing than ever before to pay for
premium services. The survey also identifies mobile payments
as a significant growth avenue with growing use and awareness
of these services. The opportunity in augmented reality services
is huge with half the mobile Internet users surveyed expressing
interest or planning to use these services in the future. In fact, a
large segment is even willing to pay for cloud services.
A key driver of mobile Internet usage has been significant
improvements in network quality and coverage over the years—
the user’s primary criterion in selecting a service provider. The
survey highlights how consumers are increasingly looking for
superior Internet experiences on their mobile devices, similar
to what they are used to on their computer or television. While
on-the-go online services, such as news, traffic and travel
information, and banking are of the highest importance to mobile
Internet users, concerns about data security persist, especially
for those using or considering the use of cloud services. With
users expressing annoyance with online advertising, marketing
companies will need to focus on more targeted advertising.
In the following pages, we explore the findings for Germany,
Austria and Switzerland in greater detail and discuss the
implications they may have for companies looking at seizing the
opportunity arising out of the growing use of mobile Internet in
this region.
3

4. • 58%, 71%, 76% of respondents in Germany, Austria and Switzerland respectively,
connected to the Internet through a mobile device.
• 50% of participants in Germany connected to the Internet through a smartphone as
compared with 62% and 67% of the survey respondents in Austria and Switzerland,
respectively.
• There is growing use of netbooks and tablets for mobile Internet: 28% in Germany and
around 35% in Austria and Switzerland did so through a netbook; tablets are more popular
in Switzerland (26%) for mobile Internet use than in Germany and Austria (17% and 16%).
• 59% of men in Germany compared to 58% of women used mobile Internet; in Austria it was
76% of men vs. 66% of women; Switzerland (80% vs. 72%).
• 48% used mobile Internet for personal matters compared with 15% for work-related
matters; Austria (59% vs. 22%); Switzerland (64% vs. 26%).
• 38% of those above 50 among the respondents in Germany use mobile Internet vs. 84% of
those in the age group 14 to 29. (Austria: 53% vs. 88%; Switzerland: 55% vs. 91%).
• 58% of respondents in Germany (Austria: 59%, Switzerland: 55%) accessed online
communities such as Facebook.
• 50% of respondents in Germany (Austria: 50%, Switzerland: 38%) conducted a banking
transaction using their mobile device.
• 67% respondents in Germany and Austria (Switzerland: 78%) downloaded programs or apps
on their mobile device.
• 47% of respondents in Germany downloaded or viewed short videos (less than five minutes);
(Austria: 57%, Switzerland: 55%).
• 74% of respondents have concerns over data
security (Austria: 66%, Switzerland: 68%).
• 72% are interested in cloud consumer
services (Austria: 71%, Switzerland: 65%).
• 86% are interested in premium technical
services (Austria: 88%, Switzerland: 80%).
• 36% accessed the Internet through a TV
and 25% through a gaming console
(Austria: 35%, Switzerland: 43%).
4

5. Core Findings for Germany, Austria and Switzerland
• Growing use of mobile Internet
Mobile Internet usage is rising across countries. For example, in
Germany alone, there are 30 million users of mobile Internet-a
dramatic rise from 28 percent in the 2011 survey to 58 percent
in 2012 survey. (Austria: 71 percent in 2012; Switzerland: 76
percent).
• Narrowing gender gap
Germany has bridged the gender gap use with 59 percent of
men accessing mobile Internet compared with 58 percent of
women, with 59 percent of men accessing mobile Internet as
compared wirh 58 percent women. In the previous survey, only
17 percent of women accessed the Internet through mobile
devices as against 37 percent of men. In Austria, the gender
differences are wider at 76 percent vs. 66 percent. The gap is
also narrowing in Switzerland (80 percent vs. 72 percent).
• More personal than work-related use
48 percent of the respondents in Germany (Austria: 59 percent,
Switzerland: 64 percent) accessing the Web on a smartphone
did so for personal matters against 15 percent (Austria: 22
percent, Switzerland: 26 percent) for work-related matters.
• Finally the world is always on
85 percent use their mobile device to access the Internet once a
day or more. Of those accessing online communities, Twitter or
mobile blogging, over 80 percent do so more than once a week.
• Gen X showing growing appetite for mobile over Internet
A little over 80 percent of those in 14-29 age bracket accessed
the Internet on a mobile device, but at least 38 percent of those
above the age of 50 were also involved in such activities in
Germany; Austria (53 percent vs. 88 percent), Switzerland (55
percent vs. 91 percent).
• There is an app for everything
A majority of mobile Internet users in Germany (58 percent),
Austria (59 percent) and Switzerland (55 percent) used their
mobile device to access online communities such as Facebook.
However, these numbers were below the total survey average
of 62 percent. In the case of mobile banking, the usage in
Germany (50 percent) was higher than the average of 46
percent of all respondents in the survey. Marginally fewer users
in Germany and Austria (67 percent) downloaded programs or
apps on their mobile device compared to 71 percent across all
the surveyed countries.
• Videos on mobile grabbing eyeballs
47 percent of the users in Germany, 57 percent in Austria and
55 percent in Switzerland downloaded or viewed short videos
of less than five minutes as against the survey average of 57
percent.
• Quality is king
Quality of the network and coverage are the most important
criteria in choosing a network provider for access to the
Internet over a mobile device while cost of data is ranked the
fourth-most important factor, behind connection speed.
• Data security concerns impede mass adoption
More mobile Internet users in Germany (74 percent) than in
other countries (70 percent) are concerned about data security.
The comparable data for Austria and Switzerland is 66 percent
and 68 percent, respectively. Data costs are a concern for only
10 percent of the German users as compared to 23 percent
of the global survey average. Even fewer users (5 percent) in
Austria cite data costs as higher than expected.
• Opportunity to monetize new services
86 percent of respondents in Germany, 88 percent in Austria
and 80 percent in Switzerland are interested in premium
technical services; 72 percent (Germany), 71 percent (Austria)
and 65 percent (Switzerland) are interested in cloud services.
Half the respondents in Germany, for example, are even willing
to pay up to €10 for premium services.
5

6. Usage Behavior
6

7. Internet through mobile devices
poised to outpace access from
stationary devices?
In Germany, the percentage of respondents using the Internet
on the go has risen dramatically from 28 percent in the 2011
survey to the current level of 58 percent. Also, the popularity
of mobile Internet has also grown dramatically in Austria and
Switzerland, where 71 percent of the respondents (versus 42
percent in 2011) and 76 percent (versus 44 percent in 2011),
respectively, used mobile devices to connect to the Internet.
This upward trend is in line with the results of the other
countries in the survey. An average of 69 percent of Internet
users connected to the Web with a mobile device in the past
12 months. Among non mobile Internet users, 40 percent
expressed interested in buying a Web-enabled mobile device
in the future, providing greater evidence than before that the
mobile Internet is close to becoming a mass market.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Like in most other countries in the survey, smartphones are
the most preferred mobile devices for Internet access in
Germany (50 percent), Austria (62 percent) and Switzerland
(67 percent). The use of tablets is also on the rise among
mobile devices. In Germany, for example, 17 percent of the
respondents said they access the Internet through tablets—a
sharp jump from 3 percent in 2011. But more people in
Switzerland are likely to be using a tablet for Internet access
(26 percent) than in the other two countries. Netbooks
too are popular with 28 percent of the survey participants
in Germany (34 percent and 35 percent in Austria and
Switzerland, respectively) having connected to the Internet
through this device.
10
The lure of the mobile Internet is so strong that its use
extends to older generations too. In Germany, for example,
27 percent of those above 50 years used the Internet on the
go as compared to only 15 percent in 2011. And, as expected,
the youth are the greatest users of mobile Internet with 80
percent of the participants in the age group of 14 to 39 years.
In Austria and Switzerland, 83 percent and 92 percent of the
respondents, respectively, aged 14 to 39 years were mobile
Internet users; and at least 40 percent of those above 50
years accessed the Web through their mobile devices.
Globally too, the mobile Internet attracts a good mixture of
both the young and the old. Of the 61 percent of respondents
who used smartphones for accessing the Internet, more than
70 percent were in the younger age group (between 14 and
39 years). Interestingly, more than half of those above the age
of 50 used their smartphones for Internet-related activities.
While the overall upward trend is evident across all the
countries that were surveyed, the emerging markets of Brazil,
South Africa and Russia showed the highest adoption of
smartphones (above 70 percent on average) for Internet use.
This is in line with developments in other emerging markets
such as India. These countries, with a dearth of fixed lines,
have been witnessing a hypergrowth mobile phone revolution
for some years now, fuelled in part, by declining costs—both
of devices and subscription rates—and a growing wealthy
middle class. The widespread lack of personal computers,
relatively more expensive than mobile phones, meant that for
many people, the mobile phone would be the first entry into
the Internet world.
Mobile devices used in the past 12 months to access the Internet
Multiselect
50%
Smartphone
28%
34%
35%
17%
16%
26%
Netbook
Tablet
36%
35%
43%
25%
25%
26%
Gaming console
58% of respondents
(Germany) have used
mobile devices to access
the Web in the last 12
months
91%
94%
93%
Computer/Laptop
TV
62%
67%
92% of respondents
in Germany (Austria:
95%, Switzerland:
94%) have used
stationary devices
to access the Web
in the last 12 months
• Smartphones are the most
popular mobile access method
to the Internet with 50% of
respondents in Germany using
smartphones versus 28% for
netbooks and 17% for tablets.
• Age is a differentiating factor with
82% of those aged 14-29 accessing
the Internet on a mobile device
versus only 27% for people above
50 (Germany).
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: Germany (n=1,615); Austria (n=789); Switzerland (n=560); Excluded don't know answer
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Figure 1a. Internet users connecting to the Web through mobile devices.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
7

8. Strong demand for Web-enabled
mobile devices
The plethora of Web-enabled mobile devices available
clearly shows growing demand. While the average for all the
countries was 46 percent (respondents claiming their intent
to buy such a device soon), it was around 35 percent for
Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Even those who don’t own
a Web-enabled phone have tried to use the Internet through
a mobile device at least once (45 percent in Germany as
compared to the average of 60 percent for all countries) or
plan to do in the near future (22 percent versus 45 percent
average of all countries).
While smartphones are the dominant mobile devices for
Internet access, the rising popularity of netbooks and tablets
shows that the digital consumer seeks an array of features
while connecting to the Internet, anywhere, anytime. Indeed,
their increasing use across countries and across demographics
highlights the unprecedented computing power in the hands
of the hyper-connected consumer. In Germany, for example,
there has been an upsurge in the number of people using
these devices—jumping up from only 3 percent using tablets
in the 2011 survey to 17 percent in 2012.
The emerging markets lead in terms of future demand too.
For example, more respondents in the emerging markets
than in mature markets, expressed their intention to buy
8
a Web-enabled mobile phone in the near future (Brazil 78
percent, Russia 73 percent, Mexico 61 percent, South Africa
57 percent versus an average of 46 percent for all countries
versus 38 percent in Germany).
This segmentation of the market by device category
revealed by the survey has implications for not only device
manufacturers but also for players in the communications,
media and technology value chain, such as communication
service providers, device manufacturers, content providers,
communications operators, Internet security companies and
Internet advertisers.
Increasing consumerization of IT at
workplace
According to the survey results for Germany, there is a
reversal in the trend of using smartphones for professional
purposes: 15 percent of the people accessing the Web on a
smartphone did so for work-related matters versus 48 percent
for personal activities. In the 2011 survey, those doing
work-related activities on smartphones totaled 56 percent
as compared to 25 percent for personal work. This finding
reflects the fact that until recently smartphone was driven
by business use on account of high costs. However, in a mass
consumer market, the usage pattern has reversed.

9. The survey shows that the proportion of professional work
done on other mobile devices such as tablets was higher than
that on smartphones. However, our experience with clients
suggests there is an underlying trend that reveals a blurring
of personal and work-related activities on mobile devices
as the mobile Internet becomes a mass consumer market.
People are using their personal devices increasingly in workrelated environments. This trend in consumerization of IT has
implications for enterprise IT. Companies are already working
towards allowing consumer devices for work-related activities
to lower costs, increase productivity and improve employee
engagement, creating a mixed device environment where
private and social data from native and Web apps reside
alongside mission-critical enterprise data.
Additionally, the survey shows that of those accessing the
Internet a large proportion of them (average of 85 percent
across the surveyed countries and around 80 percent in
Germany), do so at least once a day. The frequency of use
only reflects the fact that the mobile or digital consumer now
has a choice of activities that can be conducted on a mobile
phone other than just making phone calls and texting.
Gender differences in mobile
Internet usage are blurring
The gender differences in the usage pattern continues
to be the same as in previous Accenture surveys (which
were limited to three countries—Austria, Switzerland
and Germany) with more men (73 percent) than women
(66 percent) using mobile Internet but there is evidence
that the gap is narrowing. For example, in Germany, the
differences have nearly disappeared, with 59 percent of the
men surveyed accessing the Web through mobile devices
against 58 percent women compared with 37 percent and
17 percent, respectively in 2011. There are, of course, some
countries such as Finland and Austria where the gender bias
is significantly wide. However, results from Ireland, where
the reverse situation exists with 78 percent of women and
76 percent of men using mobile Internet, also suggest mobile
Internet use may eventually follow the overall demographic
gender profile of the country in time.
Men are still using mobile Internet more frequently than women
Mobile devices used in the past 12 months to access the Internet
(e-mails, apps, news, downloads)
% who used a mobile device to access the Internet
Male
Female
82%
78%
79%
77%
80%
78%
77%
76%
76%
75% 76%
75%
73%
72%
71%
70%
70%
68%
66%
66%
62%
48%
South
Africa Switzerland Brazil
Mexico
Spain
Austria
Ireland
Italy
AVG
Russia
65%
63% 64%
53%
59%
58%
United
Finland Kingdom France Germany
Base: All respondents
(n=17,225; Excluded, no answer)
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
8
Figure 1b. Gender differences in mobile Internet access are narrowing.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
9

10. Growing use of mobile Internet for
e-mail, phone or video calls and
social media
Receiving and sending e-mails continues to be the most
pervasive use of the Internet on mobile devices in Germany
with 65 percent (Austria: 69 percent, Switzerland: 73
percent) using an e-mail program installed on their mobile
device, while 58 percent used the website of an e-mail
provider (Austria: 57 percent, Switzerland 59 percent). This
falls marginally lower than the average for all countries –70
percent and 62 percent, respectively.
Phone or video calls via the Internet ranks as another popular
activity among mobile device users in Germany (67 percent
of the users indicated this service as “quite and extremely
important”). However, a host of other activities such as
messaging through social media, blogging and tweeting,
and watching videos are also on the rise; 58 percent of
the respondents in Germany said they access social media
platforms and online communities through a mobile device,
and 50 percent use instant messaging apps. The data for
Austria and Switzerland are similar to that of Germany.
Germany ranks below the all-country average for these online
services with Mexico and South Africa as the top users of
these services, especially instant messaging (84 percent and
80 percent, respectively), and blogging and tweeting (40
percent and 39 percent, respectively). Following closely are
respondents in Brazil (73 percent) and Spain (70 percent).
10
The frequency of these activities is also trending upwards in
all countries. The survey results for Germany show that of
those into mobile blogging or accessing online communities
or Twitter, over 80 percent did so more than once a week with
younger people more active than older people: 90 percent
of those aged 14-19 compared to 82 percent of those in the
above 50 age bracket. This trend of using mobile devices to
access social media and online communities provides the key
to understanding consumer behavior. Increasingly, mobile
phone manufacturers now focus on providing user-friendly
features or embedded platforms for such activities.

11. Sending or receiving e-mails is still the most popular activity but others, such as
accessing online communities, blogging and banking, are catching up quickly
Activities carried out on mobile Internet devices
65%
69%
73%
Received and sent e-mails through
a mail program installed on the mobile device
58%
57%
59%
Received and sent e-mails via the
website of an e-mail provider
50%
42%
54%
Used instant messaging
(AOL, Yahoo, Skype, Windows Instant
Messenger, G Talk, Whatsapp, BBM)
50%
50%
38%
Managed banking transactions
Mobile blogging and tweeting
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
• In Germany 58% used their mobile
device to access online communities
such as Facebook, 50% for
instant messaging, while 17%
used it for tweeting and blogging.
Mobile banking growth is also
evident with 50% using a
mobile device to conduct a
banking transaction.
58%
59%
55%
Accessed online communities/platforms
(MySpace, StudiVZ, Facebook, Xing, Tuenti)
• Sending or receiving e-mail is the most
popular activity among German mobile
Internet users with 65% using
their mobile device.
17%
15%
16%
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Base: All respondents using a mobile device to access the Internet (Germany n=895; Austria n=509; Switzerland n=399; both personal and work-related)
Figure 1c: Accessing online communities, blogging and mobile payments on the rise.
Base: n=11,884 (global sample size); both personal and work-related
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
11

12. Drivers of Mobile
Internet Usage
12

13. Mobile apps accelerating Internet
use
The survey identifies mobile apps as one of the primary
drivers of mobile Internet use. As a gateway to the Internet,
mobile apps are extremely convenient. Information apps, such
as train schedules and weather news, are the most popular
app download in Germany (81 percent), Austria (84 percent)
and Switzerland (90 percent).
47 percent of the mobile Internet users surveyed in
Germany (Austria: 57 percent, Switzerland: 55 percent) have
downloaded or viewed short videos (of less than five minutes),
checked weather information, retrieved travel information or
read the news on their mobiles.
The survey confirms that apps are the most popular among
the youth with a higher proportion of those aged 14-29 years,
in Germany for example, downloading apps (76 percent in the
14-19 age group and 82 percent in the 20-29 age bracket)
and 61 percent in the 14-19 age group and 43 percent in the
20-29 age bracket, downloading music. A marginally higher
share of men download programs or apps (69 percent) as
compared to women (65 percent).
The survey’s findings, highlighting the explosive growth
in consumer demand for communication, entertainment,
commercial and social networking activities over the Internet
implies significant and continued investment in infrastructure
upgrades by communication service providers will be
required to keep up with customer needs. Planning for this
investment in a systematic way is critical to ensure adequate
finance is available. Additionally, it needs to be done as part
of an overall strategy capitalizing on the potential revenue
opportunities available to providers by offering new and
additional services through this medium.
Which of the following programs or apps have you downloaded
from the Internet on your smartphone/tablet/netbook?
81%
84%
90%
Information apps
(train schedules, weather news)
58%
63%
66%
Entertainment apps
(single or group games)
55%
50%
55%
Apps for arranging leisure activities
(events, contacts with friends)
47%
45%
51%
Educational apps
(language-learning programs, reference works)
40%
36%
35%
Organizational apps
(financial spreadsheets, voice recorder
training, planning, nutrition guide)
Apps that help manage your money
(household, bookkeeping, budget calculator)
Fitness and health apps
(training, nutrition guide)
33%
26%
20%
36%
29%
25%
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Switzerland
Germany
Austria
Base: All respondents who download apps for any use (Germany n=625, Austria n=370, Switzerland n=328, both personal)
Figure 2a. Mobile apps fuelling Internet use through mobile devices.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
13

14. Choice of operating systems and
usability adding to demand
The availability of different operating systems (OS) is also
fuelling the growth of mobile Internet. When it comes to
devices, 85 percent of all the survey participants said that the
OS was the most important factor in selecting a smartphone
or tablet.
The OS is a crucial factor as consumers want easy access to
services they consider important such as communications,
traffic and travel information, banking and access to social
networks.
The most preferred OS in Germany is Android (46 percent),
followed by iOS (26 percent) and Microsoft Windows (20
percent). However, in Switzerland, the iOS is more popular
than Android (44 percent versus 34 percent).
Which of the following is your preferred operating system?
50%
46%
44%
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
34%
26% 27%
20%
15% 15%
3%
Android
iOS (Apple)
Microsoft
Windows
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: Respondents using a smartphone or tablet who see operating system
as 'somewhat/very important'
(Germany n=613, Austria n= 342, Switzerland n=316)
Figure 2b. Operating system is crucial in smartphone
and tablet selection.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
14
4%
3%
Symbian (Nokia)
2% 2%
3%
RIM (Blackberry)
2% 2% 1%
Bada (Samsung)

15. Blurring device boundaries: Using the Internet via TV and gaming consoles
in Germany
Going beyond drawing the attention of communications, media and technology players toward the growing popularity
and use of mobile Internet, the Mobile Web Watch Survey 2012 also presents interesting findings around multi-device
usage. Ushering in a second stage of evolution with Internet content relocating to multiple devices and platforms,
a remarkably high—92 percent of the respondents in Germany (Austria 95 percent, Switzerland 94 percent)—have
used stationary devices such as personal computer, television (TV) or gaming console—to access the Web in the last
12 months. The survey reveals 36 percent of these respondents accessed the Internet through TV, a significant share
considering that the uptake of “smart or connected TV” has been more pronounced only in the last couple of years.
Around a quarter of the respondents have watched movies, TV shows or longer video clips (more than five minutes) over
the Internet on TV.
Another device class that has emerged as an entry platform for consumers’ Internet activities is the gaming console with
25 percent of respondents in Germany and Austria (Switzerland 26 percent) using these for accessing the Internet. Not
surprisingly, the highest penetration of gaming consoles is in the younger age group (44 percent among those between
14 and 19 years) but those in the 30-39 age bracket (38 percent) are also using the Internet via consoles.
With the boundaries of devices becoming increasingly blurred, these findings undoubtedly signal a new leap in
convergence that calls for market players to shape their service offerings to maximize the “connected world” experience
of consumers—both at home and on the go.
15

16. Challenges
Data concerns persist, especially
over cloud services
One of the biggest obstacles to a faster adoption of the
Internet on mobile devices first detected in the 2008 survey
was the concerns over data security. This has extended
to the use of cloud services too. The consumer wants a
secure environment—74 percent of the mobile Internet users
surveyed in Germany, 66 percent in Austria and 68 percent in
Switzerland, were worried about the security of their data. In
the case of those using or considering using cloud services,
these concerns ranged from losing personal data, hacking of
personal data to viruses harming mobile devices (Germany: 82
percent, Austria: 83 percent, Switzerland: 74 percent).
16
This finding highlights a significant opportunity for cloud
service providers to work with network service providers to
meet the data security needs of the digital consumer through
adapted tariff plans and appropriate privacy policies.
Additionally, companies across the communications, media
and technology value chain will need to take note of a finding
that reiterates the annoyance factor associated with online
advertising. A higher share of the mobile Internet users—who
most often come across ad banners and coupons on tablets
and advertising through texting on smartphones—find these
services annoying. This again brings to light the growing
struggle of advertising and marketing companies in finding
innovative ways of getting their messages across. Service
providers and content developers will need to explore
opportunities to collaborate with marketing and advertising
companies to overcome this barrier.

17. Network quality is critical–consumers Cost of mobile Internet access as per
are looking for ubiquitous coverage
expectations
Consumers want ubiquitous coverage—a network that follows
them everywhere and provides compelling usage experience
anywhere. The survey results for Germany, Austria and
Switzerland show that the subscriber’s primary criterion
in selecting a service provider is the coverage—around 86
percent of the respondents voted for coverage and an almost
equal number chose network quality as the basis for network
selection. This was closely followed by connection speed
(81 percent). This was true across emerging markets too.
In countries such as Mexico, Brazil and South Africa, more
than 90 percent of the survey participants cited network
quality as the most important basis on which they chose their
network provider for mobile Internet access. The network
quality criterion was at the top of the list, which along with
connection speed and cost of data connection, included other
factors such as quality of customer service, device subsidy,
contract period, devices on offer and content from the
service provider, and special offers.
While the subscriber’s primary criterion in selecting a service
provider is the quality of network, the cost of data connection
falls just outside the top three network selection criteria,
possibly because such costs have stabilized. However, it is still an
important criterion for 81 percent of the respondents in Germany
(Austria 85 percent and Switzerland 77 percent). Interestingly,
while a majority (69 percent) of the survey participants in the
three countries felt the monthly cost of mobile Internet access
was within their expectations, only 5 to 8 percent considered it to
be high in Germany and Austria (and a significantly larger number
(16 percent) in Switzerland thought it expensive). The findings
for Germany and Austria are different from those of the other
countries, where a quarter of respondents felt costs to be higher
than expected.
The importance of all these criteria (which more than half
of the respondents find crucial to their decision on network
selection) implies that network providers will need to pay
special attention to two basic things: constantly upgrading
their network and offering innovative subscription packages.
Significant investments in upgrading network quality and
coverage would indeed be a critical driver in driving mobile
Internet usage.
Additionally, companies across the communications, media and
technology value chain will need to take note of a finding that
reiterates the annoyance factor associated with online advertising.
While a little more than half the respondents in Switzerland found
ad banners annoying, 38 percent of the respondents in Germany
and 47 percent in Austria were rather disinclined towards ad
banners. An equal number of people in all three countries also
found advertising through texting annoying. However, mobile
phone owners felt more favorable towards advertising on special
offers and promotions. In Germany, for example, more than 50
percent of the participants categorized text messages about
promotions and special offers as informative with only 7 percent
finding such ads annoying. Interestingly, over 20 percent actually
found these ads amusing.
Ad banners and advertising through
texting considered to be annoying
What are the main concerns you have about consumer cloud services?
Multiselect
52%
45%
I am concerned that my personal data
(documents, phone numbers, e-mails)
could be lost
36%
46%
I am worried that other people
would access my data
without my knowledge
I am worried that viruses
and malicious programs
could harm my mobile devices
I am not worried about using
consumer cloud services
55%
49%
28%
27%
25%
18%
17%
26%
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: All respondents interested in cloud/data storage services
(Germany n=364, Austria n=194, Switzerland n=165)
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Figure 3a. Data security is a concern, especially in consumer cloud services.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
17

18. Coverage and quality of network are the most important criteria in
choosing a network provider for access to the Internet on a mobile device
Most important criteria in the choice of a network provider for mobile
Internet access
29%
Austria 86%
54%
Switzerland 83%
37%
48%
Germany 85%
37%
48%
Austria 85%
38%
47%
Switzerland 85%
31%
50%
Germany 81%
31%
50%
Austria 81%
41%
Connection speed
Germany 86%
57%
29%
Quality of network
57%
29%
Coverage
41%
27%
54%
Germany 81%
61%
Austria 85%
30%
27%
29%
24%
28%
Switzerland 62%
Germany 55%
Austria 53%
25%
33%
28%
25%
Austria 52%
27%
24%
Switzerland 46%
22%
26%
Switzerland 61%
Germany 44%
21%
23%
Contract period
Austria 60%
31%
31%
The device subsidy
Germany 61%
31%
31%
Past experience with
the provider
Switzerland 77%
47%
34%
Quality of customer service
Germany 51%
25%
23%
21%
Austria 44%
25%
Devices on offer from
the network providers
18%
Switzerland 43%
15%
23%
21%
25%
24%
Content available from
the network provider
20%
15%
19%
Special offers
16%
16%
Germany 38%
Austria 46%
Switzerland 40%
Germany 36%
11% Austria 26%
18%
24%
18%
23%
15%
23%
17%
Switzerland 37%
Germany 42%
Austria 38%
Switzerland 40%
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: All able to choose their personal and work-related network providers
(Germany n=1015, Austria n=558, Switzerland n=433)
Figure 3b. Consumers want good network
quality and coverage.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
18
Extremely important
Switzerland 82%
24%
Cost of data connection
Very important
• Coverage and quality
of network were the most
important criteria in choosing a
network provider for Internet
access through a mobile device
• For 86% in Germany and Austria
(Switzerland: 83%) coverage
was the most important criterion
• 85% of the respondents in Germany,
Austria and Switzerland said quality
of network was either very important
or extremely important
• Connection speed was the next
most important criterion,
followed by cost

19. How do you view these advertising messages?
38%
Ad banners
(n=6,444)
31%
47%
17%
30%
53%
(n=4,679)
Text messages or displays on
special offers or promotions
at a store near you
(n=4,179)
32%
45%
21%
37%
16%
30%
7%
20%
10%
Annoying
13%
Austria
8% Switzerland
22%
17%
42%
50%
Austria
Switzerland
24%
44%
Germany
26%
46%
Indifferent
Germany
21%
53%
59%
Switzerland
23%
31%
Austria
22%
24%
Germany
22%
21%
17%
25%
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
12%
34%
19%
8%
11% Germany
17%
22%
Information on special offers 7% 17%
and promotions sent to your mobile phone 10% 9%
(n=2,131)
10%
27%
Coupons
(n=4,184)
22%
25%
57%
23%
9% Austria
10% 8% Switzerland
28%
35%
Advertising through texting
14% Germany
14%
Austria
21%
Informative
Switzerland
Amusing
Base: All respondents encountering advertising messages
Figure 3c. Mobile Internet users find ad banners and advertising through texting annoying.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
Which statement about the monthly costs of accessing the Internet
through your smartphone/tablet/netbook do you most agree with?
My monthly cost is...
10%
5%
17%
More than expected
73%
What is expected
72%
Less than expected
18%
21%
Germany
Austria
62%
21%
Switzerland
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: All respondents using a mobile device to access the internet (Germany n= 934, Austria n= 553, Switzerland n= 421)
Figure 3d. Monthly costs of accessing the Internet considered to be higher than expected.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
19

20. Opportunities
20

21. Mobile payments—a growth engine
Telecom players, payment gateway companies and enterprises
need to note the growth potential in mobile payments. While
only 11 percent of smartphone and tablet users in Germany
(Austria: 13 percent, Switzerland: 10 percent) are currently
using mobile payment services, 84 percent are aware of such
services and an additional 28 percent indicated they would be
interested or plan to use mobile payment apps. Indeed, mobile
banking (m-banking) features quite high among the favored
mobile Internet activities.
The survey shows that 50 percent of the respondents have
used their mobile device for banking transactions. Banks
are also increasingly adding the mobile platform to their
mix of distribution channels to meet the growing demand
for mobility. Not surprisingly, marketplace estimates put the
number of m-banking users globally at 500 million by 2010.
Are you making mobile payments on your smartphone/tablet?
Awareness
Usage
Unaware
84%
85%
16%
Germany
15%
13%
27%
62%
Aware
11%
26%
60%
62%
Germany
Currently using
Austria
Switzerland
10%
28%
Interested
or planning to use
Do not use/not
interested in using
Austria / Switzerland
Source: Mobile payments—growing awareness and use.
Figure 4a.Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
© Base: All respondents using smartphone or tablet to access the Internet
2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
(n=10,815)
Augmented reality
Improved navigation features, lower data costs and availability
of a range of apps are convincing digital consumers about the
value addition of using mobile Internet. New and developing
areas such as Near Field Communications and augmented
reality services are set to push mobile Internet usage to a
whole new level altogether. While only 10 percent of mobile
device owners are also using augmented reality services in
Germany (Austria: 8 percent, Switzerland: 13 percent) more
than half of the respondents are aware of these services and
close to 40 percent are interested in using them.
This is in line with the survey results in other countries,
with 17 percent of the smartphone and tablet users using
augmented reality services and a further 50 percent
indicating they would be interested or plan to use such
services soon. Overall, 23 percent of the respondents in
emerging markets are using augmented reality services
against 14 percent in mature markets. The intended adoption
in the next 12 months will further widen this gap, with 26
percent of the respondents in emerging markets saying they
plan to use these services against 20 percent in mature
markets.
21

22. Cloud services
Willingness to pay for premium
services
A majority of the mobile Internet users (57 percent) are aware
of cloud and data storage services and are currently using
or are planning to use these services (34 percent), according
to the survey results for Germany (Austria: 54 percent,
Switzerland: 65 percent). Moreover, 72 percent of respondents
in Germany (Austria: 71 percent, Switzerland: 65 percent) who
are interested in consumer cloud services are willing to pay
for these.
While augmented reality services are yet to take off in a big
way, one of the survey findings could have implications for
the pricing strategies of mobile service operators (MSO). Well
over 80 percent of the respondents in Germany, Austria and
Switzerland are willing to pay for premium services and nearly
a quarter are willing to pay €10–20 for premium services.
As expected, there is higher awareness of consumer cloud
services among the younger generation: 63 percent of those
below 30 in Germany, for example, are aware of them, and
close to half of them are either using these services or are
planning to do so in the near future. Surprisingly, 48 percent
of those above 50 are also aware of cloud services and 16
percent are either using them or planning to do so.
Awareness of cloud services is marginally higher in emerging
markets (64 percent) than in mature markets (57 percent); the
adoption rate is also expected to be far higher in emerging
countries with half of the respondents saying they are
either using or intend to use these services in the future, as
compared to 33 percent in mature markets.
For which of these services do you use mobile payments through
your smartphone/tablet?
Multiselect
63%
Buying tickets for events
(concerts, cinema, theatre)
54%
54%
66%
51%
Buying train, flight tickets
63%
46%
29%
Buying clothes or shoes
17%
33%
31%
Buying other consumer goods
18%
Buying food or groceries
(n=1,682)
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
24%
9%
18%
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Base: All respondents using mobile payment on their mobile device (Germany n= 92, Austria n=66, Switzerland n=41)
Figure 4b. Mobile Internet users are willing to pay for premium services.
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
22

23. Rising tablet usage
The growing popularity of tablets to access the Internet,
especially among the youth, is opening up new growth
avenues for businesses. The survey shows that tablets are
used across all age groups, but attracts the highest usage
among those in the age group 14-39. Thirty-three percent of
the tablet users in Germany, for example, access the Internet
at least once a day and about 31 percent of them do so
several times a day (Austria: 37/21 percent, Switzerland 27/32
percent). A significantly large percentage of the respondents
who own tablets (83 percent) in Germany say the most
important Internet activity involved buying products, such as
books from Amazon, online. This was followed by comparing
prices (71 percent). Other Internet activities include reading
news and checking travel and weather information.
Across other countries in the survey, a majority of the
respondents (66 percent) say that their Internet activities
revolved around downloading and viewing short videos which
run for less than five minutes while 52 percent watched
movies, TV shows or longer video clips (more than five
minutes). Other significant activities are checking prices (61
percent) and weather information or forecasts (59 percent),
reading news (58 percent) and obtaining travel directions.
How often do you normally
use Internet services?
33%
37%
Access the Internet using
tablet (at least once a day)
Access the Internet using
tablet (several times a day)
Germany
Austria
27%
31%
21%
32%
Switzerland
Source: Mobile Web Watch Survey, 2012
Base: All respondents using a tablet accessing the Internet
(Germany n= 934, Austria n=553, Germany n= 421)
Figure 5. Frequency of mobile users accessing the Internet using a tablet
© 2012 Accenture. All rights reserved.
23

24. About the Survey
24

25. The fifth edition of the Accenture Mobile Web Watch survey
extends beyond the three countries (Austria, Switzerland
and Germany) of the previous two surveys to include 10
more countries: Brazil, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Mexico,
Russia, South Africa, Spain and the UK. The 15-minute online
survey, covering 17,225 respondents, was conducted in native
languages with a sample representative of Internet users
across age, gender (51 percent men and 49 percent women),
and incomes.
The survey explored the use of smartphones, tablets,
netbooks, personal computers, television and gaming consoles
to access the Internet; frequency of mobile Internet usage;
range of activities on the Internet; use of social media,
online platforms and online services on mobile devices;
brand preferences for devices and operating systems;
the consumer’s criteria for network selection, ability and
willingness to pay for premium services; and the barriers to
the adoption of mobile Internet.
# Interviews by country
Age
Austria
Brazil
Finland
France
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Mexico
Russia
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
14-19 years
20-29 years
30-39 years
40-49 years
More than 50 years
Total
789
1,624
1,085
1,615
1,615
785
1,616
1,611
1,637
1,058
1,615
560
1,615
10%
24%
21%
18%
27%
17,225
25

26. Conclusion
Mobile Internet is Mass Market in Germany
The upswing continues: After a brief downturn in 2009 and 2010, growth in the market for the mobile
Internet rose sharply from 2011 to the present and has achieved mass-market penetration in Germany.
% of Market
Penetration
Mobile Phones only
50% in Germany
Market
Entry
Mass Market
Capability
“Early
Adopters”
Market
Mobile phones, tablets, notebooks
58% in Germany
Mass Market
Penetration
Mass Market
Efficiency
“Bring followers
on board”
“Handle
Customer Portfolio”
Ideal course
Typical course
Real and projected
course
Customer
58%
50%
28%
13%
18%
17%
2008
2009
2010
Figure 6. Accenture Analytics
26
2011
2012
This shows the
development of mobile
Internet usage via mobile
phones from 2008 - 2012
in Germany
In 2012 in Germany, the
use of the mobile Internet
via mobile phones, tablets
and notebooks was 58
percent

27. The Accenture Mobile Watch Survey, 2012, again underscores
the need for companies in the mobile Internet business to
focus on the basics first as the mobile Internet mass market
becomes a reality. For communications service providers
(CSPs), that would mean a greater emphasis on building their
network and more bandwidth, and on investing to ensure
better coverage and quality of service. As mobile Internet
usage rises (in Germany alone, there are 30 million mobile
Internet users), these improvements in infrastructure can
help the CSPs build enduring relationships with customers
and stay ahead of the competition in this intensely dynamic
environment. These improvements in infrastructure can
help them in building enduring relationships with customers
and staying ahead in this intensely dynamic environment.
The hyper-connected consumer—with unprecedented levels
of computing power thanks to innovative devices such as
smartphones and tablets—is an active participant in the
market and not just a passive recipient of services.
The trend of multi-device Web access that the survey
highlights presents a real opportunity for communications,
media and technology companies to outperform the
competition through differentiated, multi-device and
multi-platform offerings. The possibilities associated with a
“connected world” have already been demonstrated through
the growing uptake of connected homes and over-the-top
TV services. Broadcasters, technology companies and service
providers need to brace themselves for a new generation of
Web users looking for increased interoperability, multi-device
and multi-platform support, and superior experience.
In this connected world that includes the network and
services (Internet, entertainment, video and gaming), CSPs
are taking on the role of enablers. To outperform as enablers,
CSPs will need to get smarter about their customers and
the way they market to them. Companies that have been
successful in this role are differentiating by leveraging
analytics to process the vast amounts of data that the
consumer generates while using the Internet.
Additionally, as CSPs need to upgrade their infrastructure
continuously to keep pace with customers demands as well as
their data security concerns, a focus on maximizing costefficiency (whether through outsourcing of customer service
or billing or through back-end integration) could help these
companies balance costs as well as service levels.
As communications, media and technology players try
to monetize the opportunities in the mobile Internet
era (whether in the area of mobile payments, banking
transactions, augmented reality services, cloud services
or apps for tablets and smartphones), collaboration and
innovation will anchor and sustain the new ecosystem.
Collaboration with other service operators on networksharing strategies could well be the key to balance
consumers’ demand for quality with the inevitable high cost
of infrastructure investments.
With the massive capital investments that will be needed
to keep up with the increasing bandwidth, speed and
quality demands, collaboration among all operators in the
value chain will help in bringing innovative services to
the market. Building collaboration tools, IT and common
industry platforms to incubate and test new ideas could add
significant value to offerings and quickly add capabilities
that the operators currently lack. This will lead to new
alliances and business models, efficient back-office and
business processes as companies build faster go-to-market
strategies and a strong focus on innovation to stay ahead of
the competition. As mobile Internet approaches mass market
stage, the various players in the ecosystem—from mobile
service providers to content generators—will be compelled
to explore avenues for innovation in providing end-to-end
services.
This business imperative for change and innovation is also
applicable to other industries such as retail or banking where
the hyper-connected consumer’s behavior and needs are
already transforming operating models and IT infrastructure.
Such organizations are making use of mobile and cloud-based
customer relationship management technologies to keep
pace with the demand for new and improved capabilities
as consumers increasingly use smartphones and tablets for
online commercial transactions.
27

28. About Accenture
Contact Us:
Accenture is a global management
consulting, technology services and
outsourcing company, with more than
257,000 people serving clients in more
than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled
experience, comprehensive capabilities
across all industries and business functions,
and extensive research on the world’s
most successful companies, Accenture
collaborates with clients to help them
become high-performance businesses and
governments. The company generated net
revenues of US$27.9 billion for the fiscal
year ended Aug. 31, 2012. Its home page is
www.accenture.com.
Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Mohr
Managing Director
Comms, High Tech, Media & Entertainment.
nikolaus.mohr@accenture.com
Brian Berg
Manager
Communications, Media and Technology
brian.berg@accenture.com
Jens Derksen
Manager Public Relations
jens.derksen@accenture.com
Sabine Kopp
Manager Marketing
sabine.kopp@accenture.com
Copyright © 2012 Accenture
All rights reserved.
Accenture, its logo, and
High Performance Delivered
are trademarks of Accenture.