m.Net Corporation Director of Research Dr Marisa Maio Mackay was interviewed recently by Australian PC World magazine regarding the rising use of mobile applications and rich content in Australia following the latest report from the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association (AIMIA) on mobile phone usage.

The results of the recent Worldwide Wireless Data Survey ( November 2007) that m.Net runs together with the University of Adelaide found that almost all Australian respondents access the Internet on their personal computers on a daily basis, while just under half of the respondents (44%) used the Internet at home for more than two hours a day! But what does this mean for the future of mobile websites?

The mobile device has, unfortunately, been one of the more over-hyped and disappointing marketing channels of recent times. Thankfully the situation is changing and the greatest barriers to successfully marketing via this channel are being removed.

m.Net Corporation Chief Financial Officer Barry Porter was interviewed this month by Ian Dixon of DIXON Partnership Solutions. Some of Barry’s insights into m.Net, its history, and the importance of its partnerships are excerpted below.

Abstract: Mobile phone usage among young Australians continues to grow. However, newer and more innovative rich media mobile services such as personal ring back tones, mobile TV and location-based services have not yet diffused amongst Australian young consumers as rapidly as they did in countries such as Japan, South Korea, Norway and Italy. This paper aims to identify and understand the motivational factors that influence the purchase of mobile phone content among young Australian consumers using a qualitative methodology.