Mobile Mapping and Direction Services Post Strong Increases Across Europe

More than Two-Thirds of Mobile Map Users Accessed Service in a Car or Vehicle

LONDON, U.K., April 16, 2010 – Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the Comscore MobiLens survey, reporting a 68 percent increase in the use of mobile mapping and direction services across Europe in the last year. In February, more than 21 million mobile users age 13 or older in the EU5 countries (U.K., France, Germany, Spain and Italy) used their mobile handsets for navigation.

The highest growth among EU5 countries was seen in the UK market, with an 86 percent increase to 5.7 million mobile map users. Italy remains the second largest market for mobile mapping and direction services with 4.9 million users, but has experienced the least growth (53 percent) versus year ago. Germany ranked third with 3.9 million mobile map users, followed by France (3.5 million) and Spain (3.1 million).

Mobile Maps and Directions Users
3 Month Average Ending Feb. 2010 vs. 3 Month Average Ending Feb. 2009
Total EU5 (UK, DE, FR, ES and IT), Age 13+
Source: Comscore MobiLens

Mobile Maps Users (000)

Feb-2009

Feb-2010

% Change

EU5

12,530

21,099

68%

United Kingdom

3,070

5,700

86%

Germany

2,159

3,870

79%

Spain

1,830

3,132

71%

France

2,272

3,518

55%

Italy

3,198

4,879

53%

Among those who accessed maps via their mobile devices for the three month period ending February 2010, most (68.2 percent) accessed those services in a car or other vehicle. 35.3 percent of the total users accessed the services while using public transport; and 27 percent did so while walking, running or cycling. Mobile subscribers using handsets with advanced positioning technology, known as assisted GPS (A-GPS), are more than 8 percentage points more likely (71.7 percent) to use maps in a vehicle than those without (63.9 percent). The largest difference can be seen among those who use map and direction services on public transport, with 41.5 percent of A-GPS users have accessed the services compared to 28 percent of non A-GPS users.

Mobile Maps and Directions Users by Transport Type
3 Month Average Ending Feb. 2010
Total EU5 (UK, DE, FR, ES and IT), Age 13+
Source: Comscore MobiLens

Percent of Mobile Maps Users by Transport Type

Car or Other Vehicle*

Walking, Running or Cycling

Using Public Transport

Total

68.2%

27.0%

35.3%

Devices without A-GPS

63.9%

31.5%

28.0%

Devices with A-GPS

71.7%

23.0%

41.5%

* Other vehicles include motorbikes, lorries or vans. Some respondents could use more than one mode of transport

“The higher incidence of A-GPS usage in cars suggests that the superior speed and precision in these devices are being used for more than just identifying locations – they are being used as full in-car navigation systems,” says Comscore Senior Analyst, Alistair Hill.

“That these services offer similar functionality to premium services without the significant price-tag has certainly contributed to their early success,” continues Hill. “Mobile mapping services also have potential for integration with other location aware services, such as mobile social networking applications that provide links to friends and insights on surroundings and, subsequently, offer great promise for the location-based advertising market.”

Benchmark Data

Below is Comscore’s release of February 2010 benchmark data. This will be updated on a monthly basis to provide the most up-to-date picture of the mobile industry. Further information on this benchmark data, and other data included here, can be provided upon request.

Mobile Benchmark Data for the European Market
3 Month Average Ending Feb. 2010
Total EU5 (UK, DE, FR, ES and IT), Age 13+
Source: Comscore MobiLens

Reach (%) of Mobile Subscribers

EU5

UK

France

Germany

Italy

Spain

Sent Text Message to Another Phone

83.4%

91.0%

81.9%

81.3%

79.2%

83.5%

Used Application*

34.4%

38.4%

25.0%

34.3%

38.0%

36.6%

Used Browser

23.8%

32.2%

22.9%

19.7%

22.2%

21.7%

Listened to Music on Mobile Phone

23.4%

22.0%

20.7%

25.6%

20.8%

29.3%

Accessed News

10.5%

14.7%

9.6%

8.9%

11.3%

7.4%

Accessed Social Networking Site or Blog

12.7%

19.5%

11.7%

8.1%

13.0%

11.1%

Smartphone

23.7%

24.1%

16.4%

17.5%

32.6%

29.7%

3G Subscribers

43.4%

43.1%

37.7%

39.4%

45.4%

54.4%

*including games

About Comscore
Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com/companyinfo.


Ayaan Mohamud
Comscore, Inc.
+ 44 (0) 203-111-1758
worldpress@comscore.com