BlackBerry Still Dominates Smartphone Market
Posted on 09. Jan, 2010 by admin.
A recent report by ComScore shows that, while the iPhone gets all the press, BlackBerry remains the smartphone leader. December data shows that BlackBerry commands 40 percent market share, compared to iPhone’s 25 percent. And that number does not appear that it will change in the near future. In a survey, ComScore found that shoppers of smartphones will be purchasing more BlackBerrys (51 percent) than iPhones (20 percent). At the bottom of the pack is T-Mobile’s MyTouch (5 percent), Palm Pre (2 percent) and Palm Centro (1 percent).
For Web professionals, this is something worth noting. iPhones are slick, but the raw numbers show that the “pedestrian” BlackBerry is much more widely used. This has plenty to do with the number of businesses and employees using BlackBerrys. That means when planning your mobile strategy for 2010, don’t get hung up on the iPhone. Make sure your mobile marketing is aimed across all available mobile devices and that your campaigns will render on every screen, not just the iPhone. For example, perhaps a big-budget app for the iPhone can wait, instead focusing on mobile campaigns like SMS coupons or something as simple as email geared toward reading on a mobile device. After all, the smartphone (and BlackBerry’s dominance) is still centered around communication and connectivity.
The coming release of Google’s phone should make these numbers even more interesting later in 2010. ComScore reports that 17 percent of consumers plan to buy an Android-supported smartphone in the next three months. With the abundance of devices capable of running Android, this is furtner proof that the iPhone should not be the sole, or even majority focus of mobile marketing.
In light of all of this is a very interesting bit of information for mobile Web developers. iPhone users and Android users interact with mobile media at a stronger clip (94 and 92 percent, respectively) than average smartphone users, including BlackBerry (80 percent).
This is going to be a big year for mobile. Keep an eye out for data like this to ensure you are aiming at the largest possible target.
Source: Website Magazine
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Boost for Green Products
Posted on 21. Dec, 2009 by admin.
Oakland, CA — A monthly index measuring consumer attitudes found that interest in green products improved modestly last month, although the uptick could be due more to purchases in the last six months, rather than those that are planned.
The Green Confidence Index (GCI) from GreenBiz.com, Earthsense and Survey Sampling International
The GCI is a monthly snapshot of American attitudes in three areas: purchasing, awareness and information, and how leaders and institutions are addressing green issues. In November it stood at 103.2, a 3.2 percent improvement since GCI’s launch in July. The Purchasing Index spanning past and planned green purchases grew 5 percent in November, compared to the month before.
The latest figures are a “tiptoe” in the right direction, according to Earthsense chief research officer Amy Hebrand.
“Pent-up demand remains stable, with more consumers intending to buy green products in the future than do so now across consumable products,” Hebard said in a statement today. “That pent-up demand is especially evident among ‘big ticket’ items, where green purchasing is more dependent on price parity with conventional products — a situation likely to change as credit markets loosen and consumers can take a longer view of expenditures.”
The release of the latest CGI figures comes at a time when world leaders are gathered in Copenhagen in an effort to draft a post 2012 climate change treaty. The results suggest Americans believe, by a 2-1 margin, that businesses should support regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions even if prices increased as a result. Just 23 percent feel businesses should resist climate change regulations.
Read entire article at GreenBiz.com
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10 Best Practices for Building Green Teams
Posted on 16. Dec, 2009 by admin.
GreenBiz.com and Green Impact have partnered to release a new report, “Green Teams: Engaging Employees in Sustainability.” Based on interviews with green team leaders from Intel, Yahoo!, eBay and Genentech, as well as a review of the latest literature on employee engagement and green teams, the report provides an overview of the best practices companies are using to support and guide green teams.
It is divided into four key sections: making the business case for green teams; getting started; four emerging trends; and green team best practices.
It is a great resource for companies and organizations just beginning to think about creating a green team and for those ready to take their existing program to the next level.
What is a Green Team?
Green teams are self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate, inspire and empower employees around sustainability. They identify and implement specific solutions to help their organization operate in a more environmentally sustainable fashion. Most green teams initially focus on greening operations at the office, addressing such issues as recycling in the office, composting food waste, reducing the use of disposable takeout containers and eliminating plastic water bottles.
This focus on operations is evolving and some green teams are beginning to focus their efforts on integrating sustainability into employees’ personal lives, while others are bringing consumers into the equation and aligning their efforts to support broader corporate sustainability objectives.
