Measuring the ubiquity characteristics of mobile access channels – Africa and the United Kingdom

Abstract

A question that is often asked among different role players in the mobile applications industry is: “which access channels should be supported by a mobile application?” A literature survey was conducted to identify available access channels and a number of channels were found. Furthermore it revealed a number of measurable characteristics which could determine the applicability of a specific channel for a specific mobile application. This paper focuses on one of the characteristics: ubiquity. A number of access channels were selected based on availability. The literature survey inidicated a number of ubiquity dimensions that could be measured individually. Market research was conducted and values assigned to each of the dimensions. The measurements were based on the percentage of subscribers that could be reached with each of the technologies. Furthermore the measurements were done in three different countries to provide a global picture. Results were graphed and compared. In conclusion it was determined that SMS and IVR are the most ubiquitous access channel, which makes it a safe choice for applications where the number of subscribers that is reached influences the success of the application.