Manoj Jasra
According to statistics released by Bango Inc, BlackBerry is now the third most popular mobile phone for browsing the web in the USA, accounting for 14% of all mobile traffic. BlackBerry is also placed fifth in the UK and worldwide, above all Apple iPhones, with Nokia remaining the overall global leader with over 36% of traffic seen.
Once seen as only for business with their slick functionality and features, BlackBerry devices are increasingly becoming the preferred handset for consumers wanting to browse the internet from their phone. The BlackBerry 8330 Curve now accounts for over 28% of BlackBerrys browsing the web.
Bango has published a white paper called Increasing your slice of the BlackBerry pie, which explains the challenges and opportunities that BlackBerry now presents to businesses. A copy can be downloaded from http://bango.com/blackberrywp.
Bango data collected across many millions of users accessing the internet from mobile devices also revealed that the BlackBerry user base is much more likely to use Wi-Fi as a connection method where available. Some of the newer BlackBerry devices have a Wi-Fi connectivity capability which makes it easy to locate Wi-Fi hotspots and connect “off-net”. By default, BlackBerry devices will connect by the RIM proprietary data gateway but can operate in either mode when the web browser is launched. This makes it very challenging for brands and content providers to accurately identify BlackBerry users for tracking, CRM, sales and marketing campaign purposes.
