EU5 Map Usage via Smartphone Growing 7x Faster Than Classic Web

UK Has Highest Penetration of Smartphone Map Users in EU5

LONDON, UK, 31 May 2012 - Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released an overview of mobile and computer usage of Maps across the five leading European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) using the Comscore MobiLens and Comscore MMX services. The study showed that 35.0 percent of smartphone users in EU5 reported accessing maps via their device in March 2012, compared to 49.6 percent of the internet audience accessing Maps sites on their computers. Across EU5 markets, the smartphone Map audience increased 55 percent over the past year while map access via computer grew just 8 percent.

“Smartphones are quickly becoming the primary platform for on-the-go services such as maps and navigation. With apps such as Google Maps coming pre-installed on many phones it’s becoming second nature for many of us to rely on the smart device in our pocket to show us the way. The days of checking routes in advance and printing maps to take with us will soon be in our rear view mirror,” said Hesham Al-Jehani, European mobile product manager at Comscore.

UK Leads the Way with 40 Percent of Smartphone Map Users
In March 2012, 90.4 million EU5 visitors accessed Maps sites via computer, representing 49.6 percent of the internet audience. In comparison, 39.8 million smartphone users accessed maps via their device, representing 35 percent of the EU5 smartphone audience. France ranked first for penetration of Maps sites via computer (53.4 percent reach) but ranked last when it came to smartphone map access (30.4 percent reach). The UK was the top market in terms of Map access via smartphones at 40.2 percent.

Smartphone Map Usage Grows at 7x Computer-Based Map Access
The EU5 classic web audience for Map sites, such as Google Maps and ViaMichelin, grew 8 percent over the past year, while the smartphone audience grew 55 percent during the same time period. While users are not shifting away from use of Maps on their computers, the surge in behaviour on smartphones suggests incremental usage and the emergence of a compelling use case while people are on-the-go.

The German smartphone map audience showed the greatest increase among EU5 markets at 89 percent, followed closely by Spain at 76 percent. Italy had the slimmest increase in smartphone map access at 35 percent, but showed the fastest growth rate on computers at 22 percent.

Apple iPhone Owners Are Keenest to Use Maps
In March 2012, 39.8 million smartphone users accessed maps via their device in EU5. iPhone users showed the highest propensity for this behaviour with 53.4 percent accessing maps on their phones. Google Android, which owned the highest number of map users at 17.7 million, ranked second in map penetration at 39.8 percent, while Microsoft rounded up the top 3 at 34.5 percent.

March 2012 EU5 Mobile Benchmark Data
The table below shows Comscore’s March 2012 mobile benchmark data, including a review of mobile consumption behaviour and device penetration for the five European countries under measurement. These benchmarks are published by Comscore to provide the most up-to-date snapshot of the mobile industry. Further information on these benchmarks, and other data included above, can be provided upon request.

About MobiLens
MobiLens data is derived from an intelligent online survey of a nationally representative sample of mobile subscribers age 13 and above. Data on mobile phone usage refers to a respondent’s primary mobile phone and does not include data related to a respondent’s secondary device.

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

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