Survey of International Licensing Internet Practices

We conducted a survey in June 2000 which aimed to quantify the impact of the internet on organisations involved in the licensing industry, specifically looking at how the internet is being used in practice and the trends that are shaping future direction.

A survey of 30 questions was put to 124 licensing executives, focused on understanding licensor’s practices concerning the internet in web positioning, eCommerce capabilities, internet rights grants, and internet sales.

The results of the survey validate the need for the licensing community to understand the ultimate consumer of each product category and the factors driving their purchasing practices. This is often difficult as the physical separation between licensors and consumers is so big. Licensors therefore rely on third-party relationships which results in an inability to track internet sales. Overall, research confirmed that complex forces are delaying the implementation of clear internet strategies in the licensing industry. To read more about the findings, click to the executive summary (PDF) and the survey results. (PDF).

ADSL: towards a broadband future?

How far towards a broadband future will asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) technology really take us?

Isobel's world
Isobel is eight. As a child of the broadband era she has more perspective on the future of home entertainment than a whole raft of 'new economy' commentators. Her future is very bandwidth hungry.

The ADSL (r)evolution
For most of us, the Internet remains a promise unfulfilled: slow, limited and frustrating. ADSL will certainly provide faster Internet access, but won't really revolutionise communications and home entertainment. Isobel will want perhaps five times more bandwidth than ADSL offers.

What a broadband world needs...
Isobel and her family want bandwidth to be like AC electricity: there in the wall of their house, in seemingly endless supply. Only then will they be able to use the broadband services they want simultaneously. Isobel will probably need, at least, fibre-optic cable to the kerb to satisfy her.

Losers and winners
ADSL won't be able to compete in a true broadband world. Although ADSL has a role to play in the evolution of the high-speed Internet market, the paradigm may break down in the UK before it's fully implemented. Whoever the winners and losers are, the arguments seem to miss the critical point: even if rolled out nation-wide, ADSL will not bring us into the broadband world.

The big picture
In the broadband future megabits per second of bandwidth will be as esoteric as amperes of electricity today. ADSL has its place in the evolution towards a broadband world, but it is not offering a true broadband solution. Download the full report (PDF).

• Current mobile use, other than voice communications, is mostly limited to email and diary functions. Few businesses are using applications to grow their business or manage customer relationships.
• Businesses are concentrating on the internal efficiency improvements mobiles can provide, such as convenient access to corporate information. But only one-third are looking to wireless data as a way to take new products and services to customers.
• Information technology departments are the key decision-makers for investment in mobile data applications. While these groups understand the technology, this knowledge is slow to filter through to management and key strategists.
• Nearly two-thirds of businesses look to increase their spending on mobile technologies over the next year.

Download the full report (PDF)

But what do people really think mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDA) are all about, and what do they use them for? Find out more about usage, purchase incentives and the eCommerce perceptions in our recent mobile commerce survey.

Can Bluetooth really intrude on 3G territory and bring into question the business case for 3G? MORE (PDF).

What do people really think about them...?



How much information are people prepared to share?



When is the world coming to your mobile? We outline what you can expect and when (PDF).