While mobile penetration stands at 92 per cent across the Mena region, 43 per cent of mobile users in the UAE currently utilise location based services (LBS), a report said.

More than 53 per cent of UAE customers who don’t yet use LBS are interested in doing so, added the annual Mobile Life Study by TNS, one of the world’s largest custom market research organisations pointing out that LBS and Quick Response (QR) codes look to be the next mobile growth feature.

The study, which draws on consumer behaviours, motivations, attitudes and responses, also shows that 37 per cent of LBS users find friends and navigate their way around, while 27 per cent use LBS to find nearby points of interest and as an alternative to dedicated GPS services.

Steve Hamilton-Clark, CEO of TNS Mena said location based services are finally ‘coming of age’ with figures showing that 19 per cent of mobile users in the region use QR codes and 28 per cent are interested in using them.

“Advanced features such as home control, speech to text, LBS and scanning QR codes hold strong growth potential,” he said.

“As more people gain access to smartphone technology, they are eager to use new content and multiple functions as long as they deliver convenience, experience, reassurance, relevance and independence.

“Smartphone is a major entry point enabling consumers to access information and be entertained. Brands that can gain their confidence and enter the mobile circle of trust can reap huge benefits of engagement and loyalty,” he added.

Meanwhile, home Wi-Fi connection and emails are the most used services, Wi-Fi connection in public areas and video streaming are growing in usage followed by synchronised phone content, reading e- magazine and newspapers, watching live TV shows and speech-to-text services are fast gaining popularity.

“The study has shown an increasing willingness to engage with Mobile based services, and marketers must embrace the unprecedented level of engagement and targeting of what LBS and QR codes offer, however it has to be done in line with how people in individual markets want to engage with brands to avoid being intrusive,” Hamilton-Clark concluded. – TradeArabia News Service