Social networkers are becoming more mobile. Seven out of ten MySpace users have accessed their account using a mobile phone. Facebook members are not far behind; 67% visited the site via their handsets. A recent survey conducted by ABI Research also discovered that the most popular activity among mobile networkers, 50% of the total, is checking their messages. Status updates account for another 45% of visits. Facebook and MySpace members comprise the vast majority of social networkers using their mobiles; no other site manages 15% of total visits.

A growing area that does not feature in the ABI survey is business users. LinkedIn has long been the industry leader for business networking. Many organisations are also introducing business oriented groups on Facebook. Social networking in the workplace has recently received some negative press, with bosses fearing loss of productivity due to workers perceived as indulging in time wasting activities. The more astute employers have been quick to utilise social networking technology to provide a channel for workers, particularly in different worldwide locations, to be able to work together and collaborate on projects.
IBM has identified a market for business social networking and providing processing power for enterprises to access on desktop machines. Bluehouse, launched this week, will give business users the ability to share documents and contacts, collaborate on joint project activities, host online meetings, and build social-networking communities. Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular will welcome the low costs and maintenance – free options available compared to running dedicated systems.
A report from Forrester Research anticipates that nearly three quarters of the global workforce will be relying on some form of mobile support in four years’ time. More than a third will be comprised of frequent travellers or telecommuters. The rapid growth of mobile networkers seems set to continue, presenting sound opportunities for service providers and advertisers, not to mention handset manufacturers and wireless carriers.

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