Mobile communication, particularlythe use of handhelddevices such as smartphonesand tablets, is an importantfuture driver for <strong>Betsson</strong>.OBILE<strong>CREATIVITY</strong>BY PIERRE DE BOER
– THE ONLINE <strong>GAMING</strong> MAGAZINE – Trends in the technical racemobile gaming and gambling growth isgetting stronger with an estimated 35percent year-on-year growth in 2011.The key driver is mobile betting, withcurrently 75 percent of total mobilegambling.Mobile communication is clearlybecoming an important online channel.We believe, however, that thechannel itself will become comparativelyless important, whereas seamlessnessand usability across differentchannels, such as the web and mobileInternet, will be the overriding aspectfor the customers.As seen in the graph below, shipmentsof mobile devices (tablets andsmartphones) were expected to surpassPCs in the fourth quarter of 2011.With the launch of Apple´s App Store,distribution of mobile content took adrastic turn and was pushed evenfurther by Google´s Android Market.According to Gartner, worldwide mobileapplication store downloads wereforecasted to reach 17.7 billion in 2011,a 117 percent increase from an estimated8.2 billion downloads in 2010.TRENDSThe clear trends in mobile developmentare new features, and mobility initself, rather than mobile apps. MobileGLOBALUNIT SHIP-MENT (MM)global unit shipment ofdesktop pcs + notebook pcsvs. smartphones + tablets,2005-2013e700,000600,000500,000400,000300,000200,000100,000020052006DesktopPCsCQ4:10: INFLECTION PT.SMARTPHONES+ T<strong>AB</strong>LETS>TOTAL PCs200720082009NotebookPCs20102011Smartphones2012E2013ETabletsNote: Notebook PCs include Netbooks. Source: KatyHuberty, Ehud Gelblum, Morgan Stanley Research.Data and estimates as of 2/11.growth has triggered such features aslocation/GPS (offered by NFC, NearField Communication) and will triggerdifferent user behavior and newpossibilities for the gaming industry.Casual gaming and social networkingis another trend that willbe further fuelled by mobile communicationand smartphones havebecome powerful gaming devicesfor the mass market. This trend willcontinue and we are witnessing theemergence of new business modelsbased on subscriptions, micro transactionsand in-app billing.HTML5 and downloadable appsare fighting for space in delivering entertainmentto mobile users, and willbring new opportunities for innovativetechnology providers. We believe thistrend to be the single most importantin terms of direction of developmentand positioning of mobile business.As shipments of smartphones andtablets continue to grow, market fragmentationwill continue, forcing operatorslike <strong>Betsson</strong> to decide on strategieson how to support and developservices for diverging operating systems,hardware and customer behavior.If innovation is used wisely, this threatmay be turned into an opportunity.PossibilitiesThe power of millions of users connectedin real-time to the Internet andto each other, will have an immenseimpact on our possibilities as an onlinegaming provider. These fairly newdistribution channels create opportunitiesfor our products and new typesof partnerships. <strong>Betsson</strong> has a greatchance to not only increase revenuesby offering superior mobile products,but also to once more strengthen ourposition as an innovative and rapidlyadapting company. Customers willexpect from us (and from our competitors)to be able to use our servicesand products on all their devices connectedto the Internet, be they mobilephones, tablets, PCs or other devices.Our initiative will involve the customersin every step of the development,and we will monitor the trends andadapt our user interfaces and productsto what the customers want. Inthe coming years, we expect gamechangingmobile gambling productswill be introduced in the market and<strong>Betsson</strong> will make sure it stays at theforefront of the development.StrategyOur strategy is to use trends and possibilitiesto our advantage and to usethe mobile development as yet anotherway to generate more revenuesand satisfy our customers by:• Focusing on mobile Internet to enableall segments in all markets fullaccess as well as seamlessness betweensmartphones/tablets and PC.• Using apps as enablers for the mobileweb and using innovative approachesto reach dedicated segments,such as Live Score App.• Striving to be the market leader inmobile gaming by being fastest tomarket, with the best offering and todevelop the most innovative products.• Doing as much of the developmentin-house as possible in order to comeup with unique products, with uniquecapabilities and to be viewed as theinnovation leader.Mobile creativity the <strong>Betsson</strong> way!– 27 –
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