10Meters News Service

February 7, 2001 – The best way to sell wireless to consumers? Tell them what the technology can do for them.

A new study from ConStat, an Oakland, California, wireless telecommunications research firm, finds that consumers are more likely to buy a product "if they have a clear picture of how the offerings can be used in everyday life."

The study also suggests that wireless Internet product developers and service providers could bolster business by "eliminating the mass confusion in today's market."

"Although the market for wireless information and data services is in its infancy, even the earliest of adopters are perplexed by the profusion of options and the fuzzy distinctions among them," said William Deaton, senior partner of ConStat.

Preliminary results from ConStat's Wireless Information Services and Data Monitor (WISDM) research program show that 2 million adults in the United States express interest in buying some type of wireless Internet access device and/or service within the next three months.

However, ConStat estimates that "in reality only 10 percent of them – approximately 200,000 adults – will actually follow through on that intention."

Two factors driving the potential buyers, said ConStat: They have a clear understanding of what's available, and they understand the value the products or services bring to their work and/or personal lives.

Potential buyers also have a "greater knowledge of brands, offerings and pricing and have actively shopped for a device or service," according to ConStat.

Barriers to adoption include confusion about the technology itself. Many potential buyers, said ConStat, "are struggling to understand what various wireless devices can and cannot do, not to mention which ones are truly Internet-enabled."

The study also notes that consumers often delay new technology purchases until they feel retailers are offering the most current models at reduced prices.

The findings of the report are based on a December 2001 study, said ConStat, that included a series of in-depth, one-on-one interviews and a quantitative online survey of 1,000 respondents with results weighted to the U.S. population of adults 18 and older.

ConStat evaluated responses using its proprietary model for identifying early adopter segments based on varying levels of intent to purchase.

For more information, visit ConStat at www.constat.com.