Adoption of the mobile Internet: An empirical study of multimedia message service (MMS)

doi:10.1016/j.omega.2006.03.005

Omega

Volume 35, Issue 6, December 2007, Pages 715-726

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2006.03.005 Get rights and content

Abstract

Multimedia message service (MMS) provides more multimedia communication with entertainment effects than current text-based short message service (SMS). While many reports indicate that the mobile Internet market will be huge, little is known about whether people will accept MMS. This study applies innovation diffusion theory to examine the factors that influence the adoption of MMS. The proposed model was empirically evaluated by using survey data collected from 207 users concerning their perceptions of MMS. The findings indicate that perceptions of use were different over innovation diffusion stages. Specifically, there was a significant difference between potential adopters and users. The results may provide further insights into MMS marketing strategies.

Introduction

With the increasing number of mobile phone subscribers, usage of mobile Internet services has increased in recent years. The mobile Internet refers to mobile commerce activities, including mobile telecommunication, mobile content, entertainment service and e-commerce relying on a mobile platform. Recent statistics indicate that the global mobile Internet market is expected to reach US$ 71 billion by 2007 [1]. Among mobile telecommunications, the messaging service markets which include short message service (SMS), multimedia message service (MMS), and mobile e-mail, are growing rapidly. According to the Datamonitor [2], the value of the messaging market will increase from US$ 17.4 billion in 2002 to more than US$ 29 billion in 2006. In mobile Internet applications, the message services have become the main revenues for telecommunication companies. In 2003, 85% of the consumers’ mobile Internet usage was on messaging service and 10% and 5% was on mobile content and entertainment service, respectively. It is projected that 80% of mobile expenditures will be on messaging service by 2007 [1].

The proliferation of mobile Internet applications has caused telecommunication organizations to extend their service scopes. With the arrival of the third generation (3G) gear, MMS may become a ‘killer’ application for messaging services. Unlike text-based SMS, MMS allows mobile phone users to exchange pictures with sound clips on their handsets or digital cameras. MMS users send text messages as well as multimedia messages incorporating pictures, voice recordings, animated characters, and video clips to others. Users can enjoy more multimedia effects via colorful graphics and crisp sounds of MMS than text-based SMS. MMS users can also send multimedia messages to other users through Internet content providers (ICP). MMS has reshaped the landscape of mobile communication, making it more personal, more versatile, and more expressive than ever before.

While many reports indicate that the mobile Internet market will be huge, little is known about whether people will accept MMS. In recent years, understanding the diffusion of information technologies (IT) has been important to both practitioners and researchers [3], [4], [5], [6]. Diffusion is achieved through user adoption, which means “the acceptance into use and the continued use of a new idea or thing” [7]. Innovation diffusion theory (IDT) attempts to explain which factors will influence the adoption of IT. Moreover, factors contributing to the acceptance of IT are likely to vary within different categories of adopters.

In Taiwan mobile phone subscribership is the largest in the world, with a subscription penetration rate of 110%; thus, every 100 people own 110 mobile phone numbers [8]. This rate implies that there may be significant business opportunities for employing mobile Internet-related service. Hence, this study has two main purposes. First, this study aims to apply IDT to examine the determining factors of MMS adoption within different categories of adopters over innovation diffusion stages. Understanding the perceptions of different categories of adopters can help MMS providers plan appropriate strategies. Second, this study aims to find the factors that influence MMS adoption for potential users and experienced users. Since different group may have different preference and behavior in MMS, the results can provide further insights for MMS marketing strategies.

Section snippets

MMS adoption framework

Moore and Benbasat [9] developed and measured a framework that identified perceived attributes which may influence the adoption of IT innovation. The main attributes were derived by Rogers [10] from the literature on diffusion of innovations; these include relative advantage, ease of use, compatibility, observability, and trialability. Considering the diffusion of new end-user IT, Moore and Benbasat [9] proposed some extended constructs such as image, visibility, result demonstrability, and

Data collection

Empirical data was collected by conducting an online field survey of potential MMS users. The questionnaire was designed to be placed on homepages on a web site. Javascript programming was developed to handle the data collection process. In order to increase the response rate from MMS users, messages were placed on over 100 heavily trafficked online message boards at popular portal sites, mobile communication web sites, and mobile-related bulletin board systems (BBS) for two months. These

Scale reliability and validity

The reliability of all instruments was assessed by the Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient [21]. The coefficient alphas (Cronbach alphas) for the relative advantage, perceived ease of use, compatibility, trialability, image, visibility, result demonstrability, voluntariness, and intention to use were 0.88, 0.92, 0.85, 0.91, 0.80, 0.88, 0.86, 0.79, and 0.90, respectively, which exhibited an acceptable level of reliability (alpha $> 0.70$ ) [22] (also see Table 3).

The scales were further validated

Discussion and implications

This study attempted to quantitatively investigate the user behavior toward the adoption of MMS based upon diffusion of innovation theory. The findings of this study have several implications. The following sections discuss the results and implications based on our findings.

Conclusion and limitations

The primary objective of this study is to apply IDT to examine the influences on MMS adoption among different categories of adopters in innovation diffusion stages. The effects of perceived attributes between users and potential adopters have also been investigated. In conclusion, this study has provided evidence that IDT can be used to explain intentions to adopt MMS. Insight from this study has been provided as the following:

1.
In each category, except laggards, the relative advantage has a

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to express appreciation to Dr. Cheryl Rutledge for her editorial assistance.

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Adoption of the mobile Internet: An empirical study of multimedia message service (MMS)

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

MMS adoption framework

Data collection

Scale reliability and validity

Discussion and implications

Conclusion and limitations

Acknowledgment

International Journal of Human–Computer Studies

Journal of Strategic Information Systems

Telecommunications Policy

Information & Management

Industrial Marketing Management

Information & Management

Omega

Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes

Information & Management

Implementation of electronic data interchange: an innovation diffusion perspective

Journal of Management Information System

Development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of adopting an information technology innovation

Information Systems Research

Diffusion of innovations

The role of innovation characteristics and perceived voluntariness in the acceptance of information technologies

Decision Sciences

The impact of perceived innovation characteristics on intention to use groupware

Information Resource Management Journal

Cell phone banking: predictors of adoption in South Africa—an exploratory study

International Journal of Information Management