Social network MySpace has launched a new, more integrated and optimized mobile Web site for the 20 million worldwide members accessing it every month.

MySpace reinforced its commitment to the mobile social Web with plans to develop new applications for Nokia in its S60 Web runtime environment and Palm's new webOS, first available on the Palm Pre. MySpace claims to be the first social network with applications supported on all smartphone platforms currently active in mobile social networking, including Apple's iPhone, Google's Android, the T-Mobile Sidekick, Nokia's Symbian, Palm and Research In Motion's BlackBerry.

"This week we are unveiling a new version of our mobile Web site -- better user interface and sleeker design -- and also better opportunities for brands to advertise,"said John Faith, vice president and general manager of MySpace Mobile, Beverly Hills, CA. "This is the first major redesign we've had of our mobile Web site.

"We want to continue to develop device specific applications, but also continue to build out the functionality of our mobile Web site,"he said. "Richer graphical interfaces on phones make the experience more compelling to the consumers and it raises the consumer's expectation on what they can do with a phone.

"In addition, all-you-can-eat data plans are becoming more common, so it's not as cost-prohibitive to use MySpace on mobile phones.

MySpace launched an updated version of the MySpace Mobile Web site at http://m.myspace.com and http://wap.myspace.com, extending the company's global wired Web site redesign to its mobile destination.

The goal was to enhance the look and feel of MySpace on mobile, making it even more consistent with the online MySpace experience.

New user interface elements have been optimized for devices with screen sizes 176 pixels wide and larger. It features the familiar MySpace blue color scheme and includes the ability to configure email photo uploads.

The redesign also has been built upon a fully updated architecture, which MySpace says will allow its mobile experience to scale rapidly as more consumers discover http://m.myspace.com.

The new mobile Web site is supported in 13 languages and localized for 29 countries.

MySpace will develop fully integrated applications for both Palm's new webOS and Nokia in its S60 Web runtime environment.

"We are committed to building apps for platforms we feel are groundbreaking to offer our users the best possible on-the-go MySpace experience,"Mr. Faith said. "MySpace Mobile is working with these and other large handset manufacturers to integrate MySpace more deeply into the cell phone experience.

"Browser capabilities on devices are still limited and an application lends itself to a more personal experience and allows for more functionality,"he said. "Also, there has been heavy smartphone adoption by consumers not just for business purposes, which is good for MySpace.

Symbian relationship
The news, which was announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, comes on the heels of MySpace's announced support of the Symbian Foundation, which the company will join to help construct socially relevant context for developers using the platform.

"MySpace is dedicated to supporting open standards and platforms and we embrace plans for the Symbian Foundation,"Mr. Faith said.

"We want to help increases efficiencies and interoperability on the mobile Web and believe in open mobile platforms that will allow developers, OEMs and wireless carriers to create compelling and innovative services that can leverage the rich social functionality and content of MySpace,"he said.

MySpace's cofounder/CEO Chris DeWolfe will present the opening keynote of the Mobile World Congress on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 9:00 a.m. local time in Hall 5, Level 3, Auditorium 1.

In conjunction with the conference, MySpace is hosting a MySpace Secret Show music concert in Barcelona featuring two local bands, Fangoria and Nena Daconte, later that evening.

MySpace is part of Fox Interactive Media, which is a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

MySpace has 20 million worldwide unique users on the mobile Web and applications combined, and more than 7 billion page views, according to the company's own internal reporting.

The biggest features consumers use when accessing a social network on their phone is checking for comments and messages from their friends, with both of these features registering above 50 percent for mobile social network users.

Posting status updates also has proven popular, with more than 45 percent of mobile social users letting others know what they are up to via their phone.

MySpace Mobile provides features including posting comments, adding and viewing friends, responding to messaging, viewing and posting bulletins, updating mood and status, and photo management.

MySpace is a social networking portal for connecting people, content and culture by integrating personal profiles, photo sharing, professional and viral videos, blogs, mobile, instant messaging and a music community.

MySpace claims to be the highest trafficked Web site in the United States. It includes an international network of more than 30 local community sites throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

MySpace Mobile has 33 signed carrier deals in more than 20 countries globally that are currently live, including AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA, Alltel, Virgin Mobile USA, Cricket, MetroPCS and Boost Mobile in the U.S.

In the next few years the company anticipates 50 percent of its users accessing MySpace on mobile.

"Our mobile demographic tends to skew a bit lower [younger] than myspace.com,"Mr. Faith said.

"However, we want all of our users to be able to access their network on-the-go and currently we have 20 million monthly unique users accessing MySpace on mobile, which is a 400 percent increase over the last year, so we're really starting to see a pickup in all our users on mobile,"he said.

MySpace's international mobile growth is moving at a faster clip than its U.S. growth -- in the last six months its U.S. mobile usage has jumped nearly 50 percent, while its European mobile growth is up 80 percent and Asia is up 60 percent in that same period.

Global application specific users were at nearly 5 million unique users in January.

The average time per visit on MySpace Mobile is 10 minutes, according to Nielson Mobile's metrics. North America, Europe and Australia account for the heaviest users, with additional growth coming from other regions.

According to ABI Research, 70 percent of people who use social networks on mobile are on MySpace.

Mobile social networking is on the rise, with analysts forecasting more than 800 million people worldwide accessing social networks through their mobile phones by 2012, up from 82 million in 2007, according to eMarketer.

Market analysis firm Juniper Research forecasts mobile operator revenues from user-generated content will increase tenfold over the next five years, rising from $576 million in 2007 to $5.74 billion by 2012.

According to Juniper, social networking services will account for 50 percent of the total mobile operator revenue, with the number of active mobile social network subscribers accelerating from 14 million in 2007 to 600 million in 2012.

Mobile advertising platform
MySpace Mobile launched its mobile advertising business a year ago.

Sponsorship and CPM campaigns are sold by dedicated Fox Interactive Media sales teams in several of the company's territories.

Third-party ad networks also serve mobile ad campaigns into MySpace Mobile, including Millennial Media, Quattro Wireless and AdMob.

Approximately 40 percent of MySpace Mobile pages are tagged with advertising such as display banner ads. User homepage and login page roadblock ad units are sold as a sponsorship.

Major clients in North America that have run mobile advertising campaigns on MySpace include Ford, Saturn, Warner Bros., Toyota, Disney, McDonald's and Procter & Gamble.

Mobile ad campaign calls-to-action include register your email address and mobile number, click to call, find a store or dealer, coupons/vouchers for in-store redemption, download free content, video streaming and learn about a product.

MySpace Mobile ad CPM includes free targeting taking into consideration more than a dozen demographic attributes including age, gender, ethnicity and marital status.

"We're bullish on monetizing all aspects of our business -- mobile is no exception,"Mr. Faith said. "This is a nascent area for the industry and we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

"We believe mobile advertising complements traditional and online marketing communications, providing connection and integration across a campaign -- mobile is a means of closing the campaign integration loop,"he said. "We redesigned our WAP site to enhance opportunities for global brands.

"We're continuing to focus on mobile advertising, experimenting with new ad units on some of our smartphone integrations and we'll have more news to share on that soon.