Communications of the ACM
The Mobile Road Ahead
How users with mobile devices access the Communications website.
ACM is planning to launch a mobile version of the Communications Web site and a series of mobile applications in the coming months. To determine how best to proceed, we have been directly and indirectly collecting data from members for months to help guide our decision making. We have conducted surveys, met with focus groups, and examined usage statistics.
The following table and pie chart show how users with mobile devices have been getting to the Communications Web site. The percentage of users accessing the site with mobile devices is small, but the number is trending upward. This report is based on sampled data.
Here are some of the key takeaways from our research that will influence our decisions going forward:
- The Time Is Right. There is a growing need to access Communications content from mobile platforms. "[This] is the way things are moving," said one software engineer.
- Keep It Simple. Users want to be able to find the content quickly and easily on their devices, from anywhere anytime.
- Search, Save, Share. Most "small screen" mobile devices are being used primarily to find, collect, and share articles.
- Consumption Devices Are Coming. Media-ready platforms like the iPad will create new ways to present and consume content.
- This Is The Beginning. We've collected valuable data on which mobile devices are being used to access Communications content, and that is guiding our path in the short term. But for the long term we will remain platform agnostic, and will support the systems that are most heavily used and called for by members.
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