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Below you will find the latest news which has been happening over the last couple of weeks including:

• Ernst & Young: Africa is the world's fastest growing mobile phone market
• Apple: More than a million iPhone 3GS models sold in three days
• O2 reports surge in data traffic during the London Tube strike in May
• Strewth - the average Australian sends up to 7 texts a day
• CNN: Consumers pay more attention to mobile advertising
• 20 million Americans seek local data with mobile devices, says comScore

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Regards
The Velti Marketing Team

Ernst & Young: Africa is the world's fastest growing mobile phone market

Demand for mobile phones in Africa has increased significantly in the last seven years, a new report has found. According to a study by Ernst and Young, the market has expanded by more than 49 per cent since 2002, with penetration levels reaching 37 per cent, AFP reports. This is the highest rate of growth recorded anywhere in the world in this period, during which the market in Asia grew by just over 27 per cent. Ernst and Young believes this rapid expansion is likely to continue in Africa, with estimates suggesting that penetration levels could reach 61 per cent by 2018. Read full story >>

Apple: More than a million iPhone 3GS models sold in three days

More than a million iPhone 3GS models were purchased within three days of their launch, it has been revealed. The device, which has been hailed as Apple's fastest and most powerful smartphone yet, went on sale to consumers last Friday. Trading figures show that by Sunday, over a million people had chosen to upgrade to the new handset. Steve Jobs, chief executive of the organisation, commented: "Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning. Read full story >>

O2 reports surge in data traffic during the London Tube strike in May

People affected by the recent Tube strikes in London used mobile devices such as smart phones to access data remotely, according to O2. The firm said accessing the mobile internet was favoured by those who could not make it into work due to the disruption to the city's transport network. Figures showed that during this period, data traffic in the area was about ten per cent up on typical levels. O2 also noted that a growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK are now opting to invest in items such as BlackBerrys and iPhones. Read full story >>

GSMA reports 'explosion' of mobile social networking

A growing number of consumers across the world are accessing social networking sites through their mobile phones, industry experts have noted. According to the GSM Association, there has been an "explosion" in the amount of people viewing sites such as Facebook and MySpace on their handsets. Robert Conway, chief executive of the group, believes this trend is likely to continue, particularly as the growing popularity of smartphones means more people are able to access the mobile internet. "We are seeing the tip of an iceberg of usage of social networking via mobile," he observed. Read full story >>

Strewth - the average Australian sends up to seven texts a day

The average mobile phone subscriber in Australia sends up to seven SMS messages each day, a new report has revealed. According to Telstra, this shows that texting has become an "indispensible" part of people's everyday lives. Indeed, figures showed that many consumers would use SMS messaging when informing others about significant life events, such as a birth or promotion at work. Texting was preferred over other options such as using the phone, sending an email, or accessing a social networking site. Read full story >>

CNN: Consumers pay more attention to mobile advertising

Companies planning promotional campaigns may find that mobile advertising is more effective than television ads, the findings of a new study suggest. Research by broadcaster CNN International found that consumers were in a different frame of mind when viewing adverts on mobile services or online than they were when seeing the same information on television. The research team, who used biometric data to measure the engagement levels of viewers, concluded that people were more attentive when they were watching advertising content online or via mobile websites. Read full story >>

20 million Americans seek local data with mobile devices, says comScore

More and more mobile phone subscribers in the US are choosing to use their mobile devices to access local information, a new report has revealed. According to figures from comScore, 20.7 million people used the mobile internet, SMS messages or downloaded applications to look for data relating to their local area. This is 34 per cent up on the amount recorded a year earlier, with much of this growth fuelled by greater use of downloaded applications. Figures showed that usage of this option went up by 83 per cent, compared with 72 per cent for SMS messaging. Read full story >>