Gartner forecasts mobile web access will surpass PCs by 2013

Mobile phones will overtake PCs as the dominant web access device worldwide by 2013 according to a new forecast issued by research firm Gartner. Based on Gartner's PC installed base forecast, the total number of PCs in use should top 1.78 billion units in 2013--by that time, the combined installed base of smartphones and browser-equipped enhanced phones is expected to exceed 1.82 billion units, and the gap will continue to grow in the years to follow. Gartner adds that mobile web users are typically prepared to make fewer clicks on a website than PC users, contending that most websites not yet optimized for smaller device screens will need to be rebuilt and their content reformatted.

Looking even further ahead, Gartner anticipates that by 2015, context will be as critical to mobile consumer services and relationships as search engines are to the traditional web. Gartner argues that context will provide the key to delivering hyper-personalized experiences across smartphones in the same way search enables web users to organize information and services, adding context will center on observing patterns, particularly location, presence and social interactions. Gartner also notes that while search is predicated on pulling information from the web, context-enriched services will typically prepopulate or push information to users.

For more on the Gartner forecast:
- read this release

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