Microsoft Office Is Most Desired Mobile Content?

A study commissioned by Microsoft has revealed shocking news that none of us suspected: A staggering 45% of survey respondents said that Microsoft Office functions were the top feature desired by consumers on mobile phones. Really? That puts MS Office above e-mail, messaging, and all other apps. Unfortunately, the survey does not jibe well with...um...any other research ever done on mobile phone users. For example, an April 2006 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project listed the top desired applications, and strangely MS Office wasn't even on the list (see "read more" for Pew results). I'm not sure what the point of such self-serving studies are. Does MSFT pay the research firm good money to blow rainbow smoke for them? Or are they in such a habit of buying analyst opinion (to sway public opinion) that they don't even see how ridiculously out of whack these results are? My guess is that the survey was rigged with bias towards positive results for MS Office. Deliberately inserting bias into research is deceitful on one hand, or a waste of money on the other. Take your pick.

The Pew study found the following features most used, in order: SMS, photos, games, Net Access, email, search, IM, music, home video, maps, TV.

The MSFT-funded report also says Mobile TV is desired by over 44%, which is about 5 times the percentage normally indicating so in multiple studies.

It's all just more proof that the answer often depends on how you ask the question.

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