Understanding user behavior with new mobile applications

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study designed to evaluate Microediciones((R)), a new mobile content-based application that delivers daily summaries of newspapers into cell phones. The research question underlying this study sought to understand how users, accustomed to using their handsets as talking devices, download applications and navigate through data. This question is explored from the theoretical perspective of automaticity with data collected via protocol analysis of a sample of subjects. An analysis of the problems experienced by the users provided the basis to suggest specific operational improvements to the application, bearing in mind the strategic objectives of the mobile company to obtain revenue from user subscriptions and advertising. Beyond the strategic implications for the company launching this particular service, the results of this study have significant theoretical and practical implications for researchers and developers of new mobile applications. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.