comScore and GSMA Move On from 5-Year Partnership

In the UK, comScore has announced that its partnership developing metrics with the GSMA mobile operators' trade association is to terminate at the end of 2014. The digital measurement giant will shortly launch a new service called Mobile Metrix, working with cross-industry body UKOM.

comScore, GSMA and five UK operators - Vodafone, Orange, O2, 3 and T-Mobile - have delivered the GSMA Mobile Media Metrics (MMM) audience measurement service since 2009, but according to a statement issued today the deal is to break up by mutual consent.

comScore says Mobile Metrix will use its existing unified panel and census measurement approach for smartphone and tablet. This new service will undergo a detailed industry review process throughout the rest of 2014, with the goal of achieving endorsement from UKOM, which oversees the measurement of online audiences. Mobile Metrix will be similar to comScore's existing approach for PC audiences, which is already in production in the US and Canada and in development in Spain and Brazil.

comScore has assured all parties that GSMA MMM data, including all 2014 data, will continue to be available within the MyMetrix user interface to subscribers of its UK mobile data, to ensure that retroactive historic analysis up to 36 months can still be run.

Guy Phillipson, UK CEO of trade body the IAB (Internet Advertising Bureau), comments: 'The rapid growth of audience traffic across mobile devices means this transition is vital for UKOM and comScore as we enter 2015. Mobile measurement is challenging, and it's helpful to have learnings from the US, while the UKOM Technical Committee and Board work closely with comScore to test and approve the methodology for the UK market.'

Web sites: www.comscore.com and www.ukom.uk.net .