We would have guessed it anyway, but the recent research results from Allot Communications, a supplier of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile broadband operators and cloud providers worldwide, just confirmed that the vast majority of people on this planet are now dependent on the virtual space for being connected, socially. With broadband connection, smart devices and social media applications being widely available and accessable to most people, there were already strong predictions from many sources in the market that the virtual environments will redefine our socializing habits and practices especially with the popularity of certain social media applications which have garnered hundreds of millions of subscribers to actively engage and continuously use the apps, either online or via mobile connections.
The bigger question is however, can virtual socializing via all these apps deliver the same level of social experience that people enjoy in physical spaces? While more research needs to be done on the take away that people experience via the use of these applications, Allot's research shows that more and more people are onboarding onto the virtual space and social engagement does rise significantly on the various online applications, as seen via the spikes recorded in network traffic and in the use of the social media apps during this World Cup season. The following infographics summarizes the highlights of their finding:
"Our analysis of mobile traffic surrounding the World Cup games definitely showed us that it’s all about the online experience. For example, during the Italy versus Uruguay game, YouTube traffic skyrocketed by more than 40% immediately following the infamous Suarez bite incident. This clearly demonstrates the widespread digital lifestyle where app adoption is strong and is particularly engaging around major events like the world cup – a fact operators should note and leverage.”
- Yaniv Sulkes, AVP Marketing, Allot Communications
