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From the second half of this year, advertisers will be able to access detailed audience-measurement data aimed at helping them plan more effective mobile marketing campaigns.

The measurement tool has been developed by mobile industry body the GSMA following a year-long study carried out in conjunction with the UK's five main network operators, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and 3UK.

The GSMA claims the measurement data for mobile browsing respects the privacy of users, while providing valuable planning information for advertisers and their agencies.

Brand owners have long been reticent to invest in mobile marketing due to the absence of a robust audience measurement system. However, they are welcoming the launch of the data as a stride forward for the industry.

"As with all media, a precise and reliable planning tool is a vital requirement for advertisers and agencies alike, says Tim Hussain, head of mobile advertising at BSkyB. "The adoption of an industry-wide measurement standard will only serve to demonstrate the real value of mobile."

The data, which will be made commercially available in the second half of the year, reveals daily usage patterns and demographic information across 167,648 mobile internet sites.

"This kind of information is hugely valuable to advertisers," says Paul Fitzpatrick, digital marketing manager at Sony Ericsson. "If I know how many people are going directly to operator portals compared to clicking through from ads, I can change my strategy to focus on rich, on-portal creative, rather than simple banners."

Despite this enthusiasm, it is unlikely that the measurement tool will prompt a significant uplift in mobile marketing spend due to increasing budgetary pressures. However, the release of industry-standard audience data will no doubt help brands and advertisers justify their existing mobile spend.

The first wave of data from the GSMA shows that 68 per cent of mobile users regularly visit their operator's portal. Google is the most popular off-portal site, while Facebook is the destination with the longest dwell times of mobile users, with visitors spending an average of 24 minutes per day on the social network.

The study, which was carried out by comScore and verified by ABCe, also shows that 48 per cent of mobile internet users are aged between 18 and 34, while 63 per cent of total users are men.

According to eMarketer, mobile marketing will buck the downward trend, with spend predicted to reach $2.4 billion (£1.7bn) by the end of this year, up from $1 billion (£700 million) in 2008.

Second opinion - Harry Dewhirst, RingRing Media

The announcement by the GSMA demonstrates a positive step forward for the mobile ad industry. It shows carriers' commitment to rich and targeted ad delivery.

Consumer data is the key to offering well-targeted and relevant mobile advertising. Mobile has the potential to become the most relevant and targeted form of advertising, outperforming other media including the fixed internet. There are huge opportunities for brands to reach consumers via the mobile channel.

Brands should utilise this data to build mobile advertising campaigns around the products and services they offer, and reach their target audience anytime and anywhere.

This should in turn translate into an increase in advertiser spend. Access to this sort of data will help advertisers make sense of this new form of fragmented mass media, and will increase conversions and reduce wastage. It will drive up the price of media, which in turn will ensure that publisher or carriers will generate more ad money from their inventory.

Finally, this opens up a whole new market for FMCG brands, which represent an enormous opportunity for the mobile advertising market. Rich data coupled with geo location is set to be a win-win for high-street retailers.

Harry Dewhirst, co-founder and media director, RingRing Media