User Versus Usage Growth

Recently at the WebGuild Annual Conference 2006: Web 2.0 — The New Web, Keynote Speaker, Ram Shriram, Founding Member of Google, noted that of the approximately 2 billion users worldwide on the web, upwards of 60% have broadband access in the developed markets (i.e. Japan, Western Europe, US, and Canada) and 30% have broadband access in the emerging markets (i.e. Brazil, India, China, Russia, etc.). He went on to state that user growth has been established in multiple geographies but that usage growth comes with maturity. Developed markets are experiencing more usage growth as user growth is already high, and within emerging markets such as China and Brazil followed by Russia, and India, usage growth is occuring more so than in other emerging market countries. Usage growth is happening in email, search, and comsumption of information, versus using, to transact on the internet.

Watch the video of the interview!