Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) released "The Mobile Internet Report," on the trends and usage of the mobile internet industry a few months ago. They had some interesting findings and predictions.One of the most notable came in the press release about the report:

"We believe more users may connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs within five years," said Mary Meeker, leader of Morgan Stanley's global tech research team."

Their chart seems to indicate that mobile will be the biggest trend in technology to date:

Some other interesting findings on the mobile internet and its usage:

• 48% of all Internet users come from just five countries (Brazil, Russia, China, India and the U.S.).
• Video accounts for 69% of mobile data traffic.
• Facebook is the single largest repository for user-generated content such as pics, videos, links and comments.
• Apple and Android (Android) platforms are gaining in the mobile OS market, while Windows Mobile, RIM and Palm decline.
• More and more, we are expecting to have access to our “stuff,” i.e. music, documents and applications, in the cloud.
• The overlap between mobile users and social web users continues to grow; more and more users are accessing the social web from a mobile device.
• If Skype were a telecommunications carrier, it would be the largest carrier in the world, with 521 million registered users.
• Games are bigger than any other app category — both for the social web and for mobile devices.
• Real-time technology and location-based services are expected to drive mobile retail.
• Online ad sales are growing, but virtual goods, premium content and other models are big business, especially for the mobile web.
• The average iPhone user only spends 45% of his on-device time making voice calls.
  

What this means to member-based organizations is that if you are going to provide information and benefits via technology to members, you will have to do it via the desktop and through mobile devices. Why are associations on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter? Because that is where there current and prospective members are. This report seems to indicate that in the not to distant future your members are going to be predominantly accessing your organization through a mobile device, so starting to build a plan in this area is something to start thinking about now.

I know many people will be saying to themselves, "I just got my arms around social media and now I have to figure out a mobile strategy!!" Mobile can seem complicated, but it doesn't have to be. At ASAE Annual, we are unveiling our new mobile application. It will be the most comprehensive mobile application for the association industry to date and works right out of the box. Best of all, we are giving it to all of our customers for free. If you want to swing by our booth (318) and discuss mobile, please do. I will be there. You can also email me, text me, tweet me, Skype me or call me. Whew, I think my email signature line will be getting a lot longer!