A framework for analysing the usage of mobile services Timo Smura, Antero Kivi and Juuso To ¨yli Abstract Purpose – Collecting and analysing data on mobile service usage is increasingly complex as usage diverges between different types of devices and networks. The purpose of this paper is to suggest and apply a holistic framework that helps in designing mobile service usage research as well as in communicating, positioning, and comparing research results. Design/methodology/approach – The framework was constructed based on longitudinal and cross-sectional mobile service usage measurements carried out in Finland annually in 2005-2008, covering 80-90 percent of all mobile users and service usage. Broad use of multiple data collection methods and measurement points enabled data and method triangulation, as well as analysis and comparison of their scopes and limitations. Findings – The paper suggests a holistic framework for analysing mobile services, relying on service science approach. For measurements and analysis, mobile services are decomposed into four technical components: devices, applications, networks, and content. The paper further presents classifications for each component and discusses their relationships with possible measurement points. The framework is applied to mobile browsing usage studies. Research limitations/implications – Future work includes adding an actors dimension to the framework in order to analyse their roles in the value networks providing mobile services. Extending the framework to Internet services more generally is also possible. Originality/value – The paper presents an original, broadly applicable framework for designing mobile service usage research, and communicating, positioning, and comparing research results. The framework helps academics and practitioners to design and to recognise the limitations of mobile service usage studies, and to avoid misinterpretations based on insufficient data. Keywords Mobile communications systems, Internet, Finland Paper type Research paper 1. Introduction The internet is of growing importance for businesses, enabling a virtual supply chain for marketing and delivering products and services, as well as in facilitating the production of digital services and content. Using internet as a distribution and marketing channel is widely expected to increase companies’ performance (Geyskens et al., 2002) as well as consumer surplus (Brynjolfsson et al., 2003) and it is increasingly important for competitiveness in most industries and markets today. Advances in mobile technologies are promising further benefits by decreasing the spatial and temporal constraints of service provisioning and use (Balasubramanian et al., 2002). In most developed countries, mobile phones have become an inseparable part of everyday life and a majority of people carry them all the time. In addition to complementing and expanding the use of various internet-based services, the evolution of mobile devices also enables entirely new types of services to be introduced, utilising, e.g. location and context-specific information and higher degree of personalization of the devices. Furthermore, aside from their role as a channel to services, mobile devices are also DOI 10.1108/14636690910970973 VOL. 11 NO. 4 2009, pp. 53-67, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1463-6697 j info j PAGE 53 Timo Smura and Antero Kivi are both Research Scientists based at TKK Helsinki University of Technology, Espoo, Finland. Juuso To ¨yli is a Professor based at the Turku School of Economics, Turku, Finland. Received 2 October 2008 Revised 6 March 2009 Accepted 10 March 2009