A recent study by independent analyst firm Ovum showed that one billion users will turn to their mobile devices as their only means to access the Internet. These users account for 28 per cent of all mobile broadband users globally or 13 per cent of the world's population in five years' time. The Asia-Pacific will dominate the mobile-only broadband market, with users forecast to grow from 119.1 million in 2011 to 518.4 million.

These statistics spell market opportunities for mobile operators and service providers, particularly in the area of data services. Openwave Systems, a global software solutions provider, is helping mobile operators in the region for an industry trend they call the "data tsunami".

"The Asia Pacific region is a key growth market for our industry, and operators here are eager to monetize this demand for mobile data from a growing range of smarter devices," said John Giere, senior vice president, Products and Marketing, Openwave.

With its solutions for context-aware mediation and messaging, Openwave said it generates approximately 25% to 30% of quarterly revenue from Asia. Among its publicized clients in the region include Australia's Telstra, Malaysia's Maxis, Taiwan Mobile, and Japan's Softbank and KDDI.