The Mobile Entertainment Forum (MEF) has announced the next stage of its mobile social networking initiative, which is launching simultaneously in the UK, France, Italy,  India and the US, focusing on revenue generation, business models and consumer protection.
In 2006, MEF and Informa forecast that the mobile communities and user generated content market globally would be worth US$13.2 billion (6.8 billion) by 2011, with photo and chat-based services being the top revenue generators. According to MEFs recent membership survey, the global phenomenon of social networking tops the industrys agenda, with almost 60% of MEF members identifying it in a recent member survey as a top priority.
By localising the initiative, MEF plans to develop best practices for different territories, which it says are vital for meeting local market conditions, which are controlled by local regulatory standards. Each country will have three full MEF members leading the initiative and will generate its own project plan, schedule of deliverables and communications outreach.
According to Universal McCann, around 275 million Internet users manage a profile on a social network at least once a month, says MEF Vice Chair, Marco Argenti. MEFs goal is to ensure that the mobile entertainment industry understands how to offer mobile social networks that provide a good user experience and ensure revenue generation within a safe environment for consumers. 
Gerard Grech, MEF EMEA Chair, adds:
Our members realise that the mobile device is the perfect social networking platform. This initiative provides a framework upon which the industry can base forward-looking business decisions and plan long term growth. The importance of mobile social networks is reflected in this years Meffys special recognition award, which went to the founders of UPOC for the creation of the first mobile community.
For more information on the initiative, please email Suhail Bhat at: [email protected]