The leading evaluator of the digital world, ComScore, Inc. on March 27 released its first study on internet usage in Singapore. The study reveals the ranking of the most engaging and visited Internet site categories and properties, based on the comScore World Metrix service, and articulates the top search properties, based on the comScore qSearch service.

The ComScore study states that in February 2009, more than 2.5 million people in Singapore age 15 and older accessed the Internet from home and work locations, consuming an average of 1,785 pages of content and accessing the Internet an average of 21 hours per person.

Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice president, said, "Singapore is one of the most advanced digital markets in the Asia-Pacific region and represents a growing opportunity for digital marketers. The combination of high broadband penetration, heavy online engagement and the overall tech savvy of Internet users in Singapore make it an ideal market for the adoption of valuable existing and emerging digital technologies, including search, social media and online video."

According to the ComScore study, the Internet users in Singapore averaged 21 hours online per visitor during February, with online communication, entertainment, and social networking topping the list of how users were most likely to spend their time. Highlighting the particular significance of online communication in Singapore, Instant Messaging captured 24 percent of total minutes, making it the leading activity, while Web-based email accounted for 6 percent.

The study found that Singaporeans spent 14 percent of their online time at the Entertainment category, which includes popular Web brands like YouTube and MediaCorp, while social networking accounted for 8 percent.

The ComScore study says that Google Sites ranked as the most visited Internet property in Singapore with 2 million visitors in February 2009, reaching nearly 80 percent of the online population. Microsoft Sites followed in second with 1.9 million visitors (77 percent reach), while Yahoo! Sites ranked third with 1.8 million visitors (70 percent reach). Social networking sites also made an appearance in the ranking, including Facebook. com, which reached more than 1 million visitors and ranked as the fourth most visited property in February, and Friendster. com, which ranked sixth with 838,000 visitors. According to the study, Facebook and Friendster Rank were the two of the most visited online properties in Singapore.

According to comScore qSearch, 221 million searches were conducted in Singapore in February, a 43-percent increase versus year ago. Google Sites led the search market with 146 million searches conducted (66 percent search market share), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 39 million searches (17 percent) and Baidu. com Inc. with 8 million searches (4 percent). Google searchers were also the most prolific with an average of 74 search queries per searcher during the month.