Geoff Ramsey, founder of eMarketer, discusses trends in access and monetiztion of digital content in emerging markets at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Media Summit.

eMarketer is an online digital advertising and marketing intelligence site, providing information for agencies, top brands, and media companies around the world.

Ramsey explains that eMarketer was ahead of the curve, capturing data, publishing blogs, and authoring reports online before it was ever popular. He adds that when the Internet was first emerging, eMarketer was a “web portal for other businesses to understand this Internet thing.”

“People want intelligence,” Ramsey explains, “There’s lots of information out there, but there’s a lot of misinformation out there. So we need filters to dissect and synthesize what’s going on.”

It’s one thing to synthesize information; it’s another to make money while doing it. But eMarketer manages to, through a subscription model and advertising. Companies can pay for access to more in-depth and targeted information.

Ramsey also discusses the tipping point for monetizing digital content in emerging markets. He explains that in any given geographic market, you need at least 50% broadband penetration, or strong mobile and smartphone penetration.

“Globally, the penetration of smartphone users will grow from 24% to about 54%, so we’re going to see a doubling in the growth rate in the penetration of smartphones,” which Ramsey believes will be a huge leap forward for connectivity in emerging markets.

Regarding the Middle East and North Africa in particular, Ramsey says, “You really have to be in the region and pay attention to it to understand where it’s going; there are surprises at every corner.”