Europeans differ from Americans on all three components of what Forrester calls the mobile mind shift — the expectation by customers that any desired information or service is available on any appropriate device in context and at their moment of need. These three components are the number of connected devices, the frequency of access, and the diversity of locations in which connections occur. This is according to new European data released at Forrester’s Forum For Marketing Leaders EMEA 2013 in London today.

As Josh Bernoff, the co-author of Groundswell, told the more than 250 delegates, while Europeans actually have more connected devices, they connect significantly less frequently and in fewer locations than their US counterparts. The difference, according to Bernoff in his blog post launched in conjunction with his keynote presentation, “appears to be a result of the data plans on European mobile devices, plans that interfere with users’ natural desire to access mobile everywhere as a matter of habit.”

In a report published last month, Forrester argues that customers are in the midst of a total mobile mind shift. They’re not interested in brand messaging or logos; they want utility and they want it now. Brands that focus on the next killer app are missing the bigger picture: The power of mobile access is not about the devices and apps we use now but about the change in attitudes they are creating in the minds of millions of customers. The report also introduces an index that enables companies to know how far along their customer base is in this shift.

Forrester has divided consumers into six segments. The bottom three — Disconnecteds, Dabblers, and Roamers — are unshifted segments. According to new Forrester data unveiled at Forrester’s Forum For Marketing Leaders EMEA 2013 today, 84% of European online adults are in this group: They don’t show clear signs of a change in attitude. The top three segments — Adapters, Immersers, and Perpetuals — are shifted and, therefore, have high expectations for their mobile experience; the European Mobile Mind Shift Index shows that only 16% of European online adults are shifted. In comparison, 22% of US online adults are shifted, while 78% are unshifted. For companies whose customer base falls largely into the shifted segments, there is greater urgency to have a plan in place to provide mobile services. For marketers, meeting the needs of this demanding customer base in a mobile setting is a marketing imperative.

The European Mobile Mind Shift Index varies by country: Germany is the least shifted and has the lowest index score in Europe, followed by the UK and France, which are both slightly more shifted but still below the European average. At the highest end of the index, Sweden is more shifted than the US.