Mobile Messaging Set To Grow

Mobile messaging is growing in just about every corner of the globe and will push revenue to $212 billion by 2013, according to a new numbers forecast from ABI Research.

The consultancy defined five categories under mobile messaging: SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), voice mail, instant messaging, and e-mail/unified messaging. And it predicted that the next growth spurt will be strongly influenced by new input and access capabilities, as well as integration between mobile and fixed networks.

"Innovation in messaging input, including touch screens, voice-to-text, and advanced keyboard designs, makes initiating a mobile message very easy," said Dan Shey, principal analyst with ABI. "By combining input options with greater ease of communicating across mobile and fixed platforms regardless of messaging service, messaging providers serve customers' needs very well in both the consumer and business domains."

The consultancy also noted some geographical data points: SMS is taking off in North and South America; mobile e-mail continues to thrive in developed regions; subscriber growth in Asia-Pacific countries is also driving messaging adoption; and online social networks have increased messaging use across nearly all regions.

"The range of capabilities, services, and pricing options can be fit to the economic and social differences of each region, and the result quite simply is steady growth over the next five years," Shey added in a statement.

Mobile messaging could also increase if mobile advertisers play their cards right, ABI predicted. "Some very creative companies are finding unique ways to incorporate advertising in mobile messaging," Shey said. "If done right, advertising will completely change the mobile messaging market."