Posted: March 16, 2007

I was browsing the internet the other day, not really looking for anything in particular. Even within the boundaries of such an unfocused search, I came across these facts (courtesy of Cellular News) pertaining to the health and future of mobile messaging both in America and around the world. I think they speak for themselves.
THE UNITED KINGDOM

1) The UK’s Mobile Data Association (MDA) has published its firstly monthly report into MMS usage in the UK. During the third quarter of 2006, a total of 88 million picture messages (MMS) were sent throughout the UK - on average, almost 1 million per day throughout July, August and September. October’s total was the highest yet, with 30 million picture messages sent across the networks.

2) The UK text messaging total broke through the 4 billion barrier for the first time during December 2006, according to figures announced today by the Mobile Data Association (MDA). December’s remarkable total of 4.3 billion takes the overall figure for 2006 to 41.8 billion, surpassing the MDA’s prediction of 40 billion and giving a daily average for the year of 114 million.

Person-to-person texts sent across the UK GSM network operators throughout the last month of the year show a growth of 38% on the December 2005 figure of 3.1 billion, and represent an average of 138 million messages per day. On Christmas Day this leapt to 205 million texts, an average of 8 million per hour, with the figure for New Year’s Day 2007 even higher reaching a record breaking 214 million, the highest daily total ever recorded by the MDA.

When compared to the mere 42 million messages sent per day five years ago throughout December 2001, it becomes clear just how far the nation has come in embracing text messaging technology which has emerged from a popular craze to becoming an essential communication tool, inclusive to all age groups. The MDA has forecast that figures will continue to rise this year to deliver an annual total of 45 billion text messages for 2007, with an average of 3.75 billion messages being sent per month and 123 million messages per day.

URUGUAY

1) Ancel, the mobile unit of Uruguayan state-run operator Antel, ended 2006 with a daily average of 6 million SMS sent compared to 2 million in 2005, local newspaper La República reported Antel deputy sales manager Osvaldo Novoa as saying.

Novoa also said Ancel ended last year with 950,000 mobile telephone subscribers compared to 568,000 in 2005 and mobile traffic was up 65% year-on-year.

CANADA

1) The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association says that mobile phone customers sent more than 4.3 billion person-to-person text messages in 2006, almost triple the 1.5 billion messages sent in 2005. Text message volumes peaked in December 2006 at more than 560 million in that month alone, which represents more than 18 million per day.

“Although text messaging volumes have been doubling year-over-year since 2002, the extraordinary surge in 2006 is directly related to Canadians’ continuing adoption of wireless data services,” said Peter Barnes, President and CEO of CWTA. “Canadians continue to be the world’s second largest consumers of wireless voice minutes at an average of 400 minutes per month. However, non-voice services such as text messaging, e-mail, gaming, ringtones, music and video now account for more than $1 billion in yearly service provider revenue.”

At the end of 2006, Canadian wireless phone subscribers numbered 18.5 million, representing a national wireless penetration rate of approximately 58%. Recent CWTA research estimates wireless penetration in major urban centres has exceeded 70%, with some greater metropolitan areas approaching the 80% mark.

GLOBALLY

1) Sybase 365 (formerly Mobile 365) has said that it delivered a record-breaking number of mobile messages in 2006, successfully sending more than 25 billion domestic and international MMS and SMS messages worldwide-almost twice the number of messages delivered in 2005.

“The sheer volume of messages delivered by Sybase 365 in 2006 reflects the remarkable growth of the mobile messaging market” said Marty Beard, president of Sybase 365.

Sybase 365 also reported that for calendar year 2006 it delivered 249 million Mobile Originated (MO) MMS messages-more than five times the number delivered in 2005.

MMS traffic increased nearly 17 percent from November to December 2006 alone, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day serving as the heaviest traffic days of the month.

2) The messaging interconnection firm, mBlox has announced a record number of off-portal transactions for 2006, processing over 1.4 billion application-to-person transactions worldwide. 2006 was the fifth consecutive year of high growth for mBlox, with business up 40% over 2005.

In the USA, the number of premium SMS transactions mBlox processed increased 100% over 2005, and globally mBlox cleared and settled payments for mobile content transactions worth more than $500 million in street revenue.

3) Thousands of miles, different time zones, even the seas and oceans proved no barrier for friends, family and loved ones this New Year, as the amount of SMS sent globally increased over 30 per cent compared to last year, to reach a staggering 33 billion messages sent worldwide. These statistics are being attributed to increased use of SMS by groups outside of the traditional young user segments.

Responsible for handling more than half of all messages sent in the world, LogicaCMG has calculated that its systems processed around 18 billion messages on New Year’s Day, up one-third from the previous year.

With around two billion active SMS users worldwide it is by far the largest messaging community in the world, and with mobile penetration on the rise the future looks bright for SMS as the consumers’ choice for mobile communication.

Across the globe, record traffic growth in established messaging markets combined with a number of newer emerging SMS markets caused a volume growth of messages far beyond anticipated levels. LogicaCMG, the messaging specialist that serves over one billion subscribers in 135 countries across six continents, saw new traffic records for the last festive season across the majority of the world’s mobile markets including the UK (29 per cent growth), France (28 per cent growth) and Thailand (close to 50 per cent growth).

Henk de Boer, senior vice president, messaging, at LogicaCMG said: “The double-digit growth of SMS sent globally proves that its relevance in the lives of people is stronger than ever. Mobile users are able to fully rely on the capability of SMS to guarantee real-time delivery of their personal messages to businesses, friends and family at time critical moments.

4) A new report from Portio Research forecasts a healthy future for SMS, which continues to be the star of the data services show with traffic volumes and revenues that continue to confound predictions. Although the growth of SMS revenues will not be as aggressive as the growth of SMS volumes due to declining prices, by 2012 global SMS revenues are expected to reach US$67 billion, driven by 3.7 trillion messages.

If there was one message this report should get across it is this: SMS continues to be a phenomenal success as the cheapest, quickest and easiest to use form of peer-to-peer mobile communication. Markets have continued to grow and greatly exceeded the predictions of similar research carried out in 2005.

SMS traffic has not flattened out in mature markets but continued to boom whilst the US market has grown much faster than expected. The SMS market despite declining prices continues to be fuelled by new subscribers.

In Asia alone, in the five minutes it takes to read this press release and in every subsequent five minute period for the next six years, 2,267 people will have bought their first ever mobile phone. For the majority, these new handsets will offer little affordable functionality apart from basic voice and SMS services. This translates into an additional 1.4bn new mobile subscribers in Asia alone with a consequent boom in SMS traffic in the region.

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