Portio Predicts Continuing SMS Boom

A report from Portio Research
predicts that global SMS revenues will reach $67 billion (34
billion) by 2012. The report, Mobile
Messaging Futures 2007 – 2012 outlines an exciting future for other
mobile messaging technologies, especially Mobile Instant Messaging and
mobile e-mail, amid continued strong worldwide subscriber growth.
The report highlights the phenomenal success of SMS as the cheapest,
quickest and easiest-to-use form of peer-to-peer mobile communication.
Markets have continued to grow, says Portio, and greatly exceeded the
predictions of similar research carried out in 2005. In mature markets,
SMS traffic has not flattened out,  but continued to boom, while the US
market has grown much faster than expected.
The market continues to be fuelled by new subscribers, the report
states. In Asia alone, says Portia, 2,267 people will buy their first
mobile phone every five minutes for the next six years. For the
majority, these new handsets will offer little affordable functionality
apart from basic voice and SMS services. This translates into an
additional 1.4 billion new mobile subscribers in Asia alone, with a
consequent boom in SMS traffic in the region.
By 2011, the report predicts, Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) will
supplant SMS as the mainstream messaging service, especially in markets
such as North America, as Smartphones and wireless Internet
proliferate. Operators, the report suggests, need to strike a balance
between SMS and IM pricing in order to prevent the future
cannibalisation of SMS revenues.
The report provides detailed discussion of all mobile messaging
technologies, including SMS, MMS, MIM, E-mail, Videomail and Unified
Messaging, as well as business models, network technology impacts,
value chain shifts and advice for operators, backed by charts and
statistics.
The report costs 1,495 for a 1-5-user licence, 1,995 for a
medium-size company licence, or 2,995 for an enterprise-wide licence. For more information, email info@portioresearch.com