Mobile World Congress, BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 27,
2012/PRNewswire-Asia/ --
New opportunities for operators to ensure messaging relevance and
revenue by providing new services which consumers want and are
willing to pay for
-- 95% of UK consumers polled actively use SMS
-- 93% of Smartphone owners communicate with SMS,
despite access to Instant Messaging (IM) services
-- 3 out of 4 Smartphone owners (74%) said they need
SMS, of which 51% state they would be lost without
it
-- 68% of Smartphone owners are willing to pay for RCS
type services
According to new research launched by Acision at Mobile World
Congress, SMS still dominates the mobile messaging market when
compared to other messaging services such as 'Over the Top' (OTT)
Instant Messaging (IM) services. 95% of all respondents questioned
stated they actively use texting, significantly more than the
Smartphone owners actively using OTT/IM services such as Facebook
Chat (37%), Skype (20%), Twitter (17%), Blackberry Messenger (17%)
and WhatsApp (16%) - the five most popular OTT/IM services
today.
The research, which was conducted by Vanson Bourne and examines
consumer messaging habits and preferences, is the most
comprehensive study to date on the mobile messaging landscape.
Based on interviews with 1000 mobile device users in the UK across
smartphone (63%) and feature phone (37%) owners, the research
revealed that SMS proves most popular with smartphone owners - 93%
of this demographic reported using SMS. In fact, Smartphone owners
appear to appreciate SMS the most, with 3 out of 4 stating a clear
need for SMS (74%) - 51% of which say they would be lost without
it, despite the ability to access different OTT/IM messaging
services on a Smartphone. This highlights the immense value and
dependence of text messaging in consumers' lives today.
When asked about their preference to SMS or OTT/IM mobile messaging
services, smartphone owners cited they preferred SMS because of its
reach (42%); reliability (42%); price (38%), speed of delivery
(37%) and the ability to send to groups (28%). Only 4% of
smartphone users said that IM is more reliable and faster than SMS,
with 35% saying that they find SMS to be more reliable and
faster.
Commenting on the research, Jorgen Nilsson, Chief Executive at
Acision, said: "Reports that suggest that SMS is on its deathbed,
it seems, have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, it appears that
smartphone and feature phone owners alike are united by their
affection for text messaging. What is interesting is that SMS seems
to excel on devices that have been more commonly associated with IM
services. Based on these results, we can see a long and healthy
future for SMS, the first and still the greatest of mobile
applications."
While the research shows there is a continuing appetite for SMS,
users are also interested in enhanced messaging services. When
asked about SMS based personalised services, a significant number
of respondents said they would be like to use: message delivery
notifications (47%), black/white listing (40%); message copy (37%);
message search (37%) and reminder services (35%). This is evidence
that there is an opportunity for operators to extend the
functionality and life span of text, increase customer loyalty and
generate premium revenues.
In order to test the appetite for Rich Communication Suite type
services (RCS and RCS-e), respondents were asked to rate a service
offered by their operator that would include IM, file transfer,
group chat and video sharing, and allow them to exchange messages
with all SMS and MMS users. Only 5% of UK Smartphone users said
they would not use such a service and 68% said they would be happy
to pay for such services, highlighting the revenue-generating
potential messaging still has to offer.
Nilsson concluded, "After looking at these results it is clear that
while IM is growing in popularity it still has a long way to go to
catch up with the reach, reliability and ubiquitous nature of SMS.
Analysts are predicting that Mobile IM will exceed 1.3 billion
users by 2016*, compared to over 5 billion users with access to SMS
today.
"Mobile IM does have its advantages but the market is currently
fragmented as services cannot communicate with each other, and
relies on a smartphone or tablet device with a mobile broadband
connection. As experts in delivering both SMS and IP messaging
services, we are excited about the new opportunities in IP
messaging services but believe SMS will still play a leading role
in our messaging backbone, not only as a connectivity tool but
particularly for brands wanting to reach the 5 billion consumers
with access to SMS today."
This research is part of a wider messaging study conducted by
Acision, with further results for regions including the US being
announced over the coming months. To find out more about Acision's
mobile messaging research and its role in messaging, please visit
Acision on stand A93 in Hall 8 or visit us at the GSMA's RCS
Showcase on stand C118 in Hall 8.
-ends-
*Juniper Research(
http://www.juniperresearch.com/viewpressrelease.php?pr=248
) (June 2011): Mobile IM users will exceed 1.3 billion by
2016
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Vanson Bourne and the research
Vanson Bourne, a specialist research-led consultancy, carries out
user research within a technology context. The company interviews
senior decision makers from a variety of functions, across a whole
range of industries, in organisations from the smallest to the
largest, in markets around the globe. Vanson Bourne's clients range
from start-ups to well-known companies that need expert guidance,
delivering robust and credible research-based analysis.
Acision's mobile messaging research was conducted in January 2012
with a sample of 1,000 adults in the UK.
About Acision
As the global leader in mobile messaging, Acision connects the
world by powering relevant, seamless messaging services, which
enrich the mobile communications experience and create new
opportunities for carriers and enterprises across the world. For
more information, visit Acision at http://www.acision.com
SOURCE﹛Acision UK Ltd