Everyone and their mama is using SMS these days thus we were not surprised to learn that ABI Research predicts more than 7 trillion SMS messages will be sent worldwide in 2011, from nearly 4.2 billion mobile subscriptions.
The research company distincts between four types of messaging: SMS, MMS, mobile email and Instant Messaging. While SMS is used by pretty much every mobile phone user out there, MMS by few (when compared to SMS) – email and instant messaging are increasingly getting traction among the mainstream consumers. As a matter of fact, some companies like Nokia are developing email software for folks in emerging markets who will most likely access their email primarily from a mobile phone rather than computer.
ABI Research goes further arguing that the future of mobile messaging will increasingly be in unified toolkits that mash up and converge text and multimedia messages, IM chats, emails and voicemails. Couldn’t agree more.
Additional information on ABI’s report titled “Mobile Messaging Services” is available from their website.