In the U.S., the promise of the future in WAP (mobile internet) casts a shadow on its less sexy cousin, SMS, better known as text messaging or “texting.” According to conventional wisdom, WAP is the holy grail of mobile applications, with its ability to deliver splashy, colorful landing pages, images and videos to consumers on their mobile phones. Companies like Microsoft are snapping up WAP advertising startups like ScreenTonic with the belief that, as devices and networks improve increased consumer adoption of WAP will follow.
But SMS is no underdog. It has huge adoption now, is very versatile and useful and is going to persist, even if the handsets and networks catch up to the hype being created around WAP. It’s not like the industry is slamming text messaging, most just ignore it for the razzle-dazzle of newer technology. But some are realizing where the real volume is.
Why are people going to keep using SMS?
1. My mother can use SMS
SMS is simple. My mom can text message and she might think it’s cool to get a weather report or coupon on her phone that way. But she wouldn’t have a clue how to go to a website on her cell phone. As much as people think they want the cutting edge technology, when you want information right now, you’re going to go straight to the quick and easy feature that you know how to use, which is text.
2. People (including my mother) are using it NOW.
I think most people’s default assumption is that they will eventually replicate the web experience on their cell phones. That assumption overlooks the widespread adoption of what’s already in most people’s hands. Unlike data, text messaging works for almost everybody, right now. People don’t change when they have a tool that already works. Eighty-eight percent of US Internet users said they used text messaging; WAP didn’t even make this list.
3. SMS is asynchronous. That’s fancy talk for being able to do the following (not possible with WAP or a client):
- Send an SMS, then turn off or put away your phone and get the response later.
- Store the information from an SMS permanently in your inbox
4. Check out Europe and Asia
Take a look at how SMS has taken off in Europe and Asia. In the UK, you can get local election results via SMS. You can order a pizza or a taxi via SMS. Despite access to faster networks and more advanced handsets, in Asia as much as 72% of mobile revenue comes from text messaging.
5. Pushing the Possibilities
The fact that SMS is the only true “push” mechanism for mobile information makes it quite powerful. Want sports updates or traffic information sent to you automatically? The only mobile medium for this type of service is SMS. Although users can visit WAP sites or receive email on their mobile device, SMS has both the simplicity and the immediacy to encourage ongoing usage and wide adoption. Also, anyone can receive a text message alert. They can set it up on the web and still get the value of staying in the know on the go. They don’t even have to know how to send a text message!
Today, SMS accounts for approximately 75 to 80 percent of non-voice service revenues worldwide. Despite all the noise around WAP and the latest technologies, most of the action is in SMS. Traditional media companies (online, print, TV) and advertisers are taking notice. I’m not saying that browsing the web on your phone isn’t going to become better. You absolutely need to be able to browse for some things. Just don’t overlook SMS: this technology is not going away.
As the CEO and co-founder of 4INFO, Zaw Thet leads the company’s strategic direction and growth. A visionary and leader in the emerging mobile services industry, Zaw has a successful track record of helping companies achieve outstanding growth and performance. Zaw has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was a Soros Fellow. He received his BA from Stanford University in Political Science (minoring in Computer Science) where he was a President’s Scholar.
Tags: advertising, marketing, mobile, SMS, text message, WAP, wireless
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