Mobile instant messaging is set to cannibalise texting and eventually email from PC, a survey from TNS Technology has found.
The TNS Global Telecoms Insight study, which interviewed 17,000 respondents across 30 countries, found that once mobile users adopt mobile instant messaging (MIM) it overtakes other messaging tools with potentially dramatic consequences for service and network providers’ revenue.
Among those who use MIM, it is the most used feature on their phone: 61% use it daily, compared to only 55% who use SMS daily and only 12% who use email on their mobile.
The survey also found that 11 out of every 100 messages sent by mobile devices or fixed PC globally are instant messages.
However, among MIM users 36 out of every 100 messages sent is an instant message from their mobile, making this the dominant messaging form for these users.
The number of messages sent via SMS falls dramatically among MIM users from 38 to only 23 messages per 100. MIM users also use fixed email less with 21 out of every 100 messages sent via this medium, compared to 31 messages among all consumers.
Matthew Froggatt, managing director of global technology for TNS, said: “Once a mobile phone user has access to the internet from their handset, the cost of instant messaging is next to nothing, as the only cost is a very small data transfer fee.
“With consumers being accustomed to instant messaging from their PC from companies like Yahoo and MSN, and more mobile operators offering unlimited use of web browsers, the take up of MIM is going to increase significantly – leaving SMS and fixed email from PC behind.”
Consultancy firm Strategy Analytics conducted a survey which found that global demand for mobile phone handsets remains strong (see Mobile Handset Demand Remains Strong).
Strategy Analytics said that 282 million handsets were shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2008, up 14% year on year.
However, earlier this month Nokia warned that the global mobile phone market is set to decline for the first time.
The mobile phone company, which was releasing its first quarter results, said that it expects the number of phones sold to increase by 10% from the 1.1 billion phones sold last year (see Mobile Phone Market To Decline Says Nokia).
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