A cell phone is the one device you have on you at all times. When you leave home with out it, you turn right back around to retrieve it no matter how far away you are. For some people, it’s truly become an extension of the body. It’s also incredibly personal. When you receive a phone call or text message, you almost always pull it out of your pocket to see who is calling or sending you a message.
In 2001, cell phone carriers launched number portability, allowing consumers to take their numbers with them no matter which provider they switch to. As coverage and network speeds continue to get better, more and more people are discarding their work and home phones for their cell phone. With technology like Bluetooth, your cell phone will become your home phone and work phone as soon as you step into your house or sit at your desk.
Text messaging in the past couple of years has experienced tremendous growth. Carriers have finally packaged the service into affordable plans and the adoption rate has, in turn, increased significantly. In fact, a recent study by Frost & Sullivan states that by the end of 2007, 75.5 million cell phone customers will use text messaging on a daily basis and 32 million of these will engage in texting based on mobile marketing campaigns.
More than 31 percent of people change their email address every year. People don’t need to throw their cell phone numbers away anymore. As a result, having your customer’s cell phone number is as important, if not more important, than his email address. Savvy marketers know this and are doing everything they can to expand their mobile database.
What are you waiting for?
Jared Reitzin
CEO
mobileStorm Inc.
Money For Small Business
What about regulations of sending text messsages and also, dont you think the consumer cost will be a force that really limits the amount of text messages being sent in the future.
Jackson, I wrote an previous article (see laws and compliance catagory) on the regulations of sending text messages. Right now there is not many regulations however I believe this will change in the next 24 months. To answer your second question, right now carriers charge about $.15 per text message, however most people pay for a bulk plan that gives them a lot of messages per month. I believe as SMS communication continues to rise and everyone is forced to start using it (because their friends will not give them a choice) you will see the bulk plans become more popular and another $10 or $20 a month on your bill will not be a huge difference. I do believe right now though that the $.15 per message fee is way too much money and the carriers should try and lower that if they want to see adaption in the short term. EVERYONE oversees (Europe, Asia etc..) sends text messages because they cost a lot less than a phone call, which is the exact opposite in the U.S. As a nation, I agree we have some catching up to do.