You’re About To Want Mobile Instant Messaging

Was there ever a time when you thought that you would never get interested in SMS text messaging? When SMS messages first became a service available on mobile phones, plenty of users thought that they’d never have any use for sending a message via text when they could simply dial the phone and call the intended recipient of the message. Over time, of course, we’ve come to realize the value of the text message as a supplement to the voice call and as such it has become a standard feature of the mobile phone plan that almost all mobile phone users make use of at least part of the time. That’s likely to be the same case with Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) which some people currently say that they aren’t going to be interested in but which is rapidly starting to emerge as the latest way to communicate from your cell phone.

Basics of Mobile Instant Messaging

Mobile Instant Messaging is a service which takes the traditional instant message features of the desktop and moves them to the mobile phone. It offers some of the great features available through SMS messaging along with some of the great features that people prefer from a traditional IM service. At its very basic level, it allows the mobile phone to function somewhat like a desktop in terms of how the instant messenger service is used. There are MIM services available for many of the major instant messaging platforms (such as Yahoo! Messenger) and we’re starting to see mobile-only instant message platforms enter the market.

Benefits of MIM as Compared to Basic IM

Mobile Instant Messaging offers the same general services as traditional IM but allows the user to use the service in any locations where they can get Wi-Fi access on their mobile phones. This means that the individual can start or continue online conversations even when he or she has to be away from the desktop computer. This can be useful to someone who is out and about around town as well as to someone who simply wants more flexibility with the IM service while doing chores around the house. The mobility of MIM is the reason that people may prefer it to basic instant messenger services.

Benefits of MIM as Compared to SMS

You might be wondering why you would bother to use MIM instead of using SMS messages. It’s true that the way that messages appear on the mobile phone screen is similar whether you are using MIM or SMS. However there are major differences in the use of MIM which can make it more appealing to some users. For one thing, you can use your online alias with MIM so you don’t have to actually give your phone number to the people who are interested in sending you messages. For people who engage in regular online chatting with strangers, MIM is a much safer option in regards to this privacy aspect.

The other major benefit to MIM as compared to SMS is that you can use the IM features to see whether or not someone is available to chat with you. If you’re just bored and trying to waste a little bit of time on your mobile phone, you want to chat with those friends who are immediately available. MIM will show you that availability in the same way that traditional IM would. In contrast, you can send an SMS message and it may not be received for hours if the person is unavailable or has their phone turned off.

Limitations of MIM

Although there are obvious benefits of MIM in comparison with desktop IM and SMS, there are certainly limitations of using this service. The main problem is that most mobile phones have bandwidth limitations that make it difficult to actively using MIM on a regular basis. As the technology for mobiles phones and mobile broadband improves, this limitation is being lifted. However it remains a barrier for many people today. There may also be a barrier related to cost as Wi-Fi based services like MIM currently cost more from most carriers than SMS plans. That, too, may change as more carriers take an interest in tapping into the developing MIM market.

The Emerging Market for MIM

According to recent statistics, only eight percent of worldwide mobile phone users are currently using MIM. Of those users who do take advantage of Mobile Instant Messaging, there is a forty percent drop in the use of text messaging. Put simply, most people aren’t using MIM yet but those who do use it seem to strongly prefer it to SMS messaging. This means that there is a huge untapped market of consumers who could take a strong interest in MIM in the near future and that interest could be to the detriment of the SMS market. This is an area of interest and concern to mobile phone marketing agencies as well as to phone carriers, both of which will have to adjust their tactics in order to target the emerging MIM market.

MIM and Mobile Social Networking

The biggest area of growth that is opening up for moving MIM forward in the market is the growth of mobile social networking sites. People are getting more and more used to being online and in communication with their social networks via their mobile phone. Whether they are using the mobile version of a site like Facebook or they are using a mobile-specific social networking site, these people are starting to take it for granted that the mobile phone is a tool for engaging in online social networking. These people will naturally take to the growth of MIM. Moreover, there are MIM businesses that are specifically targeting the social networking community through implementing MIM widgets on those sites.

Future of Mobile Instant Messaging

Mobile Instant Messaging is definitely poised for growth but it’s difficult to tell at this time whether that growth will come from developments in mobile services offered by existing IM platforms or if it will come from the efforts of those companies which are specifically interested in promoting MIM. The mobile web is truly an area where a lot of change is currently taking place and this is one area in which that change is going to be exhibited fairly rapidly. Before you know it, you’re going to be wondering how it was that you ever thought you could get by without Mobile Instant Messaging.

by Kathryn (http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/?author=19)

Source:http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/?p=1718