re: A Cool AWS First ... Cross-Carrier Messaging by InphoMatch
InphoMatch, a wireless messaging application provider, provides software for the company's inter-carrier messaging services. InphoMatch said its advanced routing system lets users send messages between and across U.S. carriers simply by inputting the recipient's wireless phone number. There is no need for a separate e-mail address.
>> AT&T Wireless Brings Cross-Carrier Messaging to U.S.
Brian McDonough
Wireless NewsFactor
November 20, 2001
'To date, the biggest obstacle inhibiting the growth of messaging in the U.S. has been the lack of interoperability between carriers,' Yankee Group executive VP Keith Mallinson said.
AT&T Wireless announced it has shattered one of the principal barriers to widespread adoption of text messaging in the United States. The carrier has expanded its two-way text messaging service to let users send text messages to any text-enabled phone, regardless of carrier.
"What's nice, too, is that the non-AT&T Wireless customer who receives the message can hit reply and send a message back, even though their carrier wouldn't allow them to originate a message to an outside user," AT&T Wireless spokesperson Danielle Perry told Wireless NewsFactor. This, she said, should give more people a taste of the benefits of messaging interoperability.
Analysts have long said that a lack of cross-carrier interoperability limits adoption of text messaging service. In the United Kingdom, where a billion text messages are exchanged each month, messages fly seamlessly across competing carriers' platforms, allowing maximum reach and convenience to users.
"To date, the biggest obstacle inhibiting the growth of messaging in the U.S. has been the lack of interoperability between carriers," said Keith Mallinson, executive vice president of the Yankee Group. He said he expects other carriers to follow AT&T Wireless' lead. "By removing this barrier, we believe that U.S. consumers and businesses will finally begin to adopt messaging services en masse, as we have seen in many other countries."
Adoption Driver
AT&T Wireless hopes its rollout of cross-carrier messaging -- less than a year after it became the first national carrier to offer SMS (short message service) in the United States -- will both drive adoption and take advantage of a potential "holiday rush" of messaging.
"We've been seeing about a million messages a day," Perry said. And that has been while customers can only message others on the AT&T Wireless network. Given broader reach and the holidays, Perry said the company is hoping for a healthy holiday spike.
Europe, in particular, sees a big increase in messaging during the holidays, AT&T Wireless said. The GSM Association reported a record 15 billion SMS messages sent over the world's GSM (global system for mobile communications) wireless networks in December 2000 -- five times the usual monthly flow.
"Our increase might not be as big," Perry allowed, "but we definitely anticipate the same type of trend."
Fine Print
AT&T Wireless said its inter-carrier text messaging capability is available to post-paid and prepaid subscribers in all of the company's TDMA (time division multiple access) and GSM markets. InphoMatch, a wireless messaging application provider, provides software for the company's inter-carrier messaging services.
InphoMatch said its advanced routing system lets users send messages between and across U.S. carriers simply by inputting the recipient's wireless phone number. There is no need for a separate e-mail address.
AT&T Wireless offers flat-rate monthly plans and dime-per-message options. Perry said there is no charge for incoming messages, adding that she believes this model will prevail in the industry. She added that it will take more carriers to get SMS off the ground to the degree seen in Europe.
"I think certainly all major carriers will need to be on the same interoperability page before SMS really takes off," Perry said, "but for now, we're just glad to bring this to AT&T Wireless customers today." <<
- Eric - |
