Read this article from RCRWireless - 'TEXT MESSAGING HAS BECOME A CASH COW for mobile operators desperate to generate revenues in mobile data. But instant messaging may be poised to change that.'

I personally don't like instant messaging - I use it sometimes, and I do find it very useful sometimes, but I also feel that it's more intrusive than text messaging.

Instant messaging is fine if you both have time to sit and watch a screen. However calling is much easier.

I have noticed that the text messaging numbers are on a serious rise. It is easy to see why. no interruptions at meetings and you can get the message without having to call and go through all the options of voice mail. Texting I feel is going to be the standard communication with people in the future. Is just email via phone. Even the older folks that renew their service plans are adding texting so they can answer kids and grand kids.

The only downside is the lack of personal communication between people. Oh well technology and all.

I have an European point of view about the subject.

1. Here SMSs are widely used from many people (my 68 years old mom use them). The asyncronous mechanism and the low price are very appreciated. This technology is very simple and it was in use for years.
2. Often the MIM solutions are bound to the carrier (e.g.: is difficult to chat using the IM that you use on PC or to connect to traditional internet IM).
3. Sometime the wireless data plan are expensive and the carriers don't provide continue connectivity (especially for young people). These facts block the diffusion of traditional internet IM.
4. People are used to change carrier (using the same number: EU put some rules in place to permit this).

My conclusions is that it will be very difficult to move over SMSs in a short time. To do this we need a standard approved by the consortium/organization (GSM? ITU? ETSI? Whatever!) and used by device producers and carriers. And the implementation and prices need to be cheap (look at MMS little success). 

 

Personally I love IM.

 ..but I don't think people have the IM-mindset when they are not infront of their computer... yet!

 And I have to say the Windows Live client on Windows Mobile suck. It's wasting screen space with the huge tab bar, too power consuming and the contact syncronisation does not work very well at all.

The Agile Messenger has a great interface, but is a little bit to expensive for my taste. 

 The MS Communicator is also great, use it every day with my collegues.

 It is so different country-to-country. in aus,  sms is huge, really huge.  and in NZ its even bigger. However the last time i was in the states, there were several people who really didnt have any idea about it.  

 

Interestingly, when i was in the states Beepers were still massive,  yet i've never seen anyone with one in aus.  

davidc:

Interestingly, when i was in the states Beepers were still massive

 

I'm not sure that this is true now - how long ago was this?

I remember when my daughter was in middle school which is about 10 years ago - kids then just had beepers and they developed their own pager code so that they could exchange messages. I still have the code written out by my daughter.

 

BEEPERS????? WOWWWWW.... thats taking cellular back to primal status!!! Again, q1 2008 AT&T did about 4 billion text messages and 400 million mms messages alone. I like to think I contributed greatly to both.. Viva text messages!!! q1 for both big RED and AT&T saw great revenues due to txt and data usage.

UI of IM on mobile phones is another big issue. But MIM has an optimized interface.

BTW I would prefer a threaded reader/writer for my SMSs.

Massimo:

BTW I would prefer a threaded reader/writer for my SMSs.

 

Welcome Massimo - threaded SMS messages are a new feature in WM 6.1

Nice to know!

Would I be able to update our Moto Q9h phones to WM 6.1?

And what about our HTC Touch Dual phones?

In this post , Bill posted a list of all phones with a scheduled update.Looks like the Moto Q9h is included.

On many phones, mobile instant messaging = text messaging.  The OZ Instant Messenger included on Windows Mobile devices from AT&T and T-Mobile uses SMS for delivering IMs.  A lot of other dumb phones also use SMS for IM.  So in many cases, it's the same thing. 

I think text messaging and instant messaging as equally intrusive though.  They're both messages that contain text and they both arrive instantly on your device.  You can set the notification options on each so that maybe one does not make the phone play a notification sound, but they seem to be pretty much the same.

I do love the new Windows Live Messenger though.  If I have time to kill waiting for some one in the car, it's pretty entertaining to be able to exchange voice clips with others... maybe send a self portrait JPG too.  It really needs to implement the Microsoft Portrait video chat features though and make better use of the front facing cameras on all of these Windows Mobile phones.

 

Adamz:

I think text messaging and instant messaging as equally intrusive though. 

I find instant messaging more intrusive as the person on the other end expects a converstion with you, and expects instant replies. I don't find the same of text messaging.

 

 

Adamz:

maybe send a self portrait JPG too

I , personally, would hate this - but then I'm shy

 

SMSs are more similar to emails: they are asyncronous. IM is syncronous. You can emulate IM using SMSs but it isn't the same thing. It is more similar to exchanging a series of emails.

BTW SMS runs with very bad (GSM) network coverage, too.

Massimo:

SMSs are more similar to emails: they are asyncronous. IM is syncronous.

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I receive SMS messages as I'm writing and sending them to other people all the time. Isn't that the meaning of synchronous? 

Are you referring to the transmittal of SMS messages as being less than instant?  I just tested sending an SMS from one phone to another.  It took almost 2 seconds from the time it left the outbox.  Then I tested sending an IM from a desktop to my phone in Live Messenger.  It also took almost 2 seconds.