From the publisher of Caribbean Telecoms Analyst

Simple text messaging is one of the marvels of the mobile content industry. It gives operators the impetus to start to take the mobile data market seriously by providing them with vital revenue streams. Text messaging is a ubiquitous service that the vast majority of mobile users are familiar with and it is used as a spring board into the wider world of content, where much of the delivery and payment mechanisms in place use SMS as an enabler. Nevertheless, Caribbean mobile operators need to be aware that the life span of SMS-based content will be shortened by the eventual proliferation of 3G mobile networks that can provide cheap (or free) mobile Internet access.

Mobile Messaging looks at the potential threats and opportunities for operators in the Caribbean, offering an up-to-date thorough analysis of Mobile Messaging strategies. The report also addresses regulatory issues, mobile email and instant messaging.

Mobile Messaging provides an essential guide to the current market status, with a unique level of detail that includes:

• Defining messaging - Mobile Messaging now encompasses a wide array of services for both direct peer-to-peer (P2P) and application to person (A2P) messaging and can be classified either as a push service (sent without a user request) or a pull service (requested by the user)
• Short Messaging Services (SMS) - SMS is still the most familiar type of messaging. It can also act as a bearer for other content and services, for example transmitting ringtones. Other services may eventually become higher revenue generators, but SMS is seen as a customer’s first foray into data services and its success is vital to the take-up of other wireless data services.
• Multimedia messaging services (MMS) - MMS builds on the development of SMS and combines it with email. It appeals to a broad group of subscribers and allows advertisers target niche markets. MMS will help create a business model that will generate revenue through certain activities, such as subscriptions and sponsoring.
• Mobile email - Mobile email is the logical progression for operators seeking to increase their offering to the enterprise market, primarily because it will enable Mobile Messaging to interact seamlessly with fixed-line email, and at data speeds that are more comparable with the fixed-line Internet.
• Messaging evolution - SMS is evolving to multimedia with support from standards groups like 3GPP. Potential next-generation messaging services are expected run the gamut from specialized fonts and colours in text to still images with MMS offering imaging services such as screensavers, mobile postcards and mobile business cards. MMS will be highly personalized and will most likely use enabling technology such as Java platforms.

Key questions answered in this report:
How can Caribbean operators increase ARPU?
Can the handsets currently available in the Caribbean support data-centric services?
What similarities from other markets can be used to understand the future of the Mobile Messaging market?
Will data surpass voice for operator revenue?
How will the launch of GPRS or EDGE aid the Mobile Messaging market?

The Caribbean Telecoms Executive Briefing Series are detailed short reports highlighting key industry topics and case studies outlining how the technologies are being used or how they could be used in the Caribbean. The thematic papers will cover a broad series of topics including:

Wi-Fi and WiMAX These are two technologies that have been the subject of a lot of hype in Latin America and elsewhere and are often mentioned as serious options for the Caribbean. But will these technologies actually work under the Caribbean telecoms business model?

Future Mobile Networks This paper aims to look ahead at mobile network technologies and will include some assessment of which technologies will likely work best for the Caribbean based on performance, cost and operator interest.

Prepaid Strategies and Minimizing Churn Since such a high percentage of the Caribbean mobile market uses prepaid accounts, this report studies how the primarily prepaid business will be run, and addresses minimizing churn, which also involves certain strategies in a primarily prepaid marketplace.

Revenue Assurance and Fraud In the Caribbean as in other places in the world, fraud is causing operators to lose money, and this paper will look at strategies for tackling this problem. The paper will also address revenue collection, creating proper auditing and backup checks on billing systems.

Mobile Messaging Voice is still the leading application for mobile network in the Caribbean, but operators are looking to improve value-added service revenue. This paper will address messaging and mobile data models used around the world and their applicability for the Caribbean.

Roaming With Caribbean operations being so small many operators are counting on roaming revenue. How much of a business is roaming today, and what are the developments in the roaming arena that might help or hurt its development in the Caribbean?