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Potential of phone texting is revealed
RESEARCH by a leading SMS text technology business has revealed as yet untapped potential for the mobile phone messaging system.
Sheffield-based Dialogue Communications has developed a raft of innovative applications for mobile phones, including a system for ordering goods by phone and adding the cost to the phone bill.
Now the company has quizzed mobile users and found that two out of three would like to receive text alerts reminding them about everything from medical appointments to bill payments becoming due.
Dialogue found that although only three per cent of people currently receive reminders by text – with 83 per cent coming through post – more than 67 per cent would be happy to receive text reminders or alerts in the future.
Nearly 60 per cent would actually opt in for the text reminder service, and just over 80 per cent of people said they would also be interested in a customer service text call-back request capability.
Dialogue's managing director Guiom Peersman, said: "The SMS phenomenon goes on, and here at Dialogue we are seeing a constant demand for innovative new applications.
"People text all the time and the survey shows they are more than happy to use it beyond normal social networking. Our findings show that service organisations now need to be aware of this need and respond to it."
The overwhelming reason people gave for wanting to move away from postal reminders to SMS reminders was that it was more convenient. Dialogue says that, with the majority of people keeping their mobile phones with them most of the time text messages are a good way of communicating a short reminder as the message will then be stored on the phone for future reference, and respondents considered they were generally more reliable then the post. Others reasons included being more environmentally friendly, and – with smartphones - easier to sync with Outlook calendars.
Dialogue Communications SMS applications have been used by a number of different organisations including local councils and police authorities.
People in the UK use text messaging more than any other nation in the world, apart from the US.
The UK's 62 million strong population sends an estimated 83 billion texts a year compared with the US's 309 million strong population, which sends 830 billion texts a year.
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