So where do the mobile networks fit into the group messaging ecosystem? Well so far absolutely nowhere! Mobile networks (and really do feel free to highlight where I may have missed a mobile network actually doing something in this area. I genuinely would love to know!) are doing their best it seems to simply give the messaging space away to application developers. Why not I guess? Mobile networks have successfully lost:
- location
- debatably payment and
- debatably identity
- and they are fighting tooth and nail to not lose voice to VoIP
Why not simply let messaging go the same way? For years mobile networks have had millions of subscribers all of who are happily prepared to send SMS to each other. However group messaging apps have shown the mobile Customer that there is more to messaging than simply texting a single friend. Sure you can text multiple friends at the same time, but SMS fails with group messaging in that there is no 'reply to all' functionality built into the mobile network. This has given rise to a wealth of group messaging apps that fill this gap admirably:
- GroupMe
- Beluga - now acquired by Facebook
- BBM
- Kik
- Fast Society
- Disco - Google's attempt
- Yobongo
- HeyWire
- even the iPhone, on some mobile networks, supports group messaging. Of course this requires your friend to also have an iPhone with group messaging also turned on. Last time I checked not everyone had an iPhone!
to name jut a few! All filling a gap that the lack of a reply to all function with SMS doesn't provide. I probably like GroupMe's effort best as this can be used on any phone at all, using SMS as the message transport mechanism. That being said, installing an app does prevent the need for an SMS.
This being said I don't see the need to bypass SMS as a transport mechanism. SMS works on almost every single mobile phone and is a known quantity for almost every single person who carries a mobile phone. For some stats about SMS's I posted a blog last year, SMS Is Not Dead, that highlights some of the usage figures. With billions of users sending trillions of messages why change how SMS works? The reason is that if products don't evolve they will simply be replaced by products that do. Even SMS has a limited lifespan if it doesn't evolve.
In all this time though, the mobile networks, collectively or singularly, have done almost nothing to evolve how their Customers can make use of SMS. They provide trillions of free SMS to their Customers but they then do nothing to encourage or promote their use. In a true bit pipe fashion they let third parties do this for them.
With the onslaught of development environments for mobile, and the gradual decay of mobile carrier Customer assets, to external third party developers, the mobile networks could do really well to provide the tools for their Customers to communicate. Group messaging is an area that a mobile network could truly excel in. The group messaging apps try to remove SMS as the message transport mechanism. Why? SMS is familiar, known and currently used excessively by mobile phone Customers. It is the only messaging format that would truly allow group communications across all mobile phones. Mobile networks have access to the necessary network infrastructure to really make a play in this space. It's not too late to embrace group messaging, supported by SMS that is truly available to every single mobile network Customer irrespective of what mobile phone they carry.
Sure SMS has an associated charge, for some mobile Customers, however it doesn't prevent people from using the service. So why should cost be a blocker to using SMS as a group distribution mechanism? Group messaging SMS costs could either be supported out of Customer SMS allowances or even intelligently (i.e. not spam!) placed advertisements! SMS advertising doesn't work? Hmmm somebody should tell the mobile advertising company 4INFO!
Mobile Networks could truly make a difference in the group messaging space, if they want to.
Happy to discuss further the use cases to support this if you like! The mobile network can play in this game, or alternatively they can again be bypassed! In fact it only takes a single friend, within a group of individuals, with an unlimited SMS allowance, to support an entire group messaging ecosystem! But more on this later ;-)
Have fun
Cheers
m
P.S. Not everyone has a smartphone. This doesn't mean that people don't want to communicate with groups of friends ;-) SMS IS NOT DEAD!
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