94% of mobile operators believe that social networking will be the most popular form of communication by 2015. That’s the result from an independent survey of 31 leading global operators commissioned by mobile messaging company Airwide Solutions and conducted by wireless analyst firm mobileSQUARED.
Operators were asked to name what they thought would be the top five most popular forms of communication in 2015. SMS messaging and voice calls were also highly rated, with 87% and 81% of operators respectively expecting them to be in the top three most-used forms of communication in 2015.
The survey also asked mobile operators what they felt would be key drivers of innovation in messaging. 65% of operators named entertainment, while 48% of respondents selected healthcare.
Jay Seaton, Chief Marketing Officer at Airwide Solutions, said “The survey has shown that while the mobile subscriber of the future is changing, its core mode of communication (text and voice) is likely to remain the same. Traditional forms of messaging will not be replaced. In fact, services such as SMS are becoming an integral part of social networking, and they will also underpin future innovation, particularly in areas such as mobile entertainment, mobile financial services, mobile healthcare and mobile education.”