Although we're concentrating on wireless e-mail, other types of wireless messaging have grown popular. The most widely used form of messaging is, in fact, SMS (Short Message Service). While the main U.S. users are teens and twentysomethings who manage their social calendars by exchanging text messages on cell phones, the same could be said about instant messaging not long ago, and look how far IM has crept into the mainstream enterprise. Text messaging has so far generated more revenue for cellular operators on a global basis than general-purpose packet data. Most operators have an e-mail gateway to their messaging services, letting you also send messages over the Internet. We recommend you keep an eye on SMS and consider how it could give you a competitive edge.
In the past couple of years, operators have begun to offer MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), which lets users send and receive pictures and video clips. Again, usage has been mainly on the consumer side, and operators have not emphasized business applications, but it doesn't take a brain surgeon to see where the ability to instantly send images could confer a business advantage.
Finally, there's wireless IM, where wireless devices are used to access both corporate IM systems and popular services such as AOL Instant Messaging, MSN and Yahoo Messaging. Similar to the desktop IM experience, you can get presence information about which co-workers are available. And in many cases, the IM system will show your presence as a mobile user, which is useful for letting people know you're not likely to be chatty.
Users currently access most wireless IM services using a microbrowser that interacts with an IM gateway in the cellular operator's network. Although the browser approach works, it's awkward and slow. Fortunately, device vendors are increasingly including IM clients on their devices. Clients can be service-specific (AIM only) or general purpose if based on the Open Mobile Alliance's "Wireless Village" standard. Even if your company's device doesn't have an IM client, it's likely to support Java, so you should be able to download an appropriate client. In the business world, wireless IM deployments are mostly ad hoc; few IT departments have a comprehensive support program. But as companies make greater internal use of IM, the stage is set to extend these services to mobile devices.
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