Forecast: Messaging faces growing threat from IP services

While forecasting person-to-person mobile messaging revenues will reach $106 billion by 2014, Juniper Research warns the continued evolution of IP services is resulting in disruptive business models, growing competition from the web and commoditization of established services. According to Juniper, the transition from per-transaction to per-month billing models will lead to declines in total P2P messaging revenues in Western and Eastern Europe, balanced to some extent by revenue growth in developing markets (specifically in Africa and the Middle East, the Indian Sub-Continent and South America) as well as increase in ad-funded tariffs. Smartphone users also will drive high usage levels.

As web-based communities continue to integrate new messaging mediums, mobile operator messaging revenues could suffer. But Juniper adds there also is a significant opportunity to expand mobile messaging channels to interconnect the disparate digital communities growing around gaming, social networking and VoIP.

For more on the Juniper forecast:
- read this release

Related articles:
Sprint: Users want but can't figure out mobile email
Study: Users addicted to mobile messaging