During the last years, the mobile phone users have changed their behaviour and the way to send information to other people. Ten years ago, the mobile operator clients only had two main options to exchange information: they could call each other by phone or just send a SMS. As you know, this situation is completely different now.
The many smartphones that have been sold on the market in recent years (equipped with operating systems like for example Android) with the flat fees that all the operators offer nowadays, have brought new roles and possibilities for users. Some of these new applications developed by the mobile companies allow the users to get contact in other ways apart from the typical call or the more expensive and obsolete SMS.
These new functions use the internet to send the data from one device to other, and you don’t have to pay for each new message that you send. These new technologies (like for example the “Whatsapp”) are also very attractive for people who live in different countries and don’t want to pay the costs associated to the roaming. You also can send pictures or other type of files (like music) using these new methods.
In 2010, revenues from SMS telecommunication operators have been an 8% of the total compared to the 12% in the year 2008. This decrease is due to this type of applications, and is related with the fact that the number of people that can access to social networks and other social platforms like Twitter using their mobile phones are growing.
These applications allow you to “get in touch” with others sending instant messages without the limitation of space and without any extra cost. However, to enable communication between two users it is necessary that both have the same application installed on their mobile phones. These applications are only compatible with each other and their use is based on a large number of users that have the same program installed.
These new systems have a lot of advantages and few disadvantages compared to the common SMS, which seem destined to disappear. Maybe in some years our children will ask their teachers in the history course: SMS… What is that?