Alltel Axcess Text Messaging and Picture Messaging
Alltel continues to remain content with its basic but efficient messaging portfolio. While major carriers have enhanced their messaging offerings, Alltel risks being branded stale, as the carrier hasn’t updated its services in over a year. (6/3/2008)

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AT&T Text Messaging, Multimedia Messaging
AT&T overhauled its messaging bundles earlier this year, bringing an aura of simplicity to its offerings. In a surprising move, the carrier eliminated its messaging-data bundles making it easier to understand its lineup. (5/27/2008)

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Sprint Nextel Short Text Messaging, Picture/Video Mail
Sprint’s text and picture messaging services are competitive in the U.S. due to a decent mix of products. The carrier’s new Simply Everything plan offers unlimited messaging along with a gamut of services that makes it an unbeatable offering.(6/3/2008)

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T-Mobile USA - Two-way Text Messaging, Picture & Video Messaging
T-Mobile USA continues to be the cost leader by offering economical generic messaging bundles. The carrier’s family messaging plan serves an important niche and the bundles deliver on cost and simplicity, two critical factors in driving usage. (5/27/2008)

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Verizon Wireless IN Messaging (TXT, PIX, and FLIX)
Verizon Wireless’ Nationwide plans that emphasize on messaging continue to grow. By spearheading the voice-data bundles, Verizon wireless has managed to lock in data revenue ahead of its competitors who are quickly catching up. (5/23/2008)

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• Sections
  
• - Current Perspective Rating
• - Product Strengths & Weaknesses
• - Product Buying Criteria
• - Product Metrics

Page count: 8 pages

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• Buying Criteria
  • Price
    • As in all communications services, pricing is an important buying criterion. With SMS and MMS service, incoming and outgoing per message charges, monthly packages, and overage charges are all factors.
  • Content
    • SMS and MMS can be used as a bearer channel for additional services such as new alerts, video clips, and instant messaging services. These services often allow users to extend existing networks of friends, family members, or colleagues.
  • Coverage
    • Where users can send and receive messages bounds SMS and MMS service usability, and as networks are in transition from 2G to 2.5G or 3G messaging coverage is often less available that voice coverage. Coverage issues include technology requirements, network footprint, inter-carrier compatibility, and roaming agreements.
  • Equipment Options
    • Both SMS and MMS require special handsets, with MMS being by far the more advanced. Picture phones are relatively new, and a carrier's selection of devices is important. More is not always better, but it does help a carrier to offer a variety of price points that match customer's preferences as well as limit risk from poor performing individual products.

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• Product Metrics
  • SMS
    • Mobile Terminate (MT) / Mobile Originate (MO)
    • Packages / Pricing
    • Promotions
    • Co-marketing
    • Max # of Characters per Message
    • Cross-carrier SMS
    • Mobile - to - E-mail
    • MIN or MO Blocking
    • Default to Per Message Price if No Bucket Selected
    • Custom Messages / Responses
    • Group Distribution
    • Message Delivery Confirmation
    • Push Alerts
    • International Message Delivery
    • Other Consumer Applications
    • Domestic Roaming
    • International Roaming
    • Web Messaging Site
    • # of Capable Handsets Sold
  • Instant Messaging
    • AOL IM Ready Phones
    • MSN IM Ready Phones
    • Yahoo! IM Ready Phones
    • AOL
    • MSN
    • Yahoo!
    • ICQ
    • ICQ IM Ready Phones
    • Carrier's Brand
  • MMS
    • Launch Date
    • Vendor
    • Content
    • Pricing
    • Default to Per Message Price
    • Promotions
    • Mobile to e-mail
    • Mobile to Mobile
    • Cross Carrier
    • Handsets
    • Imaging

Purchase Reports Online Purchasing and downloading reports online is quick and easy. 1. Accept the license agreement prepared by our lawyers.* 2. Select the reports you wish to purchase by clicking the "Purchase" button just below the report name and description. 3. Follow the checkout steps on our secure e-commerce site. All information you exchange with the secure site cannot be viewed by anyone else on the Web. All information is confidential and is used for internal purposes only. Under no circumstance will Current Analysis sell or otherwise redistribute this information. We accept the following credit cards: 4. Once your credit card is confirmed, you can download the reports. Reports are in a PDF format. We recommend you view the reports with the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader 5. Special Offer: If you purchase two or more reports in one category, we will send you a free Head-to-Head product comparison in one business day. More information. Contact us for special requirements. *The license grants rights to a single user for internal business or personal use only. Please contact us regarding licenses for enterprise-wide use, external use, and reprint rights. Contact Information Telephone: +1 703-788-3675 or email: