One of the main reported findings concerns an explosion of the market for smartphones costing less than $100. According to the predictions, over 500 Million of them will be in use before the end of 2012. These figures are based on the consumer definition of a smartphone, rather than the technical one. Studies reveal that users are likely to call a mobile phone a “smartphone” device if it comes equipped with a touch screen or a full keypad, as opposed to categorising the phones according to their operating system.

Deloitte expects 300 million of these lower-priced smartphones to be sold in 2012, representing up to 20% of the entire mobile phone business. They cover the same market segment as netbooks, targeting users who require internet access without needing the graphics and range of functions offered by traditional laptop computers.

$100 Smartphones are likely to be particularly attractive in emerging markets. They generally support e-mail and messaging, feature a camera of at least 2MP and come with a selection of pre-loaded applications and widgets.

NFC (near field communications) enabled devices are also going to conquer a large share of the market. Up to 200 million of them could be sold in 2012, and the figure is likely to climb further in 2013. NFC is particularly valued for the distance payment possibilities it offers, and it opens up the door for the concept of “digital wallet” to develop.

Unsurprisingly, the global demand for consumer technology will increase this year. People rarely deliberately quantify value for money at the time of purchase, but they generally are conscious of how much a mobile device will be used.

Based on this criteria, consumer technology fairs particularly well: a $500 tablet will be used 350-700 hours a year, meaning the hourly cost of use can be evaluated as low as $0.70… against approximately $10 for a car! For mobile phones, the cost is even lower. With approximately 200,000 text messages being sent every second in the world, consumers are getting an excellent return on investment.

1. Spam emails are being delivered across both personal and work email networks on an increasingly regular basis. Research has shown that 90% of all emails are spam compared with 1% of text messages (Mobile Marketing Association 2009). Many people also find that important emails sometimes slip through the net and end up in their junk folder. As a result, many businesses are turning to SMS messaging to avoid being filtered out as junk and to send and receive important messages more effectively.
2. SMS is more widely read than email, 22% of all emails are opened compared to 98% of text messages (Frost & Sullivan 2010).
3. Emails are perceived as being free when they’re not, when sending from email marketing platforms, they cost a similar price to SMS messages. However when you take into account how many emails are actually opened; they are considerably more expensive than SMS.
4. We’re all attached to our mobile phones, most of the time.  SMS there enables you to reach the right person at the right time with the right message, all at low cost.
5. SMS messaging is the most used data service in the world, with most people on the planet sending text messages. There are more people sending SMS than the number of people who use Facebook or Google, and those who send and receive emails.

If you’re thinking about sending SMS take a look at our business SMS and the law document. This will guide you through the responsibility for sending SMS, to ensure they are not considered as spam.

The watch, which is to be launched in March, connects to certain Android phones via Bluetooth so that it can be synchronised with your mobile handset to show incoming calls, emails, or SMS on its display.

The watch is unique in that it features Bluetooth LE, an energy saving version of Bluetooth that promises to extend battery life. Casio claim that the G-SHOCK GB-6900 will have a battery life of up to 2 years with one conventional CR2032 button battery.

Connectivity and mobile phones

This is another great example of how interconnectivity between devices continues to be a growing trend in 2012. In fact, many experts predict that convergence of our devices – from our laptops to our tablets; to smartphones and watches, will be a technology trend to watch out for.

Experts predict that the concept of a fully connected society will shift the way people work, think and live this year. Dr.Henry Samueli, IEEE Fellow, Chief Technology Officer at Broadcom Corporation, and an upcoming speaker at the 2012 IEEE International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE) next week believes that ‘ubiquitous, nonstop connectivity is what is next.’

This means improving global business operations with what he describes as ‘real time cloud-based data sharing, and seamlessly accessing information and entertainment in our homes and cars.’

The Smartphone revolution is at the heart of these developments and SMS is a key part of this. As technology improves and the use of mobile phones worldwide grows more and more, businesses and organisations are becoming switched on to the power of SMS as a communication and monitoring medium.

A new bushfire alert system called ‘Bushfire Connect’ aims to combine different ways of communication, including social media and SMS, with official data in order to provide people local and detailed information about summer bushfires.

Every communication system will have its role: SMS alerts to a specific hotline, direct messages to the service’s social media Facebook page, or tweets hash tagged with the word #bushfireconnect.

A combination of methods

The combination of all these communication formats with official resources is designed to provide well-sourced information to their database regarding summer fires.

“It was shocking to know how little people knew at the critical point in time when they needed information,” commented Keren Flavell, co- founder of the system. Flavell added that the ability of social media to spread information had spurred the project.

On top of this, the Bushfire Connect website allows the general public to see wider reports or to sign up to receive more localised information – via SMS – which includes data from both authorities and from locals raising the alarm.

The website also includes incidents on the map and listed in chronological order. Those who want to know even more could find official mainstream news feeds on the site as well.

The system is inspired by the tragedy of Black Saturday, and it was successfully tested in Healesville earlier this year. Volunteers are invited to join the Bushfire Connect team and help communities share time critical information about bushfires.

Sending a quick and direct SMS is certainly one of the best ways to alert others about natural disasters.

According to Telstra research the first thing many of us do Christmas morning is send text messages of goodwill to family and friends – even before opening presents from under the tree.

Our Christmas habits are dominated by the power of texting, with mobile users across the globe expected to swap festive greetings in this way as the big day approaches.

If you’ve missed the Christmas post and not sent your Christmas cards yet then why not send an SMS instead – It’s cheaper, quicker and more likely to be read. Or if you’ve got staff working over the festive period or Christmas Day then why not send them a quick thank you.

The report states that 46% of marketers are doing more marketing via mobile and SMS, up from 34% in 2009. The survey shows enormous potential for mobile marketing in 2012.

The obstacles of mobile marketing continue to grow, QR codes have not become standard on mobile phones (and probably never will)  and then there are the low-reach technological innovations such as location-based “check-ins”, apps, mobile websites, mobile payments and more!  Most campaigns haven’t moved away from the simplicity of the text message.

With this in mind, what are the 12 best SMS campaign tactics to take into consideration for 2012?

1.  SMS Sender ID – By making it clear who the message is from, the receiver is aware that it is a legitimate message and can see this before they open the message.

2. Call to action – The text in your SMS that invites someone to respond.

3. SMS action plan – What will you do when you get a response? Send another SMS?

4. Personal context – Using a personal writing style such as “we” and “you”.

5. Know your Audience – By understanding your demographic you won’t offend. If you’re sending an SMS to the elderly don’t use modern day “text talk” or you could choose to send Voice SMS.

6. Personal significance – The receiver needs to be able to understand “why have you text my mobile phone?” As a rule of thumb, ensure the receiver is able to opt-out of your message.

7. SMS appeal – What’s in it for me? What’s in it for person who you are sending the message to?

8. Minimalism – Can your message be easily understood?

9. Hyperlink – Got a lot to say and texting smart phone users?  Then why not think about an integrated approach and include a hyperlink in your text, directing the receiver to a webpage. This is becoming increasingly more popular with the large number of smart phone users.

10. Viral content – Include a deal to encourage recipients to pass your SMS onto their friends and family – spread your SMS much further than your database list.

11.  Choose the right time to send – Not too early, not too late – If you’re targeting Saturday shoppers, ensure the message if received before they have started planning their day.

12. Choose the right SMS provider – Make sure that your SMS supplier delivers your messages quickly, so the messages are received when you want them to land. Do your research when choosing an SMS provider because some aggregators have message delays, making messages arrive in the middle of the night – causing annoyance.

Telstra, Optus and Virgin Mobile have all confirmed that data on their devices was safe.

A Telstra spokesperson told news.com that “We do not track customers’ phone usage other than for the purposes of connecting a call or billing for services.”

Similar statements were made by both Optus and Virgin Mobile.

The clarification comes following the revelation that Android based Smartphones, such as those produced by the likes of HTC and Samsung, may be running a ‘rootkit’ app that conceals its presence and can monitor user activity.

The discovery was made by Trevor Eckhart, an Android security researcher. In a youtube video he shows how an entire SMS message was recorded by the software developed by Carrier IQ’s app. The company claims that the app is nothing more than a ‘diagnostic tool,’ built to measure carrier and handset performance – but there are privacy concerns around the device because it could potentially be used to store user information.

Australian mobile companies are keen to stress that they do not hold any information on their customers. Text messages you send and text messages you receive – be it from friends or businesses – remain private and confidential.

It should also be noted that when it comes to receiving text messages from businesses, SMS providers are heavily regulated in Australia under a code developed by ACMA (The Australian Communications and Media Authority).

The technology, entitled MyKey, will be launched next year and will give parents the ability to control their children’s access to text messaging and phone calls whilst they are driving.

The device works when the mobile phone’s Bluetooth connectivity is activated and synchronised with the vehicle. When this happens the car’s sound system stops ringtone for messages and phone calls from being received by the phone, thus becoming less of a distraction to drivers.

All phone calls will be automatically transferred to voicemails whilst SMS messages will be received silently to the device.

It is hoped that the new technology will reduce the number of road accidents which are caused by drivers being distracted by electronic devices, such as their phones. Whilst Learners Permit (L) and Provisional (P1) drivers are currently banned from operating a mobile phone in any way whilst driving, full licence holders do not have the same restrictions.

Rule 300 of the Australian Road Rules (for South Australia) states that mobile phone functions can be performed by drivers in certain ways. The creation, sending or reading of text messages remains prohibited when the engine is running but phone calls may still be made and received. The rule states that, for the latter case, the mobile phone handset must either be connected to a hands-free kit or mounted securely within the car.

However, Ford’s new technology has received some criticism. The MyKey technology will only operate if the mobile phone has its Bluetooth functions enabled – meaning that drivers could bypass the system if they chose to.

Despite this, the technology certainly marks a positive step for mobile phone development and the safe use of SMS services, highlighting the need for drivers to ensure they follow safe driving procedures at all times

You may have offices in cities such as Tokyo, London and Brisbane. You may also have a fleet of vehicles constantly on the move in those cities. If this is the case, the idea of using Email SMS services could revolutionise the way in which your business is run.

In its simplest terms, Email to SMS means that messages are sent via email, but delivered as texts. SMS responses will subsequently be received as emails.

This means that organising a large group of staff who may be constantly on the move, but still need to communicate efficiently, can be made a great deal easier by introducing SMS from Email.

It is also worth noting that not everyone in a business will have constant internet access. Email itself is by far and away the most popular and effective way for colleagues to communicate with each other throughout the world.

However, for a variety of reasons, all of these people cannot have internet access all of the time. From this point of view, Email SMS is a very useful substitute for basic email.

Another consideration is that integrating Email SMS to an existing system is not a complex process. When using the system, it is simply a case of adding a different suffix to an email address so that it is sent as an SMS instead of an email.

The world of technology within business is constantly evolving and right at the heart of this evolution is the way in which business professionals communicate with each other.

SMS from email is one of the most popular, and most effective, business communication solutions.

Local residents made their feelings on the matter very clear at a public forum in Busselton last week. Fisheries Department Chief Executive Stuart Smith has since responded to the calls from a concerned public.

“We are interested in developing a system that works best for our purposes,” said Mr Smith. “We will evaluate the effectiveness of the current alerts in place and use something similar or build an entirely new system.”

Smith said that he and his officers were considering a system which would be quite similar to the one which was established by the Fire and Emergency Services Authority in the area.

That particular system was designed to warn people who live in ‘at-risk’ areas about potentially threatening bushfires.

Norman Moore, the Fisheries Minister, was cautious but open to discussion on the subject when speaking to The Sunday Times recently.

“Such an option would usually prove useful to alert people of sightings when they were out of the water. However, if the research advice indicates it could be a viable and cost effective shark mitigation tool, the State Government will consider it among any other options identified by the review,” Mr. Moore stated.

The idea is certainly a very original use of an SMS service, and may prove useful if there was evidence that the spate of recent attacks was set to continue.

Professor Shaun Collin, from the University of Western Australia’s Oceans Institute, accepted the merits of an SMS alert system, but also suggested that education on the issue of sharks is extremely important.

“Since there is so little known about sharks, their movement patterns and the influences of environmental cues on their behaviour, the Government could consider funding more focused research,” said Prof Collin.