SMS or text messaging is an effective tool for business communications because of its simplicity, ease of use and reach. SMS is available on virtually all mobile phones and over all mobile networks with a reach of 5 billion phones worldwide, making it the world’s most pervasive communications technology

For example, in the United States alone, consumers exchanged more than 5 billion text messages per day in March 2010 (CTIA 2010). And, according to Nielsen Mobile, the average consumer sends 600 messages per month compared to using less than 200 voice minutes.

It is astounding that almost one quarter of the U.S. population lives in mobile-only households, meaning that they have substituted their landline for mobile phones (CTIA 2010). As this trend continues, the ability to communicate with consumers via mobile phones is going to become vital. The payoff is significant considering that more than 90 percent of text messages are opened and read compared to less than 40 percent of email.

The usage of SMS continues to grow because it is simple, easy to use and has enormous reach. Ultimately, consumers like to have choices in the way they communicate with businesses and increasingly consumers are turning to SMS.