Mobile instant messaging users aren't texting as much

Well this isn’t news, really.

It is a confirmation.

I’ve known it for a while. I’ve been using the likes of Nimbuzz or Agile Mobile Messenger for a long time now, rather than sending text messages.

Let’s be clear: I still value text. But for longer, mobile conversations, I much prefer IM. Have a look at these stats published by Cellular News:

Instant Messaging Via Mobile Set to Challenge SMS Traffic

Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) is set to cannibalise SMS (texting) and eventually email from PC, a survey from TNS Technology has found. The TNS Global Telecoms Insight (GTI) study, which interviewed 17,000 respondents across 30 countries, has found that once mobile users adopt MIM it overtakes other messaging tools to become the primary non-voice method of interacting – with potentially dramatic consequences for service and network providers’ revenue.

Among those who use MIM, it is the most used feature on their phone: 61% use it daily, compared to only 55% who use SMS daily and only 12% who use email on their mobile.

Instant messaging is also taking a larger share of all messaging communications. In fact MIM has become so popular, that now 11 out of every 100 messages sent by mobile devices or fixed PC globally are instant messages. However, among MIM users 36 out of every 100 messages sent is an Instant Message by their mobile, making this the dominant messaging form for these users. The number of messages sent via SMS falls dramatically among MIM users from 38 to only 23 messages per 100. Surprisingly, MIM users also use fixed email less with 21 out of every 100 messages sent via this medium, compared to 31 messages among all consumers.