Welcome to the world of mobile messaging. Bulk SMS is no more a plain advertising tool. Enterprises, utilities, schools and even state agriculture departments are lapping up bulk SMS services to broadcast messages.

Mobile messaging has become an integral part of the mobile industry, contributing significantly to mobile services revenue. While SMS spam irks most mobile users, users seem to be discovering useful applications.

?Messaging today is no longer a spam. It?s more of a utility tool. Many customers demand it. For instance, everyone wants an alert for credit card payments so that they don?t have to pay the astronomical interest rates, or an update on flight times. Banks the world over use it for alerts and are, in fact, the biggest users of SMS alerts. Many of us want updates on new products; shopping offers; movie info etc. Spamming definitely is harmful when you get an SMS of having won a lottery, or an IVR number to chat with a girl where you are unaware that this is a premium number and will cost you Rs 20 per second. We have strict guidelines against spamming and have placed spam filters in our messaging platform,? says Rajdip Gupta, CEO, RouteSms Solutions.

Messaging solutions seems to be adding to the growth curve of the mobile phone industry, which is expanding despite the global economic slowdown. Strategy Analytics? recent global mobile messaging forecast for the period 2001-13 indicates that global consumer spending on mobile messaging services will rise at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.4 % between 2008 and 2013. Revenue from mobile messaging services like SMS, MMS, mobile e-mail and mobile instant messaging will rise to reach $130 billion.

While internationally players like mBlox based in Sunnyvale, Silicon Valley, Clickatell in Redwood City, USA, end2end Denmark and Germany offer these services, India has a large number of players, including bulksms service, mysmsmantra, smsjunction and smscountry. Some of them claim to send upto 50 million SMS every month.

Though mobile messaging doesn?t compare with other forms of advertisement in volume or reach, it is beginning to find acceptability in India. ?Mobile messaging market is ripe enough in various ways. Let?s compare it with other forms of advertisement. An individual watches TV normally for two to three hours a day, hoardings and print media advertisements just go in a blink, but mobile devices are with the user for more than 18 hours a day.

So messaging is one of the biggest and most economical advertisement options for companies to opt for,? advises Sandip Gupta, MD, RouteSms Solutions.

SMS solutions are gaining popularity with companies and enterprises who are involved in banks, credit card companies, event management firms, travel agencies, airlines, product distributors, direct marketing, FMCG, insurance, courier services, hotels and resorts that need SMS technology to improve their businesses through mobile marketing, customer relationship management and field force automation.

While messaging business may look attractive, it involves a huge expense on infrastructure setup, good quantity of man power and filters to control spamming.

Interestingly, bulk SMS services are now reaching out to rural areas too. Pune?s state agriculture department, for instance, is planning a messaging service in the state by which the department will provide the farmers advice and suggestions about agriculture, such as crop, rain and pests, and even the precautions they need to take. The advice will come in the form of an SMS to the farmers on their mobile handsets. And, services like these are now available in local languages too.

As the competition increases and costs decrease, bulk SMS services seem all set for a growth wave.

• Local utilities send SMS to warn you about a possible high tide.

• Life Insurance Corporation uses SMS service to inform you when your premium is due.

• Your local club regularly sends SMS about the upcoming events and their schedule.

• Airlines inform passengers of flight delays and save them the hassle of waiting.

• Schools send SMS to thousands of students to declare a sudden holiday.