January 5, 2004
Multimedia messaging to grow in Asia but SMS still number one
The number of multimedia messaging users in the Asia Pacific will grow by more than 50 per cent in 2004 but the mobile phone service is still two years away from having mass appeal, according to IT research house IDC. [Industan Times]
"MMS remained hindered by interoperability and relatively higher prices, the same problems SMS faced when it was introduced.
"While the number of MMS users continues to expand each quarter, it will take another two years for MMS technology to gain mass appeal."
In 2003, MMS users accounted for 2.3 per cent of all wireless subscribers in the region and the figure is tipped to increase to 4.3 per cent by the end of the year, IDC said.
Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the key economies that witnessed a significant jump in MMS users in 2003, reflecting the affluence in these markets".
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