Closed study

Project information

Project results

Project management (password-protected page)

For further information please contact:

Uwe Herzog
Programme Manager
Eurescom
Wieblinger Weg 19/4
69123 Heidelberg, Germany

What is this Project about?

Instant messenger (IM) is the well-known chat functionality on the PC, with major players such as Microsoft, AOL, and others. Recently, mobile instant messaging has entered the market, and might take substantial input from the SMS/MMS income of mobile operators.
Actors have started to build up their IM portals to allow for value added services, and that might cause the operators to be reduced to a bit-pipe supplier. Mobile operators gain a high percentage of their income from the SMS market, e.g. 30% in Norway, and expect at least the same amount from a combined SMS/MMS market. If instant messaging is enabled on all mobile phones, SMS/MMS like messaging is going to happen over the GPRS network, and will result in a loss of income.

What are the main objectives of this Project?

This study will address the mobile and fixed Instant Messenger market, evaluate the business potential both in terms of threat and opportunities for value-added-services, and suggest a common strategy for operators in this domain.

The main objectives of this study are to:

• Address and analyze the mobile and fixed Instant Messenger market
• Evaluate the business potential both in terms of threats and opportunities of IM type value-added-services for telecom operators
• Suggest a common strategy for telco operators in this area

What are the key results for this Project?

The study will prepare the following results:

• A presentation at the Eurescom Summit 2003. If available, messaging examples will be demonstrated.
• A report covering the status of mobile Instant Messaging, business potential and suggest strategies to offer TelCo oriented IM services

D1 - Mobile Instant Messaging - Challenges and Opportunities for Telecom Operators (slide-set), issued in October 2003, for full publication

D2 - Mobile Instant Messaging – Technologies, cost analysis, and business potential (report), issued in November 2003, Eurescom Study Programme confidential

D3 - Overview of the Mobile Instant Messaging demonstrator (slide-set), issued in November 2003, for full publication

D4 - Business analysis for IM presence services (report), issued in November 2003, Eurescom Study Programme confidential