SMS news and statistics

SMS news, that I thought worth mentioning:

160characters.org reports:

SMS is riding a growing wave of popularity. Global consumption will increase from 760 billion in 2004 to a mind-boggling 2,379 billion messages in 2010 — generating a $50 billion in operator revenues. SMS is one of the most accepted and popular communication channels in the world. Even with the advent of exciting multimedia content, SMS remains irreplaceable, certain to continue to reach new milestones as a
global communications phenomenon.

India's Economic Times reports:

A new global mobile messaging product called Micro LMS, developped by Micro Technologies India, which enables users to send text messages up to 800 characters, instead of the usual limit of 160. Micro LMS enables location identification of the respective users and the 'Sent and Received' messages can also be archived online.

On the other hand USA Today claims that:

Text messaging is wiping out teenager conversation and that employers and communications experts are anxious. "This generation may be technologically savvier than their bosses, but will they be able to have a professional discussion?"

"We are losing very natural, human, instinctive skills that we used to be really good at," says Sonya Hamlin, author of Howto Talk So People Listen: Connecting in Today's Workplace.

Hamling claims kids today are used to re-reading an IM message six times before answeringand no longer know how to improvise, banter spontaneously or
chat face to face.

Among teens who go online daily and own a cellphone, 53% most often communicate with friends via written messages, according to a 2005 report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, and 61% of the time they're chatting via IM. Texting wasn't prevalent enough when the study was conducted."