Twenty years ago this week the first SMS or text message was sent from a computer to a mobile phone.  While agencies have implemented the service successfully, recent trends suggest that the  technology may already be “over the hill.”

An independent consultant recently found that the number of messages sent by Americans declined for the first time last quarter and along with others finds that increasingly texting is being replaced by newer instant messaging  services. These services generally work through a browser and their appeal to users is that they are cheaper.

Government agencies need to consider all mobile products when building mobile strategy and SMS can still be viable for target audiences that are heavy SMS users. While SMS is still a popular mobile functionality at 20, implementers should be wary of it’s continuing popularity as other mobile chat features develop.

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