OTT Messaging Apps Struggle for DominanceOTT Messaging Apps Struggle for Dominance
A tyntec survey explores what is holding messaging apps back from becoming the dominant form of mobile interaction.
November 27, 2015
A tyntec survey explores what is holding messaging apps back from becoming the dominant form of mobile interaction.
Over-the-top (OTT) messaging apps like Snapchat and WhatsApp may have a lot of cache, but usage pales in comparison to plain old SMS, and voice, telecom-Web convergence company tyntec learned in a recent survey of 1,045 smartphone owners in the U.S. and China.
In the U.S., voice and SMS are the top communication channels, voted so by 44% and 38% of respondents, respectively. Only 11% of respondents selected messaging apps as the go-to communication channel.
Top reasons U.S. and China messaging app users cited for staying away from messaging apps are a lack of security, slow speeds, and limited reach.
The results show that OTT messaging apps are at an inflection point, said Thorsten Trapp, CTO of tyntec, in a prepared press statement. To enter the next phase of growth, messaging app developers must address user concerns and complaints over security and interoperability, he said. "Especially where regulatory barriers limit their options, finding technological solutions and partners that can bridge the divide and deliver universal reach and strong security is key. By integrating SMS and phone verification intelligence, messaging apps [developers] can make their apps used more broadly while protecting their users."
Take a look at the following tyntec infographic, which lays out other notable findings around the use of messaging apps:
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