Need directions to a restaurant? Movie listings? Stock quotes or just weather? Forget checking movie guides or the local radio. Even Internet search sounds obsolete with the emergence of Short Messaging Services—information at your fingertips. Earlier it was UpSnap.com, then Google and now 4Info. Pankaj Shah 4info, founder and CEO, 4Info speaks about the world of mobile search, and providing real time content and information through 4Info.
SMS has seen unprecedented growth in the last few years. In Europe and Asia, SMS crossed three billion messages per month and the U.S. is catching up fast; in March 2004, one million messages were sent per month, the numbers have increased to one billion messages per month in March 2005. According to IDC as many as 50 billion text messages will be sent this year, making it a $2 billion industry. Is this a sign of the ominous trend that rides over WAP?
Pankaj Shah, does not think so, but definitely knows SMS is finally gaining foothold in the U.S. “Mobile search is just picking in the U.S., the market is exploding,” he says. “And we have definitely emerged at least six months ahead of the market.”