Organizations are taking an inefficient approach when it comes to mobile messaging, with 62 percent of businesses using more than one messaging platform, and 78.5 percent deploying more than one of the same use case active across different departments.
The report, a commissioned study from mobile solutions specialist OpenMarket, conducted by the IT research firm IDC, indicated this disjointed strategy is especially problematic for today’s enterprises, as 75 percent demand payback on these initiatives in less than a year.
The results were attained through IDC surveys with enterprise technology and mobile decision makers from 600 global organizations in different industries and geographies.
“Despite a high-level acknowledgement of the value of mobile messaging, deployments of the technology remain relatively immature,” Steve French, global vice president of product management and marketing at OpenMarket, told eWEEK. “This is due to the increased levels of complexity involved in building and deploying the services needed for a cohesive mobile messaging strategy.”
French noted, however, that the results also reveal that when companies do build a digital selling strategy that leverages mobile messaging, they are better positioned to increase opportunities, improve conversion rates, and generate repeat business.
The research indicated that SMS messaging was more effective than push notifications. The global reach of SMS is also a key differentiator, as 56 percent said they believe it is important for reaching employees that travel for both work and leisure.
When it comes to customer service, consolidation was an underlying need for these departments according to the research, as 62 percent of all customer service organizations leverage at least two mobile messaging vendors, and 65 percent have two or more messaging initiatives planned or underway in 2015.
Nearly half must meet a specific return on investment (ROI) requirement to justify mobile messaging investments, including 39 percent who require a payback calculation.
The report also suggested SMS and MMS messaging are important marketing tools for companies seeking to distinguish themselves from competitors, and the findings also determined that more than 60 percent of these departments are using more than one vendor for their mobile messaging needs.
“Mobile messaging’s greatest impact on the near future will be its abilities to enhance the customer service department’s internal and external communication and functionality,” French said. “Mobile messaging will also grow in use amongst IT and Security departments, as these executives will turn to messaging technology for some of their more pressing operational and security concerns since it is the most frequently used and ubiquitous mobile communication tool available.”