| The use of SMS for business purposes shows | | | | Less than 15% of all respondents receive fewer than |
| widespread adoption within the South African market, | | | | 6 business SMS's per week. |
| according to a pilot study by Webchek in July 2006. | | | | More than 30% of respondents receive more than 50 |
| 95% of respondents reported receiving business | | | | business emails per week. |
| communications via SMS while 75% received email | | | | More respondents received irrelevant business emails |
| communications for business purposes. Key findings | | | | than SMS communications. |
| were that respondents received on average: | | | | Respondents do not like receiving irrelevant |
| 3 to 4 relevant business SMS's per week. | | | | advertising messages from businesses. |
| 35 relevant business emails per week. | | | | The main conclusion of the study is that the use of |
| 6 irrelevant business SMS's per week. | | | | SMS will continue surpass email as a business |
| 7 irrelevant business emails per week - note that | | | | communication tool for three reasons: |
| most PC's have spam filters installed, while most | | | | SMS is a ubiquitous communication medium as more |
| mobile phones do not. | | | | people have access to cell phones than the Internet or |
| 61% of respondents were happy to receive business | | | | email. |
| communications via e-mail, and 50% of respondents | | | | SMS is immediate as a text message arrives nearly |
| were happy to receive business communications via | | | | instantaneously on a targeted user's cell phone. |
| SMS. | | | | SMS generates less spam due to the fact that the |
| The other findings from the research are: | | | | cost of SMS is kept above a certain threshold. Most |
| Overall, users report lower volumes of business | | | | spam is eliminated as the sender pays for the |
| communications via SMS than email but more | | | | communication. |
| respondents report having received business | | | | The study bring the spotlight on a key feature of fixed |
| communications via SMS. | | | | to mobile convergence solutions from C21 |
| The financial services sector use SMS more than | | | | Communications, exclusive provider in the UK and |
| email to send business communications. | | | | Ireland of Topex NGN equipment and Fixed Cellular |
| After financial services, the retail sector makes the | | | | Terminals. |
| most use of SMS for business communications. | | | | Business SMS automation and convergent messaging |
| 35% of respondents reported receiving internal work | | | | is a feature common to C21communications/ Topex |
| communications via email while 15% received these | | | | Fixed Cellular Terminals and GSM/UMTS Gateways. |
| communications by SMS. | | | | |