OpenMarket Research Shows that Personalization is Key to Enterprise Communications in "Mobile First" Age

SEATTLE, Oct. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- OpenMarket, a leader in enterprise mobile engagement, and Portio Research, a UK-based market research firm, today announced the launch of a new report on the trends driving communications technology globally. The Portio Research report, sponsored by OpenMarket, titled, "SMS: The Language of 6 Billion People," examines the shift towards a 'mobile first' mind set, the unprecedented reach of SMS, and the growing emphasis on content personalization. It also reveals the three megatrends that are shaping the way consumers purchase goods and services, and interact with brands. OpenMarket and Portio Research will present a 60-minute webinar with InformationWeek on Thursday, October 29th at 9:00 AM PDT to discuss the report findings. 

"With more people owning a mobile phone than a toothbrush, it's clear that 'mobile first' is much more than just a buzzword," said Karl Whitfield, managing director of Portio Research. "The way we interact has evolved in such a way that our mobile phones represent a conduit to the world around us, as we use them to communicate, shop for goods and consume content. This means that companies should not just incorporate mobile messaging into their communications strategy, but rather build their strategy around it."

According to the Portio Research report, the number of mobile connections globally continues to grow year-over-year, with the number expected to reach 10 billion by 2020, significantly outpacing the human population. This growth has facilitated a change in the way people communicate and consume media, moving away from the desktop PC and TV. This shift toward 'mobile first' or in some cases 'mobile only' should be reflected in how businesses expand their communication services.¹

The report highlights that of the 7.3 billion people worldwide, 6.1 billion use an SMS-enabled phone, which amounts to 84% of the global population making it more prevalent than any global language. In fact, Application-to-Person (A2P) connects more people than any other platform in human history, making SMS the ideal mechanism for businesses to use to communicate with their customers.²

To date, the majority of enterprise communication has been broadcast in its nature, such as print, radio, television, or even email. In fact, we have reached a point whereby 70% of all email sent is spam. For the time-starved modern consumer, this approach doesn't work. The growth of social media, for instance, has served to highlight the importance of personalization. SMS affords businesses a direct line to each and every consumer while also facilitating two-way communications between brand and consumer. Together with its familiarity and ubiquity, SMS is the optimal channel for enterprise communication in the 'mobile first' age.³

"The shift towards a consumer-centric marketplace has meant that enterprise brands, regardless of the goods or services they are providing, have had to reassess their communications strategies," said Jay Emmet, general manager of OpenMarket. "SMS offers a unique blend of reach, flexibility and personalization to make it the most effective tool for businesses looking to engage more with their customers. What's important is that companies avoid the temptation to treat mobile messaging as just another tool for broadcasting information. They should implement it as a meaningful, two-way channel for individual customer interaction."

To download the Portio Research report, "SMS: The Language of 6 Billion People," visit: http://www.openmarket.com/download/portio-sms-the-language-of-6-billion-people/.

To register for the webinar, visit: https://webinar.informationweek.com/1207?keycode=CAA1AC.

About OpenMarket
OpenMarket, a division of Amdocs, helps enterprises use mobile to transform their business. OpenMarket provides mobile engagement solutions for organizations to optimize their operations and enhance relationships with their customers and employees. Major enterprises choose OpenMarket for our domain expertise, service flexibility, demonstrated performance and reliability, global scale, and corporate maturity. We provide smart, interactive connectivity to more than 200 countries, enabling businesses to engage with nearly every mobile user around the world. Our clients trust us to power their mobile business. For more information, visit www.openmarket.com.

About Amdocs
Amdocs is the market leader in customer experience software solutions and services for the world's largest communications, entertainment and media service providers.  Its portfolio powers The New World of Customer Experience™, where a wide array of innovative and personalized services is delivered seamlessly to end users, regardless of device or network. For more than 30 years, Amdocs solutions, which include BSS, OSS, network control and optimization, coupled with professional and managed services, have accelerated business value for its customers by streamlining complex operating environments, reducing costs and speeding time to market for new products and services.  Amdocs and its more than 24,000 employees serve customers in over 90 countries. Listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, Amdocs had revenue of $3.6 billion in fiscal 2014.

Amdocs: Embrace Challenge, Experience Success.

For more information, visit Amdocs at www.amdocs.com.

Amdocs' Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes information that constitutes forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Amdocs' growth and business results in future quarters. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be obtained or that any deviations will not be material. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to, the effects of general economic conditions, Amdocs' ability to grow in the business markets that it serves, Amdocs' ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses, adverse effects of market competition, rapid technological shifts that may render the Company's products and services obsolete, potential loss of a major customer, our ability to develop long-term relationships with our customers, and risks associated with operating businesses in the international market. Amdocs may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future; however, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These and other risks are discussed at greater length in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014 filed on December 8, 2014 and our quarterly 6-K form furnished on February 9,  May 11 and August 10, 2015.

About Portio Research
Portio Research Ltd, widely acknowledged as the leading source of SMS market data in the mobile industry, is a specialist UK-based independent telecoms research provider. With a tight focus on mobile messaging, Portio Research has become the go-to consultancy tracking growth in SMS and OTT social chat markets. For the last 11 years, the company has reported essential market metrics in its widely-respected, industry-leading annual research paper Mobile Messaging Futures. Portio Research serves a client base of mobile network operators, equipment vendors, application developers, brand owners, consultants and technology investors in 78 countries across the world. Visit Portio Research online to find out more.  

¹ Portio Research White Paper, sponsored by OpenMarket, "SMS: The Language of 6 Billion People," August 2015.

² Portio Research White Paper, sponsored by OpenMarket, "SMS: The Language of 6 Billion People," August 2015.

³ Portio Research White Paper, sponsored by OpenMarket, "SMS: The Language of 6 Billion People," August 2015.

SOURCE OpenMarket

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