Mobile messaging volumes continue to shatter records, according to the latest quarterly index of mobile messaging statistics compiled by the Messaging and Mobile Media Division of VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world.
During the first quarter of 2009, VeriSign, which delivers 60 percent of the text and mobile message traffic in the U.S. inter-carrier market(1), recorded a new high of nearly 84 billion messages delivered throughout the quarter. In 2008, the company successfully delivered more than 224 billion messages across its combined mobile messaging platforms.
"Growth in mobile messaging volumes remains a consistent bright spot in the mobile wireless environment," said Charles Landry, vice president and general manager of products and innovation for VeriSign's Messaging and Mobile Media division. "As consumers and enterprises increasingly rely on mobile messaging to stay connected anytime, anywhere, the mobile industry relies on VeriSign to ensure that those messages reach their intended destination. We're making the investments necessary to deliver the reach, reliability and scalability needed to make 2009 another successful year for mobile messaging."
VeriSign also delivered more than 1.06 billion SMS and MMS messages on Valentine's Day, which typically generates heavy message volume as texters exchange love notes. It was the busiest day of the quarter and the busiest Valentine's Day on record.
In Q1 2009, VeriSign's combined mobile messaging networks enabled an average of approximately 932 million messages per day. This is an 18.5 percent increase from the previous quarter and a remarkable 96 percent rise over Q1 2008. In total, VeriSign delivered 82.3 billion P2P (peer-to-peer)(2) and over 1.6 billion A2P (application-to-peer) messages in Q1 2009.
The VeriSign® Inter-Carrier MMS and PictureMail platforms also continue to experience rigorous growth in MMS traffic. Compared to the first quarter of 2008, MMS and PictureMail volumes jumped 130 percent and 84 percent respectively. In total, VeriSign delivered more than 1.1 billion MMS messages in Q1 2009.
The quarter also produced a healthy rise in mobile media/mobile content messaging volumes through VeriSign's Mobile Delivery Gateway (MDG). Driven in part by the addition of new mobile content providers and an increase in mobile content provider market activity, VeriSign reported a 27 percent increase in Premium SMS transactions year over year. MDG also reached a monthly all-time high in retail sales, which translated to a 35 percent rise from the previous quarter. With industry leading reliability, the MDG platform has achieved its sixth straight month of 100 percent availability.
With more enterprises turning to the mobile channel to better serve customers, VeriSign® Mobile Enterprise Services (VMES) responded to the growing interest in A2P enterprise applications as evident by an 88 percent year-over-year growth rate of messages delivered through its network while financial services in particular drove a 63 percent increase in messaging traffic from Q1 2008 to Q1 2009. Financial institutions such as Western Union, U.S. Bank, Fifth Third Bank, and Huntington National use VeriSign's mobile financial services to improve their customers' overall experience through alerts and other value-add mobile services. Recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2009 Award for North American Messaging-based Mobile Banking Solution of the Year, VeriSign's Messaging and Mobile Media Division delivers mobile messaging for six of the top 10 banks and three of the top five financial institutions, and global leaders in payments and money transfer services.
VeriSign's Messaging and Mobile Media Division delivers messages on behalf of carriers and content providers around the world. VeriSign's combined mobile messaging networks (P2P and A2P) connect to more than 700 carriers in over 200 countries and reach more than three billion wireless subscribers. VeriSign offers one of the most robust and reliable mobile messaging delivery engines across carrier, enterprise, and media/entertainment networks, generating billions of dollars in revenue for its customers. Together with RealNetworks, it powers inter-carrier mobile messaging for eight of the top 10 wireless carriers in North America and other major operators throughout the world.
To view the full index, please visit http://www.verisign.com/products-services/content-messaging/text-messaging-network/mmi/Q109.pdf.
About VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media
VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media is a division of VeriSign, the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Through this business unit, VeriSign provides global application services that reliably deliver short-messages (SMS), multimedia messages (MMS), and mobile content across wireless operators and mobile devices throughout the world. As a leader in mobile messaging, mobile banking and mobile content delivery, VeriSign offers a broad portfolio of mobile infrastructure and delivery services. Offering reliable delivery, a worldwide presence, and rapid and effective deployment, VeriSign has built a trusted and respected brand with global mobile operators, media content providers and enterprises. The reach, reliability and value add of VeriSign services enable these companies to capitalize on the rapidly growing messaging and media content markets.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) is the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. Billions of times each day, VeriSign helps companies and consumers all over the world engage in communications and commerce with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability; potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as the risk that VeriSign's announcements may not result in additional products, services, customers, profits or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
(1) Inter-carrier SMS messaging and interoperability services are provided by VeriSign, together with RealNetworks, Inc.®, under the service name "Metcalf."
(2) Includes Inter-carrier SMS messaging and interoperability services that are provided by VeriSign, together with RealNetworks, under the service name "Metcalf."