Mobile Multimedia Falls ShortMobile Multimedia Falls Short

With the ability to transmit and receive video, graphics, and sound files, cell phones have evolved beyond their primary function of voice communications. These bells and whistles can let a salesperson send a clip of a product video to a prospective customer or a businessperson share a meeting sound bite with colleagues.

But these cell-phone capabilities that wireless-network providers offer--known as multimedia messaging service, or MMS--are far from perfect. Sometimes a multimedia message can't be delivered because the user's network doesn't interoperate with a recipient's, or a message transmits poorly or not at all if the networks aren't fast enough.

According to a survey released last week by SmartTrust, a provider of mobile products and services to global wireless carriers, and research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres plc, of 6,800 mobile-phone users in 15 countries, only 43% of phones with MMS were being used to send multimedia messages. Among those using MMS, poor configuration and network settings topped the complaints, with 72% of users saying they'd use MMS more often if technical issues were resolved.

Wireless providers are making progress. Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless have announced plans for improved MMS interoperability and are working on faster, third-generation cellular networks that will start delivering services next year. "You need a lot of bandwidth to make [MMS] work well," says Farpoint Group analyst Craig Mathias.

It's unclear how receptive businesses will be. Juniper Research estimates that businesses will account for $64 billion of providers' global annual MMS revenue by 2009. But Farpoint's Mathias thinks that's unrealistic. Much needs to be done to improve coverage, sound quality, and the reliability of cellular networks, he says.

And security concerns could hold back businesses' willingness. Malware, for example, is increasingly transmitted via MMS.