TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) a leading provider of mission-critical wireless communications, today announced that the company has delivered a record 80 billion text messages across the U.S. during the first six months of 2008, equaling the total messages sent by the company in all of 2007. The record growth in text messaging nationwide is compelling carriers to increase their wireless messaging offerings and capacity. According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), SMS (Short Message Service) text messaging in the United States more than doubled over the last year. TCS technology was responsible for approximately 25 percent of the CTIA-reported total U.S. 363 billion messages sent in 2007. This growth represents a 130 percent increase over the 158 billion messages sent in the U.S. in 2006.
CTIA also reported revenues from wireless data services were up more than 52 percent in 2007 to more than $23.2 billion, up from $15.2 billion in 2006. This growth is expected to continue with analysts forecasting an eightfold increase in text messaging volume by 2014, fueled by intercarrier messaging, televoting and unlimited in-network text messaging plans. TCS provides software to U.S. wireless carriers for text messaging, and earns revenue from perpetual licenses, customization, feature enhancements and software maintenance. TCS SMS systems include its Short Message Service Center (SMSC) platform and related Wireless Intelligent Gateway (WIG), which has both messaging and Location-Based services (LBS) functions.