Lantern Messaging is a global marketplace for wholesale SMS and mobile messaging helping telecom operators monetize the shift from voice to data through rate transparency and next-generation messaging apps and services. At Lantern, we recognize that A2P (Application-to-Person) revenue is growing, while operators struggle to capture revenue on P2P (Person-to-Person) SMS. According to Jupiter Research, revenue from A2P SMS will match that of P2P SMS for the first time. Additionally, increased market share pressure from over-the-top messaging apps, like WeChat, are eroding confidence in the future of SMS. Carriers must address this threat if they are going to benefit from worldwide demand for SMS. To win, operators must first recognize that they are already in a position of market power because they own the network and the customer. Carriers will win market share the same way they won back market share from the threat of third-party VoIP providers in the 1990s and early 2000s. They will win by reducing costs, creating new business models and integrating application innovation into their product offerings. Our vision for telecom operators is much brighter, and rooted in the market realities that are both historical and proven. Over the next five years, SMS will regain its leadership position as the most frequently used method of communication on the planet. Carriers will see their margins in SMS improve as they deliver innovative new features while leveraging the native SMS service found in nearly every mobile phone. Ultimately, telecom operators will win through SMS innovation. And Lantern will be their partner.
