The boom was WhatsApp promotes free SMS

The instant messaging application  WhatsApp recently reached a record 1,000 million messages sent daily through its service.

The instant messaging service has got to be one of the most used applications on smartphones' and 'tablets'. Available on all mobile platforms, WhatsApp assumed in the telephony world revolution since has managed to replace SMS and MMS , because it lets you send messages free.

The hour of free SMS

The rise of mobile messaging applications based on the Internet has caused a decline in traffic of traditional text messaging has led operators to begin offering free SMS: Some companies do it with monthly quotas and others such as Movistar from tomorrow , without limits.  Telefónica will offer customers who sign a data rate of Movistar's ability to send unlimited messages (SMS) of their choice, promotion for existing users maintain that contact with the operator to apply.

Vodafone gives half a year for 350 SMS free for customers with rates starting at 40 euros a month, while the average consumption per user is 60 messages per month, according to the operator. For its part, Orange also gives messages a month: 500 for consumers with contract Dolphin 79, 300 for 20 and 150 Panda Squirrel for 15, while incorporating 50 SMS per week to their offering Prepaid Dolphin.

While operators seek to win customers with these initiatives, the SMS has a chance to escape the disappearance, after years of declines in the short message traffic. According to data from the Commission's Telecommunications Market (CMT), Spanish customers have declined over the past four years sending messages: from 13.426 million in 2006, SMS has come to 8.921 million last year, 33 , 55% less.

Three years in fall

The phone companies have three years of earning less SMS: of 1,743 million euros in 2007, operators have to charge past 1,260 million last year, the 27.71% less , although they have kept the average revenue per message above 14 cents since then.

The figures note the decline of an essential part of people's lives: the end of the year, the SMS turns 19 years of loyal service to the user, network nearly two decades by millions collapsed on New Year message "Happy New Year ". Precisely, "Feliz Navidad" ("Merry Christmas") was the first text message (SMS, which stands for "Short Message Service") that was sent in history, the culprit was Neil Papworth , who sent their good wishes from your computer the mobile Orbitel 901 Richard Jarvis December 3rd, 1992.

For that brief greeting came to Jarvis, the SMS networks traveled British Vodafone GSM mobile phone. However, it was not until 1993 when Finland started marketing the service to use from person to person. The only manufacturer whose phones allowed in that year the SMS was also Finland's Nokia . Since then, short messages and the desire of customers to pay even less have led to the creation of a parallel language, full of cryptic abbreviations and almost misspellings to save space.

However, the advent of smartphones has encouraged the development of instant messaging applications that use mobile networks to transmit data communications. Now the user can send text, photos, videos and voice messages through applications such as WhatsApp and social networking programs like Google + and Facebook, as well as the services for BlackBerry devices, Apple and Samsung. All without paying a penny, or rather, all included in the price of mobile data. Whether or SMS messaging services transmitted over data networks, the future seems to be written with words free.