Future of Wireless Messaging

The pace of communication is changing. Fast. So says SkyTel, one of the biggest names in the messaging business. SkyTel CEO John Stupka sees pagers getting smaller. It provides the service used in the innovative Beepwear watches from Timex and Motorola. And then, there is messaging...

"Messaging is a whole new category. Messaging systems that are coming up now are 2-way like cellular, but they're broadcast based like paging. So that allows the providers of paging and messaging services today to offer services that were here-to-fore not available with their network. For example, I can guarantee you delivery of the page. I can guarantee you you'll get your page because I'll send it to your device and if your device doesn't acknowledge receipt, I'll send it again."

For nationwide coverage, it turns out that 2-way devices that let you send as well as receive messages, are much less expensive to use...about 25 dollars a month... than standard pagers...

"With a one way paging network, since I'm just broadcasting, to provide nationwide paging, I had to send the same message to you on every transmitter on my network from Puerto Rico to Portland, Oregon."

Two way devices provide feedback that tells the system where you are. You can find more information at skytel.com.