The Death of Texting?

Technology experts warn that cell phone service companies like AT&T and Verizon may face serious roadblocks ahead with the growth of messaging alternatives, reports The Digital Home.

BlackBerry Messenger was the first major messaging alternative to gain popularity. The BBM application lets users send instant messages (text, pictures, and videos) to fellow BlackBerry users through a service much faster and more dynamic than traditional SMS texting.

Then, Apple introduced iMessage, an application very similar to BlackBerry’s BBM that is compatible on iPhones and other Apple devices. Now, the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is looking to roll out its own instant message program for its Android phones.

The future looks grim for traditional SMS texting as alternative messaging methods slowly begin to take over the market. A report from UBS analysts (and cited by the Journal) notes that SMS texting was down 21% for AT&T in its first quarter this year as compared to last.