• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 28, 2016

Led by Facebook Messenger and other platforms, mobile messaging is changing the way consumers and businesses communicate.

Across nine developed countries, three-quarters of consumers now “talk” to businesses with mobile messages, according to a new report from the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF).

“Consumers and enterprises are embracing all kind of mobile messaging channels across a broad range of uses and verticals,” Rimma Perelmuter, CEO at MEF, notes in the new report.

“However, there is a clear opportunity for growth with 24% of SMS users and 35% of chat app users currently unengaged,” according to Perelmuter. A full 65% of consumers communicate with businesses via chat apps, while 76% do so via SMS, according to the MEF, which surveyed some 6,000 respondents for its findings.

Among other sectors, one in three consumers have interacted with a financial services company via mobile. Account authentication is a key driver of such interactions, as 30% of consumers reporting confirming passwords via text.

Among platforms, Facebook and WhatApp dominate business-to-consumer communications, with 56% market penetration and a 50% market penetration, respectively. SMS, which comes standard on most smartphone, currently maintain a 42% market penetration.

Retailers and ecommerce -- Web sites and email service providers -- are also using messaging to engage their consumers with 24% using SMS, and 17% using chat apps. 

Meanwhile, 23% of consumers have received a notification for delivery of goods via SMS, and 16% via a chat app. 

The report also reveals the healthcare sector to be a key growth area. Globally, 15% of consumers studied have received a message from a healthcare provider via SMS, while 12% have received a message via a chat app.

Among other developed countries, the UK and the United States currently lead with 19% of consumers in both markets engaging via chat apps.