Mobile phone text messages have become a new and popular way for
communication in the workplace among the Chinese.
The country had 329 million cell phone subscribers as of the end
of November this year, a survey says.
Thirty percent of the respondents to a survey conducted
nationwide by Tegic Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of
America Online, Inc., said they often arrange meetings by sending
text messages.
One in four people said they got instant replies on job-related
questions via short messages, and 22 percent sent their bosses
messages to ask for sick leave. One in?10 people has once
discussed or applied for a new job via SMS.
Chinese mobile phone users now turn to short messages for
communication in the offices because more than 70 percent of them
think it is convenient and cheap. Nearly 40 percent believe it may
reduce barriers in communication, while 22 percent regard sending
short messages as a fad.
China's mobile phone users are expected to send 220 billion
short messages in 2004, according to the Ministry of Information
Industry.
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2004)