Characterizing User Behavior on a Mobile SMS-Based Chat Service

The use of mobile instant messaging (IM) services has grown significantly last years. Usually, mobile chat services work over the Internet using cellphone carriers' resources, such as the SMS (Short Message Service) platforms. Understanding the user behavior in this environment is paramount to improve service performance and user experience. In this article, we present and discuss a characterization of the user behavior on a mobile SMS-based chat service. We describe the usage patterns of this service providing a daily perspective of user behavior. We show that a very small group of heavy users consumes a significant amount of carrier's resources. Moreover, we also present the transitions and navigation patterns of this very small group of users to understand their peculiar behavior.