Mobile messaging will continue to have strong growth despite the slowing economy, according to research released Monday from ABI Research.

The report, titled "Mobile Messaging Services," said global revenue from messaging will grow from $151 billion in 2008 to greater than $212 billion by 2013.

Mobile messaging revenue makes up more than 85% of all handset data service revenue, according to ABI. This trend is expected to remain consistent for many years regardless of region, the study said.

"As messaging involves all the biggest players in the mobile industry, there will be incentives for all mobile messaging suppliers to work cooperatively to serve customers well and propel all parties through these rough economic waters," principal analyst Dan Shey said in a statement.

One of the biggest draws to mobile messaging is that it is increasingly being seen as a more efficient and convenient way to communicate than voice services. For the study, messaging includes text, multimedia messages, voice mail, instant messaging, and e-mail. While instant messaging and e-mail are becoming more prevalent on cell phones, SMS is still expected to be the biggest earner, accounting for nearly 83% of all revenue by 2013.

"The utility of mobile services will keep them a necessity in tough economic times, particularly since displaced workers need to be mobile to find work," said Shey.

Businesses of all sizes are beginning to see the benefits of letting their workers have access to e-mail on the go. InformationWeek recently took a look at five leading mobile messaging platforms and analyzed the pros and cons of each. The report can be downloaded here (registration required).