新通訊科技出現於舊有的傳播環境中,會與傳統通訊媒介共同競爭消費者的滿足需求。本研究從區位理論的角度出發,從社交性滿足、親密感滿足、實用性滿足以及儀式性滿足作為消費者資源滿足面向,檢視通訊APP、即時通訊、簡訊以及行動通話服務的市場競爭關係。 研究結果發現通訊APP與行動通話服務在不同的消費者資源面向上各自佔有優勢的利基;其中通訊APP不僅與即時通訊的競爭狀況激烈,更優勢於即時通訊,換言之,通訊APP的出現對即時通訊造成相當大的生存危機。而簡訊雖然在競爭各個消費者資源面向上都相對弱勢,但它與其他媒介資源利用狀況不同、競爭狀況也趨緩,顯示簡訊與其他通訊媒介屬於和平共存的關係。
According to the theory of the niche, a new media competes with older media for gratifying more consumers’ needs. This study uses niche theory, a macro-level theory, as well as media richness, social presence and intimacy. To examine the niche of mobile application instant messaging (MIM), instant messaging (IM), SMS and mobile voice service in providing consumers’ gratifications, the study combines the theory into the structures of gratification opportunities and sociability gratification. Four types of consumers’ gratifications were proposed as the bases for comparison and analysis: sociability gratification, intimacy gratification, gratification opportunities and ritualistic gratification. Results indicate that these media (MIM, IM, SMS, and mobile voice service) have broad niche, while the MIM and mobile voice service are broadest in different resource. MIM has substantial niche overlap with IM, indicating a degree of substitutability; the least overlap was MIM and SMS. The hierarchy that emerged in this study indicated that the MIM was superior to IM, mobile voice service and SMS for providing sociability and ritualistic gratifications. The cell phone was superior to the other media on intimacy gratification. In a word, the findings suggest that MIM brings a great impact to IM but not to cell phone, and SMS coexist with other media.