How much longer until spam penetrates text messaging?

I have whole-heartedly adopted text messaging. I clearly see the benefits of using text messaging and many times find myself choosing to send a text message over an email. I even love picking and choosing what types of alerts I want to receive on my mobile phone via text message.

For example, I have my mobile phone integrated with my Google calendar such that I get a text message reminder before each of my appointments. This is especially helpful when I am out and about, away from my computer. Since I almost always carry my mobile phone with me, I am sure to always receive my appointment reminders.

This mobile phone has been spam free for 122 days

One of the other great benefits of text messaging is that I don’t receive any spam. Well, at least not a lot of spam. I wasn’t particularly happy about receiving a text message with a video attachment from Verizon Wireless at 10:07 pm the other night. Much like a late night phone call, when I receive a late night text message I assume the worst.

What I got instead was a text message enticing me to play a video informing me that full episodes of the television shows 30 Rock and The Office were now available on the Verizon Wireless VCast service. Thanks Verizon, I really needed that nugget of information right before I went to bed.

Sure, there is probably a setting on my Verizon Wireless online account that I don’t remember setting that gives permission to Verizon Wireless to send these kinds of updates. But what happens when I start receiving text messages telling me I won an overseas lottery or where I can get discount pharmaceuticals?

Anyone want to take a guess at how long it will take for text message spam? I’ll give it a year. Leave your guess in a comment below.