When it comes to messaging, hospital executives want to make sure it's done securely.

A new report by research firm KLAS, identifies some of the key vendors in this rapidly emerging space and explains why they've garnered market share in an area where there are more than 100 competitors.

"To avoid security breaches and prepare for the threat of possible HIPAA audits, providers are turning to the secure messaging market," writes KLAS Research Director Paul Hess, in the report "Secure Messaging 2015: First Look at Who Providers Are Considering and Why."

He adds that over time, providers will expect more than is available on the market today, and that will drive the market to do better.

"For the long term, providers live with or considering a secure messaging solution are hoping to achieve goals that go beyond the basics of secure messaging, and this will require more robust functionality and interface capabilities," he writes in a summary of the report. "Because these strategic solutions require more time to be developed and deployed, many providers turn to more basic solutions as a stop-gap measure to ensure HIPAA compliance."

Today, TigerText leads in both market share and mindshare, according to KLAS findings. Imprivata mindshare is comparable to TigerText. KLAS attributes that to Imprivata's long presence in the healthcare sector.

Imprivata is popular among providers. It drives adoption. However, according to KLAS, functionality and price are concerns.

Voalte and Doc Halo also rank near the top of this changing market

"Doc Halo receives little consideration in potential deals from providers in this study," Hess notes, "but is mentioned by other vendors as a competitor in the secure messaging space, and their market share does exceed that of many widely considered vendors.

"Many Doc Halo customers say they chose the vendor over TigerText because they felt they could achieve the same level of functionality for a lower cost," he adds. "Providers considering Imprivata and Spok are doing so largely due to the existing, positive relationship they have with the vendor through other purchases. Those considering Voalte either have an existing relationship with the vendor or feel that the functionality is more comprehensive and has more development potential than that of other vendors."

Moreover, Hess writes, Voalte provides the most robust interfacing.

Voalte customers most often report having nurse call and patient monitoring interfaces, and comparatively few non-Voalte clients report these interfaces, he points out.

Bottom line? Providers are looking for more than HIPAA compliance for their text messaging. That, says Hess, "will require more robust functionality and interface capabilities."