SMS: Short Message Service

Short Message Service (SMS), often referred to as text messaging, is a form of mobile communication wherein short messages are sent to and from mobile devices. SMS was originally developed for use with GSM networks and devices, but usage has spread across multiple kinds of access technologies, meaning SMS messages can be exchanged even when the sender and recipient are on networks that use differing technologies (e.g., a GSM user on one network communicating with a CDMA user on another).

 

Today, SMS is one of the most popular applications for mobile devices worldwide and is contributing greatly to operators' continuously growing wireless data revenue.

 

SMS as well as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), which supports multimedia messages including text, video and audio, are widely supported by wireless operators and equipment vendors and both are based on open standards to facilitate interoperability across different phone models and wireless networks. SMS is a continued success as the cheapest, quickest, worldwide form of mobile communication.

 

There are five common platforms that comprise mobile messaging: SMS, MMS, voicemail, Instant Messaging (IM) and e-mail/unified messaging.