Introduction to Text Messaging and SMS

Wireless subscribers are turning to SMS as a convenient alternative to using up their voice minutes from month to month. A fast and discrete way of keeping in touch with friends and family, text or SMS messages were being sent at a rate of 500 billion messages per year worldwide by mid-2004 - that's 100 messages for every person in the world. In the U.S. alone, the popularity of text messaging has increased three-fold over the past year, according to the Wireless Association, CTIA.

What is SMS?

Short message service (SMS) is available on most digital mobile phones and permits the sending of short messages (also known as text messages, SMSes, texts or even txts) between mobile phones, and other handheld devices. 2-Way Text Messaging, also called MO-SMS (Mobile-Originated Short Message Service), allows messages to be sent from the phone as well. Messages can typically be sent to a phone via a special email address, through the carrier's web site, or with special messaging software and a modem.

Messages can be sent from one phone to another by addressing the message to the recipient's phone number. Most phones and carriers also allow messages to be sent from a phone directly to an e-mail address.

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