 - SMS (Short Message Service), commonly referred to as "text messaging," is a service for sending short messages of up to 160 characters (224 characters if using a 5-bit mode) to mobile devices, including cellular phones, smartphones and PDAs.
SMS is similar to paging. However, SMS messages do not require the mobile phone to be active and within range and will be held for a number of days until the phone is active and within range. SMS messages are transmitted within the same cell or to anyone with roaming service capability. They can also be sent to digital phones in a number of other ways, including:
Typical uses of SMS include:
- Notifying a mobile phone owner of a voicemail message
- Notifying a salesperson of an inquiry and contact to call
- Notifying a doctor of a patient with an emergency problem
- Notifying a service person of the time and place of their next call
- Notifying a driver of the address of the next pickup
- Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS), an adaptation of SMS that allows users to send and receive ringtones and operator logos, as well as combinations of simple media to and from EMS-compliant handsets.
Many of these uses depend upon short telephone numbers called common short codes (CSCs), usually consisting of five digits, that are used to address SMS and MMS messages from cellular telephones.
In recent years, SMS spam has become an issue for some users, as has SMiShing, a security attack in which the user is tricked into downloading a Trojan horse, virus or other malware onto a cellular phone or other mobile device.
Users can send messages from a computer via an SMS gateway. SMS gateways are Web sites that allow users to send messages to people within the cell served by that gateway. They also serve as international gateways for users with roaming capability.
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Learn more about Mobile Messaging |
| Enabling mobile business applications: A strategic approach: This expert lesson discusses how to develop an overall strategy for mobilizing critical business applications and how to tailor them to your specific needs. |
| Mobile messaging for the enterprise: This series on enterprise mobile messaging provides mobile managers with an in-depth view of mobile messaging applications including mobile email, IM, voice and security. |
| Mobilizing your enterprise applications: This series explores the usefulness of mobile CRM, ERP and SAP applications in the enterprise and looks at some potential roadblocks to mobilizing enterprise applications. |
| A merging of global mobile styles: Though Antoine Wright doesn't know the details of what will happen to mobility in the future, he does know that it is changing daily communications on a global-made-local level. |
| The growing impact of mobile messaging: This research report looks at the benefits and burden of mobile messaging and addresses three important issues you must consider when expanding your use of mobile messaging. |
| CONTRIBUTORS: |
Simon Smith |
| LAST UPDATED: |
20 Oct 2008
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