SMS 101 - Short Message Service Explained

Short Message Service (SMS) is a quick and simple way to communicate short messages via mobile phones, handheld devices, and increasingly even landline telephones. Commonly known as text messages, SMSes, or even texts the practice has spread rapidly throughout the world, evident by the fact that 500 billion such messages were sent in the last year alone. The practice has its popularity due in great part to its convenience and cost effectiveness. For example, a typical text message placed in the US at USD 0.05 per message is priced at just 10 to 20% that of a voice call. Such savings have made it the most popular form of communication in many countries, and the practice is quickly gaining in popularity in the United States as well.

This quick rise in American's usage of SMS is due in part to the publicity the practice received through television shows like The American Idol, where viewers 'texted' their votes in for their favorite singer. This initial exposure gave many Americans their first taste of the convenience and ease of use with SMS.

Texting involves using the keypad on a telephone or other device to spell out letters and then words. Then when a message is completed the writer sends the message, much like an instant message or e-mail to the recipient. While some devices now have actual qwerty keyboards the vast majority of SMS capable devices and telephones simply use the 12 key numerical keypad (0-9 plus * and #). By pressing a certain key in quick succession different letters are made. For example, pressing the '1' key once produces the letter 'a'. Pressing it twice gives the letter 'b', while three times gives 'c'. The other numbers (2-9) work the same way while the other keys (*, 0, and #) are usually reserved for creating spaces and punctuation. While texting does require a bit of initial practice, within a few minutes users are able to quickly spell out and send short messages.

Most SMS services such as those transmitted to a telephone, have a limit as to how many characters can be transmitted per message. This number can vary from service to service, however many allow for 140 or 160 characters. This limitation has caused users to develop what has become known as Txt Speak. These are a set of commonly used abbreviations and word substitutes that not only reduce the number of characters necessary for conveying a word or message, but also make SMSing or Text Messaging an even faster and more convenient process. For example, the number '4' is commonly used to replace the word 'for', and 'gr8' replaces the word 'great'. Some individuals also choose to omit spaces between words by using capital letters instead, such as 'TextingIsFun' instead of 'Texting is fun'. A relatively new phenomenon that many texting devices are now incorporating is Predictive text software. This gives your phone the technology to anticipate what word you are going to write even before you finish writing, drastically reducing the time it takes for you to text messages. For example, you may type the letters 'ste' and the software, which is built into the device, will have predicted the word 'stereo' for you.

SMS is a technology whose convenience and cost effectiveness have already made it an integral part of communication in many countries. In recent years, it has been more widely publicized in the United States and as a consequence its popularity is increasing quickly. This growth is not surprising, however, due to the many benefits that Short Message Service (SMS) brings to communication.

Jim Sherman writes about interesting topics such as SMS Call. Learn more at http://www.mobalex.com/products/smspage.html .

---

Is That Your Cell Phone Ringing or Mine?

The newest technology is incredible and getting better. The newest... Read More

Overview of Cellular Phone Carriers

How many times have you heard of people spending hundreds... Read More

Cellular Phone Accessory

Cellular phone accessory list.There is a wide variety of products... Read More

Cordless Phone Systems

Cordless phone systems offer many features and are ideal for... Read More

Local Search on Cell Phones will Derail Yellow Page Directory Usage

Local Businesses have Been Slow to Capitalize on Search Engine... Read More

Latin Ringtones Mean Dinero for Ringtone Providers

Until recently, when you thought of ringtones, you usually thought... Read More

Choosing a Phone and Voice Mail System

Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even... Read More

Internet Cell Phone Deals - How to Take Advantage of Them

The internet can be a great place to buy your... Read More

How Young is Too Young? Buying Cell Phones for Kids

Take a random tween, age 8-12, place them in front... Read More

Knowing the difference between Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans Will Save You Time and Money

Many people go looking for cell phones without too much... Read More

Security of GSM System

IntroductionEvery day millions of people use cellular phones over radio... Read More

Motorola RAZR V3 Camera Phone

Months before my current cell phone plan expires, I like... Read More

Cellular Phone Contract Tips

Choosing a cellular phone contract and choosing a cell phone... Read More

The Importance Of Cell Phones In Modern Society

Cell phones have become a necessity for many people throughout... Read More

Selecting a Cell Phone

More Than Just a PhoneSelecting a cell phone is no... Read More

The 5 Best Cell Phones on the Market

There are literally hundreds of cell phones out there made... Read More

Prepaid Cell Phone for Teenagers

It's hard to look back and imagine what we did... Read More

New Tips For Shopping Cellular Services

The best money saving practice for buying new cellular phones... Read More

Cell Phone Abuse: Are You A Victim?

Like millions of others, you may be the victim of... Read More

Choosing The Right Phone and Voice Mail System

Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even... Read More

How Reliable are Cell Phones

Cellular phones and pagers are part of the "now" generation,... Read More

Cell Phone - Why Should I Upgrade

We hear from friends or just general chat by people... Read More

Phone Fraud

Please be aware of this, as I have had these... Read More

Cell Phone Etiquette

... Read More

Spider-man 3 on Your Cellphone Anyone?

The titanic developments in new technology have radically changed the... Read More

The Pros and Cons of Camera Cell Phones

All the major phone manufacturers are cashing in on the... Read More

Cellular Phone Services & Bill Payment Services: The New Wave For Merchant Retailers

PREPAID CELLULAR TIMEPrepaid Cellular Are A Smart Choice!There are huge... Read More

What SMS Users Are Telling Telcos

The recent rollout of 3G-ready mobile devices has caused a... Read More

Are Cellular Phones Just a Fashion Accessory?

Cellular phones are used by millions of people in the... Read More

Camera Cell Phone Samsung

Camera cell phone by Samsung ? description.Samsung manufacture a large... Read More

Camera Cell Phone Verizon

Camera cell phone by Verizon ? offer with a service... Read More

Cell phone Etiquette. The Do?s and Don?ts

With more and more people buying cell phones, it becomes... Read More

Call Mexico at Rates as Amazing as the Murals

It's a country that speaks through its numerous murals and... Read More