What Is SMS?
Even if you don’t know what SMS means, you’re probably already using this technology. Essentially, SMS is an acronym for Short Message Service – otherwise known as “texting.” SMS allows people to send text messages from one cell phone to another or from the Internet to a cell phone. SMS was created by a former employee of Telecom Finland in 1992 beginning with mobile to computer messaging. By 1993, phone-to-phone messaging was possible.
The use of T9 predictive technology makes SMS on non-QWERTY phones possible. By allowing a user to simply tap a number one time in order to create a letter, T9 predictive technology has eliminated the need to tap a number numerous times in order to switch from numbers to letters. This way, a phone that does not have a full keyboard can still be used to effectively send and receive text messages.
SMS should not be confused with MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), which allows users to send pictures and larger files from one phone to another. Cost-wise, most cell phone plans do not include MMS, though nearly all plans include SMS. If you happen to send large files and texts on a regular basis, look for a plan that includes both MMS and SMS in order to save a few bucks.
Since SMS was created in order to allow people to send short and quick messages, most texts cannot exceed more than 160 characters (including spaces). To date, there are more than 2.4 billion SMS users worldwide.
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Tags: Cell Phone Definition