One of the biggest surprises of the mobile story has been the success and popularity of text messaging.
Since its introduction in 1995 the number of SMS (short message service) sent by British mobile users alone has reached an astonishing 25 billion - that's equivalent to 416 for every man, woman and child.
Since its introduction in 1995 the number of SMS (short message service) sent by British mobile users alone has reached an astonishing 25 billion - that's equivalent to 416 for every man, woman and child.
Short Message Service: (SMS) was initially offered on digital GSM networks allowing text messages of up to 160 characters to be sent and received via the network operator's message centre to a mobile phone, or from the Internet, using an 'SMS gateway' website.
If the telephone is turned off or out of range, messages are stored in the network and are delivered at the next opportunity.
SMS became popular for the same reason as telegrams remained needed for so long - that they offered a guaranteed 'sure shot' way of getting an important message through to the intended recipient.
Now 'texting' is a communications form in its own right especially on occasions like Valentine's Day when in Britain an estimated 22 -25 million messages were sent in both 2003 and 2004.
If the telephone is turned off or out of range, messages are stored in the network and are delivered at the next opportunity.
SMS became popular for the same reason as telegrams remained needed for so long - that they offered a guaranteed 'sure shot' way of getting an important message through to the intended recipient.
Now 'texting' is a communications form in its own right especially on occasions like Valentine's Day when in Britain an estimated 22 -25 million messages were sent in both 2003 and 2004.
