Short Message Service is a kind of service that allows people to communicate faster and easier, through sending short text messages between mobile phones. SMS has become widely popular among people from different parts of the Globe. The abbreviation SMS, is sometimes even used to describe text messages. Aside from this, SMS messaging is the most used data application today. Statistics has even shown that there are two times more SMS users than email users globally.



The thought of creating SMS started in the early 80's. However, it was in 1985 when the idea of SMS service was thought of being added to GSM or Global System Mobile communications, GSM is the most popular standard used by most mobile phones. Back then, people thought of using SMS only as a part of GSM. Although Short Message Service is still a part of Global System Mobile Communications, other services or systems for SMS has also been developed. SMS can now be used with ANSI CDMA networks, Digital AMPS, satellite networks, and landline networks.

Each succeeding year, more and more people get engaged with SMS and text messaging. According to statistics made by Verizon, the second largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, predicted that every month their subscribers alone send 20 billion text messages in a month. Aside from this, Gartner, an information technology research and advisory firm, foresees that in 2008 there would be two trillion SMS sent in major markets worldwide. Gartner said that in the United States alone, 300 billion messages will be sent. However, the biggest consumers of mobile text messaging are Asia Pacific and Japan, with an estimated 1.7 trillion text messages sent.

SMS has created a whole new world. Through SMS, people can now communicate with people in a faster, cheaper and easier form. Through SMS, people can also apply to jobs through sending text messages. Through SMS, people could also pay their bills by sending text messages. Through SMS, people could market their products, share information, etc. Through SMS, people could communicate anyone around the globe in seconds and no longer have to wait for months, days or even hours for a reply but people would just have to wait for a few seconds.

A lot of people have noticed how SMS have changed the lives of so many people. Companies, especially wireless telecommunication networks such as AT&T and Verizon, have realized this and have earned a lot of revenues from providing this kind of service. Aside from wireless telecommunication companies, companies who purchase these services from telecommunication networks earn a lot too. Companies, which acquired telecommunication network services, are able to reach their consumers faster and thus, making it easier for these companies to market their products and send information to their customers.

However, due to SMS's popularity, networks that provide these services must now find solutions on how to lessen traffic in receiving and sending text messages. If these telecommunication networks do not find ways to prevent more traffic from happening, messages will lag behind or worse, some people might not be able to receive or send their text messages. This could become a serious problem, because a lot of people, nowadays, depend on this kind of service for communication.