| Text messaging or commonly called texting is the | | | | using a Nokia phone was sent by an engineering |
| process of sending short messages from a mobile | | | | student, Riku Pihkonen. |
| phone. The latest mobile phones are capable of | | | | At first, text messaging did not gain popularity |
| sending as much as 20 pages containing 160 | | | | immediately since it was designed primarily for the |
| characters. These messages are commonly called | | | | hearing impaired. Since 1995 only a few messages |
| SMS, texts or text messages. | | | | were sent through SMS. But during the year |
| Text messaging technology uses an SMS | | | | 2000, there have been a gradual increase in the |
| gateway to hook up any mobile SMS service to | | | | use of text messaging. |
| an existing instant message service, Word Wide | | | | As the text messaging system developed, more |
| Web, PDA devices, personal computers and to | | | | and more people switched to texting as a |
| any landline phone. Some devices with Bluetooth | | | | cheaper form of communication. Based on |
| devices can connect to a mobile phone similar to | | | | statistics, Finland, Norway and Sweden have 72% |
| a modem sending SMS through wireless networks. | | | | of the total population are using text messaging. |
| SMS have been widely used with either GSM or | | | | In Europe and North America, there are over |
| non GSM systems. | | | | 85% users of SMS. |
| Basically, text messaging intends to provide a | | | | Among the Asian countries, the Philippines have |
| means of sending message to one person to | | | | the largest population of mobile subscribers who |
| another no matter where they are as long as | | | | uses text messaging as a means of |
| there is signal coverage from the mobile | | | | communication. An average of 20 text messages |
| providers. This service is also used for automated | | | | is being sent daily by a subscriber. Because of |
| systems primarily for the purpose of purchasing | | | | this, the Philippines have been considered as the |
| products and services for mobile phone. Text | | | | text capital of the world. On 2007 alone, there |
| messaging is also widely used in many contests. | | | | are 42.70 million people who are subscribers of |
| According to some companies, the first ever text | | | | mobile phones. |
| message was sent during 1989 by Edward Lantz | | | | According to the Global Messaging Survey |
| who is a former NASA employee. The text | | | | conducted by Nokia, text messaging has been |
| message was sent through a Motorola beeper. | | | | proven to be an addictive activity. It was |
| The message was consist of numbers which is | | | | confirmed by a study by the University of |
| read upside down in order to read the message. | | | | Queensland which is based in Australia. |
| On December 3, 1992 in the United Kingdom, the | | | | It is interesting to note that text messaging |
| first SMS messaging was used in a commercial | | | | brought about a text lingo. These are |
| sent through a Vodafone GSM network. The SMS | | | | abbreviations of words developed to save on |
| message was sent by Neil Papworth with the use | | | | character space, and because inputting complete |
| of a desktop computer. The SMS contains the | | | | words are more tiresome. Another reason is that |
| word Merry Christmas sent to Richard Jarvis | | | | most mobile phones do not have QWERTY |
| from Vodafone through a handset device model | | | | keyboards of personal computers. |
| Orbitel 901. For the GSM systems, the first SMS | | | | |