| In the area of communication, text messaging is | | | | procedures. |
| classified as the quickest and most reliable means. | | | | Edward Lantz, an ex-employee of the National |
| Its subscriber base has reached billions around the | | | | Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) |
| world and it has become popular for the same | | | | was believed to have been the person to have |
| number of people. It is useful to know how text | | | | sent the very first text message and it was sent |
| came about and how it started to evolve. | | | | through a Motorola pager. The first messages |
| Text messaging, which has now been universally | | | | used numbers instead of letters and deciphering |
| known as texting, is the method wherein short | | | | the message was necessary at that time. |
| messages of 160 characters can be sent from a | | | | The Vodafone GSM network was used to send |
| cellular phone. This short messaging service (SMS) | | | | and receive the first SMS messaging in Great |
| has been a boon to many cell phone subscribers, | | | | Britain on the 3rd of December 1992. Neil Pap |
| and the latest models of cellular phones are even | | | | worth sent the SMS message using a typical |
| capable of sending as much as 20 pages of 160 | | | | desktop personal computer. |
| characters each in a single sending. They are now | | | | Initially, text messaging was targeted for use by |
| known in communications circles as text | | | | the hearing impaired, and it was not fully |
| messages, texts or SMS. | | | | recognized yet. In the early 1990s text were |
| An SMS gateway is used to be able to access | | | | rarely used by cell phone users. But beginning |
| the text technology, connecting a mobile SMS | | | | 2000, there was a steady increase in the use of |
| service to an existing service provider, the | | | | text. With the further development of the SMS, |
| Internet, PDAs, personal computers and even | | | | its popularity rose exponentially and the world was |
| landline phones. There are also high technology | | | | witness to a sudden surge of subscribers. |
| Bluetooth equipment which can serve as modem | | | | Today, there are around 72 percent of people |
| for cellular phones to be able to send SMS using | | | | from the Northern European states who use text |
| wireless networks. Both the GSM and non-GSM | | | | messaging, and a good 85 percent from the rest |
| systems have been widely used for the SMS. | | | | of Europe and North America. Among the |
| Principally, messaging affords the opportunity to | | | | countries in Asia meanwhile, the Philippines claimed |
| send messages to other people regardless of | | | | the top spot with the most number of messaging |
| their location for as long as they are within the | | | | users. An average of 20 text messages per |
| range of the signal providers. Automated facilities | | | | person is being sent by a typical Philippine |
| are also enhanced by the SMS for buying produce | | | | subscriber. In fact, with its 43 million users, the |
| as well as provide a host of services for the | | | | Philippines is now considered as the texting capital |
| cellular phone. Text messaging has also become | | | | of the world. |
| the trend in many contest mechanics and | | | | |