Short Message Service (SMS) is a communications protocol allowing the interchange of short text messages between mobile telephone devices. The SMS technology has facilitated the development and growth of text messaging. The connection between the phenomenon of text messaging and the underlying technology is so great that in parts of the world the term "SMS" is used colloquially as a synonym for a text message from another person or the act of sending a text message.
SMS as used on modern handsets was originally defined as part of the GSM series of standards in 1985 GSM Doc 28/85 "Services and Facilities to be provided in the GSM System" rev2, June 1985 as a means of sending messages of up to 160 characters, to and from GSM mobile handsets. blank">GSM 03.40, Technical realization of the Short Message Service (SMS). Since then, support for the service has expanded to include alternative mobile standards such as ANSI CDMA networks and _Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks. Sending SMS Messages to Landline Phones, OpenXtra Most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other types of broadcast messaging as well.
