MANILA (Reuters) - Filipinos doubled the number of text messages they

sent last year to an average of 1 billion daily, industry data showed on

Tuesday.
The Philippines is one of the prolific text messaging centers of the world

In 2006, 500 million text messages were sent daily and 250 million in
2005, according to the National Telecommunications Commission.

The popularity of text messaging is partly driven by cheap offers. Credit

can be bought for as little as one peso (2.5 U.S. cents) and one mobile
user can pass credits to another phone.

A SIM card can be bought for 50 pesos.

Today, surveys say about 400 million text messages are sent by Filipinos every day or
142 billion a year! No wonder the Philippines is known as the “texting capital of the
world.” Texting is also cheaper than placing a call, so subscribers would rather fidget
with their cell phone’s keypad than make a call.
According to a country listing published by Statista, there are more than 66 million
cell phones being used in the Philippines in the year of 2015.

What is SMS

- If you’re sending a text message, you’re generally sending an

“SMS,” which stands for Short Message Service. It’s the oldest and
one of the most widely used text messaging services today. It
includes MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) which enables SMS
users to send multimedia content like images, audio, and visual
files. Both SMS and MMS are sent using cellular networks and thus
require a wireless plan and a wireless carrier.

If you send a traditional “text” message on your phone, it’s considered an

SMS. When you send that gif, you’ve just sent a MMS.
 - Stands for "Short Message Service." SMS is used to send text messages to
mobile phones. The messages can typically be up to 160 characters in length,
though some services use 5-bit mode, which supports 224 characters. SMS was
originally created for phones that use GSM (Global System for Mobile)
communication, but now all the major cell phone systems support it.

- Let’s start with the definition of SMS. SMS is an abbreviation for Short
Message Service. In layman’s terms: it’s a text message. However,
while you might refer to a variety of different message types as simply
a “text” in your daily life, the difference is that an SMS message
contains only text (no pictures or videos) and is limited to 160
characters. The SMS was developed in the 1980s and is one of the
oldest texting technologies. It’s also the most widely used, despite a
growing number of alternative ways to communicate.

Frequently asked questions about SMS

Now that you know the definition of SMS, here are some common questions that people
typically ask.

 What happens if an SMS exceeds the 160 character limit? The SMS message will be
broken up into several messages, depending on its length. In 2020, most carriers chain
these messages so that they arrive in order.
 How popular is SMS? In the United States, there are over 6 billion SMS messages sent
daily.
 How is SMS different from iMessage or WhatsApp? Messaging applications like
iMessage or WhatsApp are known as “Over The Top” (OTT) applications. You don’t
need a cellular network to send these because they rely on the internet. In order to send
these messages, the recipient has to have the same app downloaded on their phone. All
iPhones have iMessage installed and your message will default to an iMessage if your
recipient is using an iPhone. If they aren’t, your iPhone will default to SMS, which
appears as a green bubble on your iPhone as opposed to a blue bubble.
 Will SMS ever be replaced? Experts predict that RCS messaging will one day replace
SMS messaging as the new go-to protocol.

What is MMS?
MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. You can think of it as an enhancement
to the standard SMS message. You’ve probably guessed it by now, but the main
difference between SMS and MMS is that you can send, multimedia in your
messages. This includes media such as videos, pictures, audio clips and GIFs and
more. Additionally, MMS allows for up to 1600 characters of text in your message which
is a lot more than a standard SMS.

Advantages of SMS
When you’re sending an SMS message professionally — whether for marketing or
communications — there are some significant advantages over sending an MMS.

 SMS messages are short, sweet and to the point. Because of the 160 character
limit, they don’t require a lot of mental energy from the end user to understand
what is being communicated.
 It’s cheaper to send SMS messages than it it MMS.
 Most carriers in the U.S. offer plans with unlimited texting, so there is likely no
cost to your subscribers.

Disadvantages of SMS
There are going to be some occasions when you shouldn’t use an SMS. Here are some
drawbacks to SMS.

 You can’t send videos, photos, or sometimes even emojis in a traditional SMS
message. If you want to offer your customers something that is more attention
grabbing, MMS may be the way to go.
 As stated earlier, SMS has a character limit of 160 characters which can be
limiting if your use case requires you to send longer messages.

Benefits or advantages of SMS

Communication
Following are the benefits or advantages of SMS Communication:
➨Less time is needed to communicate. Hence it is the fastest way to reach
anyone.
➨Communication history is logged automatically to view old messages.
➨It is very polite and cost effective way for sending information.
➨SMS notifications can be automated.
➨One can store the SMS messages for desired duration as per settings in the
mobile. Set message expiration as per desired choice.
➨It is easier to type SMS as default words are provided for comfortable typing.
➨Using SMS communication, anyone can leave a message to the person even if
he/she is available or not. This helps in providing message to the recipient, so
that once he/she notices the same, recipient can reply back.
➨With advancement in the technology, even smiley and emotions icons are also
embedded in the SMS to notify the recipient about your current behaviour.
Drawbacks or disadvantages of SMS
Communication
Following are the disadvantages of SMS Communication:
➨The SMS size is limited to about 160 characters. This does not permit user to
convey very long text messages. He has to sent out more than one SMS
messages to convey his/her full expressions.
➨There is no guarentee that SMS will be delivered to its destination. The
delivery can happen very late due to congestion. The delivery may fail due to
memory issue or destination mobile is busy or out of service etc. Hence the
system of communication is unreliable.
➨It is not possible to know whether the recipient person has read the SMS or
not.
➨They can not be delivered to DND (i.e. Do not Disturb) subscribers.
➨Unwanted SMSs are broadcasted for advertising purpose which often annoys
mobile phone users.
 10 reasons why you should use SMS to
communicate with customers
1.Immediate delivery

SMS is very fast and efficient. It is delivered in a matter of seconds, so your marketing
message will reach your target audience (clients) almost immediately upon being sent.
Also, with over 90% of messages read within 3 minutes of being received, you will see
results immediately.

2. Personal

SMS is very personal because it’s delivered directly to your customer’s mobile phone.
Since mobile phones are almost always within our arm’s reach, SMS is landing straight
into the client’s hands. By personalising your communication with clients, you’ll easily
grab their attention.  

3. Cheap

Text messages are cheap especially if you buy them in bulk. No other marketing
method provides such affordable results, particularly if compared with traditional
marketing methods, such as TV, radio or print media.     

4. Global Reach

Text messages can reach millions of people in no time, wherever they are. It can reach
virtually all of the 6-7 billion mobile phones in use today. SMS is the only technology
harmonised between all mobile operators in the world, which means that text
messaging can connect the world. Literally!  

5. Simple

Due to its simplicity and reach, SMS has become a globally adopted communication
channel. Everyone knows how to open, read and text a message. Moreover, thanks to
the limitation in length (160 characters), messages are small, direct, concise and go
straight to the point. And who doesn’t like it sweet & simple?

6. Precision

Text messaging enables you to laser target a specific group of people (customers and
prospects) with different marketing messages. By delivering the right message to the
right group of people, you can boost sales and improve communication with your clients
and potential clients.    
 7. Direct

Some reports say 91% of adults keep their mobile phone within arm’s reach 24/7.
Therefore, SMS is among the most direct ways of communicating with clients, besides
meeting face-to-face and a direct phone call. Since the other 2 can be
complicated, time-consuming and expensive, it’s clear who’s the winner!

8. Time-efficient

SMS is an excellent timesaver since text messages can be scheduled and you can
send one message to a large group of people at once without writing each message
individually. This allows you to concentrate on other areas of the business which is a
huge benefit.

9. Trackable

SMS can be easily tracked using the delivery reports. These reports enable you to see
how efficient and successful your SMS campaign is. This will help you understand what
works best for you, empowering you to get the most out of your future marketing
campaigns.    

10.Reliable

Unlike email which is seriously fighting against spam and different junk email filters,
SMS is safe. Mobile phones don’t have a spam box, so upon hitting the send button,
you can be sure your marketing message has arrived safely. Even if the mobile phone
is switched off or out of the signal, SMS will be delivered within 48 hours of being sent.  

The Purpose of SMS Instant Messages

Informal Communication

SMS messaging was also created to serve as a means of informal communication between individuals.

With text messaging, you can quickly send a message to one of your friends without having to worry

about the formality of other means of communication. For example, you can use shorthand to speed up

the amount of time that it takes to type out a message. Since it is an informal means of communication,

you do not have to worry about spelling or grammar errors as much.

Response When Appropriate

Another purpose of SMS text messaging is to provide a means of communication that individuals can use

when it is most appropriate for them. For example, when you receive a text message from someone, you

can wait to respond until it is most convenient for you. You can read the text message and see if it is a

priority and then respond according to how busy you are. If you receive a phone call, you have no way of

knowing its priority, or if the information is coming from the sender.

Time Saving

Another reason that people use instant messaging is to save time. SMS was meant to be a time saver for

users and it has been just that since its inception. When you quickly need to disseminate information to

another individual, you can type out a text message and send it. You do not have to worry about many of

the formalities that come with a phone conversation. You can simply exchange the information you need

to exchange.

Convenience

One of the reasons that people use text messaging so frequently is because it is convenient. In many

cases, cellphone users may be able to respond to a text message easily, but they may be unable to talk

on the phone. For example, if you are in a meeting, you may not be able to step out and answer the

phone, but you can quickly respond to a text message without stopping what you are in the process of

doing.

link
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https://www.statista.com/statistics/570388/philippines-mobile-phone-users/

https://techterms.com/definition/sms

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/security/a29789903/what-is-sms/

https://www.slicktext.com/blog/2018/10/difference-between-sms-and-mms/

https://www.rfwireless-world.com/Terminology/Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-SMS.html

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/the-purpose-of-sms-instant-messages