Applications

Microblogging

Main article: Microblogging

Of many texting trends, a system known as microblogging has surfaced, which consists of a miniaturized
blog, inspired mainly by people's tendency to jot down informal thoughts and post them online. They
consist of websites like X (formerly Twitter) and its Chinese equivalent Weibo (微博). As of 2016, 21% of
all American adults used Twitter.[31] As of 2017, Weibo had 340 million active users.[32]

Emergency services

In some countries, text messages can be used to contact emergency services. In the UK, text messages
can be used to call emergency services only after registering with the emergency SMS service. This
service is primarily aimed at people who, because of disability, are unable to make a voice call. It has
recently been promoted as a means for walkers and climbers to call[33][34] emergency services from
areas where a voice call is not possible due to low signal strength.

In the US, there is a move to require both traditional operators and Over-the-top messaging providers to
support texting to 911.[35] In Asia, SMS is used for tsunami warnings and in Europe, SMS is used to
inform individuals of imminent disasters. Since the location of a handset is known, systems can alert
everyone in an area that the events have made impossible to pass through e.g. an avalanche. A similar
system, known as Emergency Alert, is used in Australia to notify the public of impending disasters
through both SMS and landline phone calls. These messages can be sent based on either the location of
the phone or the address to which the handset is registered.

In the early 2020s, device manufacturers have begun to integrate satellite messaging connectivity and
satellite emergency services into conventional mobile phones for use in remote regions, where there is
no reliable terrestrial cellular network.[36]

Reminders of medical appointments

SMS messages are used in some countries as reminders of medical appointments. Missed outpatient
clinic appointments cost the National Health Service (England) more than £600 million ($980 million) a
year.[37] SMS messages are thought to be more cost-effective, swifter to deliver, and more likely to
receive a faster response than letters. A 2012 study by Sims and colleagues examined the outcomes of
24,709 outpatient appointments scheduled in mental health services in South-East London. The study
found that SMS message reminders could reduce the number of missed psychiatric appointments by 25–
28%, representing a potential national yearly saving of over £150 million.[38]

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical facilities in the United States are using text messaging to
coordinate the appointment process, including reminders, cancellations, and safe check-in. US-based
cloud radiology information system vendor AbbaDox includes this in their patient engagement services.
[citation needed]

Commercial uses

A multimedia message displayed on a mobile phone

Short codes

Short codes are special telephone numbers, shorter than full telephone numbers, that can be used to
address SMS and MMS messages from mobile phones or fixed phones. There are two types of short
codes: dialling and messaging.

Text messaging gateway providers

SMS gateway providers facilitate the SMS traffic between businesses and mobile subscribers, being
mainly responsible for carrying mission-critical messages, SMS for enterprises, content delivery and
entertainment services involving SMS, e.g., TV voting. Considering SMS messaging performance and
cost, as well as the level of text messaging services, SMS gateway providers can be classified as resellers
of the text messaging capability of another provider's SMSC or offering the text messaging capability as
an operator of their own SMSC with SS7.[39][40] SMS messaging gateway providers can provide
gateway-to-mobile (Mobile Terminated–MT) services. Some suppliers can also supply mobile-to-gateway
(text-in or Mobile Originated/MO services). Many operate text-in services on short codes or mobile
number ranges, whereas others use lower-cost geographic text-in numbers.[41]

Premium content

SMS has been widely used for delivering digital content, such as news alerts, financial information,
pictures, GIFs, logos and ringtones.[citation needed] Such messages are also known as premium-rated
short messages (PSMS).[42] The subscribers are charged extra for receiving this premium content, and
the amount is typically divided between the mobile network operator and the value added service
provider (VASP), either through revenue share or a fixed transport fee. Services like 82ASK and Any
Question Answered have used the PSMS model to enable rapid response to mobile consumers'
questions, using on-call teams of experts and researchers. In November 2013, amidst complaints about
unsolicited charges on bills, major mobile carriers in the US agreed to stop billing for PSMS in 45 states,
effectively ending its use in the United States.[43]

Outside the United States, premium short messages have been used for "real-world" services. For
example, some vending machines now allow payment by sending a premium-rated short message, so
that the cost of the item bought is added to the user's phone bill or subtracted from the user's prepaid
credits. Recently,[when?] premium messaging companies have come under fire from consumer groups
due to a large number of consumers racking up huge phone bills. A new type of free-premium or hybrid-
premium content has emerged with the launch of text-service websites. These sites allow registered
users to receive free text messages when items they are interested in go on sale, or when new items are
introduced. An alternative to inbound SMS is based on long numbers (international mobile number
format, e.g., +44 7624 805000, or geographic numbers that can handle voice and SMS, e.g.,
01133203040[41]), which can be used in place of short codes or premium-rated short messages for SMS
reception in several applications, such as TV voting,[44] product promotions and campaigns.[45] Long
numbers are internationally available, as well as enabling businesses to have their own number, rather
than short codes, which are usually shared across a lot of brands. Additionally, long numbers are non-
premium inbound numbers.

In workplaces

The use of text messaging for workplace purposes grew significantly during the mid-2000s. As companies
seek competitive advantages, many employees used new technology, collaborative applications, and
real-time messaging such as SMS, instant messaging, and mobile communications to connect with
teammates and customers. Some practical uses of text messaging include the use of SMS for confirming
delivery or other tasks, for instant communication between a service provider and a client (e.g., a
payment card company and a consumer), and for sending alerts. Several universities have implemented
a system of texting students and faculties campus alerts. One such example is Penn State.[46]

As text messaging has proliferated in business, so too have regulations governing its use. One regulation
specifically governing the use of text messaging in financial-services firms engaged in stocks, equities,
and securities trading is Regulatory Notice 07-59, Supervision of Electronic Communications, December
2007, issued to member firms by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In Regulatory
Notice 07-59, FINRA noted that "electronic communications", "e-mail", and "electronic correspondence"
may be used interchangeably and can include such forms of electronic messaging as instant messaging
and text messaging.[47] Industry has had to develop new technology to allow companies to archive their
employees' text messages.
Security, confidentiality, reliability, and speed of SMS are among the most important guarantees
industries such as financial services, energy and commodities trading, health care and enterprises
demand in their mission-critical procedures. One way to guarantee such a quality of text messaging lies
in introducing SLAs (Service Level Agreement), which are common in IT contracts. By providing
measurable SLAs, corporations can define reliability parameters and set up a high quality of their
services.[48] Just one of many SMS applications that have proven highly popular and successful in the
financial services industry is mobile receipts. In January 2009, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA)
published the Mobile Banking Overview for financial institutions in which it discussed the advantages
and disadvantages of mobile channel platforms such as Short Message Services (SMS), Mobile Web,
Mobile Client Applications, SMS with Mobile Web and Secure SMS.[49]

Mobile interaction services are an alternative way of using SMS in business communications with greater
certainty. Typical business-to-business applications are telematics and Machine-to-Machine, in which
two applications automatically communicate with each other. Incident alerts are also common, and staff
communications are also another use for B2B scenarios. Businesses can use SMS for time-critical alerts,
updates, and reminders, mobile campaigns, content and entertainment applications. Mobile interaction
can also be used for consumer-to-business interactions, such as media voting and competitions, and
consumer-to-consumer interaction, for example, with mobile social networking, chatting and dating.

Text messaging is widely used in business settings; as well, it is used in many civil service and non-
governmental organization workplaces. The U.S. And Canadian civil service both adopted BlackBerry
smartphones in the 2000s.

Group texts

Group texts involve more than two users. They are often used when it is helpful to message many people
at once, such as inviting multiple people to an event or arranging groups.[50][51] They are also used in
business for marketing and other customer notifications as well as intracompany communication.[52]

Group texts are often sent as MMS messages and therefore require an internet connection to send
instead of using the sender's text messaging plan.[51]

Online SMS services