SMS Applications

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Definition & Overview

Introduction

Benefits Of SMS

Network Elements And Architecture

Signaling Elements

Mobile-Terminated Short Message Example

Mobile-Originated Short Message Example

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SMS was initially designed to support limited-size messages, mostly notifications and numeric or alphanumeric pages. While these applications are and will continue to be widely used, there are more recent niches that SMS still can exploit.

Short bursts of data are at the heart of many applications that were restricted to the world of data networks with fixed terminals attached to a local-area network (LAN) or wide-area network (WAN). However, many of these applications are better served if the data communication capabilities could be added to the mobility of the station. Thus, a waiter who can charge a customer's credit card right at the table, at any time, instead of going to a fixed POS terminal located by the register will be able to help customers in a faster, more convenient way.

Also, the ability to track the location of a moving asset such as a truck or its load is very valuable for both providers and clients. This application, again, just needs to interchange small amounts of information, such as the longitude and latitude at a current time of the day, and perhaps other parameters like temperature or humidity.

This application does not necessarily require the monitored entity to be in movement. The requirements are basically short, bursty data and a location that has digital network coverage. For example, in a neighborhood, it would be faster, easier, and cheaper to drive a truck from the local power company, which interrogates intelligent meters to obtain their current readings and then forwards them via short message to a central data processing center to generate the billing. Similarly, delivery trucks could be alerted of the inventory of a customer running low, when the truck is close to the customer’s facilities. The truck driver could place a quick phone call to the customer to offer a short-time replenishment at a low cost for the distributor.

Another family of applications that can use SMS as a data transport mechanism is banking. It is no secret that automated teller machine (ATM) and Internet transactions are less costly than transactions completed at a branch. Internet transactions are even cheaper than ATM transactions. Therefore, enabling wireless subscribers to check their balances, transfer funds between accounts, pay their bills and credit cards is valuable, not only for the subscriber but also for financial institutions.

Entertainment applications are also good drivers of SMS usage. Examples of these are simple short message exchanges between two parties (“texting”) or between multiple participants (“chat”). Also, delivery of information that the subscriber can tailor to his or her lifestyle represents an attractive proposition for wireless users.

Wireless Web browsing allows the users to search for information without the physical restrictions of a PC. College students certainly appreciate not having to go to the computer lab or their dorm to check e-mail or find out what the required book is for the semester that is about to start.

E-mail continues to be by far the most used wireless data application. However, handsets are evolving quickly and are including more and more functionality that supports newer applications at the same time that user friendliness increases. Probably the next big success beyond wireless Web will be Internet shopping and other e-commerce applications such as electronic coupons, advertising, etc.

The potential for applications is enormous, and new needs appear to arise constantly, demanding a solution that may travel over SMS.