How does SMS Differ from MMS?

SMS and MMS are two latest kinds of technologies of modern communication. So, what is implied by the two of these?

SMS

SMS is short for Short Messaging Service. This is the formal name for text messaging. It is a mode to send text of short messages from one phone to another. Typically, such messages are sent over a cellular data network.

The basic SMSs are to adhere to a limit of 160 characters per message (that includes spaces). The SMS standard was defined in the 1980’s, as per GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), which served as basis for cell phone networks for many years.

Initially, SMS were sent by certain apps. The original apps could only support sending of standard text based SMS’s. There was no capacity to send audio, video or images. But new models of cell phones gained the capacity to send multimedia messages.

MMS

Multimedia Messaging Service permits smart phone and cell phone users to send each other messages with videos, images, and more. This service is based on SMS technology.

Standard messages of MMS can support videos of duration up to 40 seconds, slide shows or single images as well as audio-clips. Using MMS, the smartphone can send ring tones, audio files, photos, contact details and other data to any other phone with plan for text messaging. But whether phone of the recipient can play those files is determined by the capabilities and software of the phone.

Files which are sent through MMS, count against monthly limits of both recipient and sender in their phone service plans.

Differences

SMS and MMS are different in many respects:

· Short form:

SMS stands for Short Message Service and MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service

· Mechanism of transmission

In case of SMS, message centers are responsible for receipt and sending of texts. They also attempt to re-send messages in case they failed in the first time.

In case of MMS, messages are sent to the message center. MMS text online are then sent to recipient via internet in case phone supports formats for MMS. Otherwise, MMS can be viewed in a web browser.

· Challenges

SMS is fraught with issue like spamming and spoofing. MMS faces issues like content adaptations, spamming, poor capability of hand sets, and distribution lists.

Spoofing happens when a fraudster impersonates a user by exploiting address information and sends messages to home network. Consumers become victims of such spoofing attacks by giving away personal information.

SMS spamming is a process by which a user is sent messages for product or service promotion as regards various products frequently ,even is she hasn’t subscribed to the service.

Receiving and sending MMS maybe a problem if a handset is incapable of getting multimedia messages or there is incorrect setting of configuration.

· Permitted size

In case of SMS, message length is limited to 160 characters. But MMS technology has no limit.

· Dimensions of usage

SMS messages numbered 4.1 trillion, generating revenue of $81 billion (2008). MMS has 1.3 billion active users with 50 billion MMS messages and revenue of $26 billion(2008).

These are all some ways one can compare the communication technology of SMS and MMS.