Mobile Video and the Association between Short Message System (SMS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the Progress Toward Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

Sending SMS messages, technically defined as Short Message System (SMS), but typically known as “texting”, is a straightforward, easy, and handy means to keep in touch between mobile phones.  In addition to being a exceptional method for people to correspond, text messages can be a practical means for software applications to exchange simple messages, and even setup commands, to and from  smartphones.  text messages does not need a direct connection between mobile devices; the communications infrastructure for the process is already in position, and it works across most mobile service providers. One characteristic of SMS text messaging that makes it particularly sensible for mobile software programs is that it uses mobile fixed identity, the phone number. This facet gives a distinct benefit over other technologies that use IP addresses because a cell phone IP address can vary depending on current network.

Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service component of the GSM mobile communication system.  It relies on standardized communications rules that allow sending and receiving short text messages between mobiles. SMS text messaging is the most widely used data application around the globe, with almost two and a half billion active users, or almost 75% of all cell phone subscribers.

SMS as used on modern smartphones was initially included as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of protocols in 1985  as a means of exchanging messages of up to 160 characters, to and from GSM mobile handsets.  Since then service support has extended to include other mobile technology such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks.  The largest number of SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other types of broadcast messaging as well.  Computer to smartphone SMS texting capabilities are also expanding rapidly.

GSM was originally known as Groupe Spécial Mobile.  It is the most popular standard for mobile telephone systems in the world. The GSM Association, the promoting industry association of mobile phone operators and manufacturers, estimates that approximately 80% of the world mobile market uses the standard.  GSM is enjoyed by over 3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories.  Its ubiquity  enables international roaming agreements between mobile phone network providers, providing subscribers the benefit of their smartphones all over the world.  GSM differs from its forerunner technologies in that both signaling and speech channels are digital.  This means GSM is thought of as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system.  Additionally, this  eases the wide-spread implementation of data communication programs.

Recent versions of the standard work with the original GSM system.  Release ’97 of the standard added packet data capabilities by means of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Release ’99 introduced higher speed data transmission by means of Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE).

General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service available to users of the 2G and 3G GSM. In 2G systems.  GPRS data communication is usually charged per megabyte of datatransferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is charged per unit of connection time, without regard to whether or not the subscriber actually is transmitting or if it is idle. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposed to circuit switching, that has assured quality of service during the connection for non-mobile users.

2G cellular systems combined with GPRS are frequently described as 2.5G.  2.5G is a technology bridge transitioning between the second (2G) and third (3G) generations of smartphone telephony. It provides moderate-speed data transfer, by using unused time division multiple access (TDMA) channels. Initially there was some thought to extend GPRS to cover other standards, but these networks are converting to the GSM standard.   GPRS is integrated into GSM Release 97 and newer releases.

GPRS was created as a GSM response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet switched cellular technologies.  Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) was a wide-area mobile data service which used unused bandwidth normally used by AMPS mobile phones.  The service was discontinued in conjunction with the retirement of the parent AMPS service.

CDPD was developed in the early 1990’s, with anticipation it would be a future technology. However, it had competition from then current slower but less expensive Mobitex and DataTac systems.  CDPD never gained common acceptance and in time newer, faster standards such as GPRS gained common acceptance and became dominant.

For consumers CDPD had very limited offerings.  AT&T Wireless first sold the technology in the US under the brandname PocketNet, one of the very first consumer wireless web service products. Cingular Wireless later offered CDPD under the Wireless Internet brand (as opposed to Wireless Internet Express, Cingular Wireless GPRS/EDGE data). AT&T Wireless PocketNet failed as a product launch.  However, CDPD was adopted into several enterprise and government networks.  It was particularly popular as a first-generation wireless data solution for telemetry devices (machine to machine communications) and for public safety mobile data terminals.

Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) (also called Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), or IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC), and Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is a backward-compatible digital mobile phone technology that provides better data transmission rates on top of standard GSM.  EDGE is considered a 3G radio technology.  EDGE supplies  more than three-fold improvement in both the capacity and performance of GSM/GPRS networks by incorporating advanced methods of coding and transmitting data, that deliver higher bit-rates per radio channel.  EDGE delivers broadband performance and can be used for high bandwidth data applications such as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).

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Parental Control and Employee Monitoring of Mobile Phones .

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