An anonymous reader writes: In 2011, nearly 8 trillion SMS messages were sent by about 3.7 billion users. These numbers are staggering for a technology that is limited to being able to send 160 characters from one mobile phone to another.
It turns out that there are a few reasons why SMS has become so popular as a communications technology.
Firstly, the simplicity of a text message of 160
characters is enough to carry important information and restrictive enough to ensure that people are concise and to-the-point.
Secondly, there is the pervasiveness of SMS-capable phones. There are approximately 6 billion SMS capable subscribers world-wide.
Finally, there is the cost, with SMS messages being affordable and certainly cheaper than a phone call.
All of the characteristics of SMS have led to its use in a range of applications aimed at fostering improved communication in rural and remote regions, especially in the so-called developing world.