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| SMS
Tutorial |
|
|
Definition & Overview
| Definition |
| Short message service (SMS) is a globally
accepted wireless service that enables the transmission of
alphanumeric messages between mobile subscribers and external
systems such as electronic mail, paging, and voice-mail systems. |
| |
| Overview |
| This tutorial provides an introduction to
basic SMS concepts, specifications, networks, and services. |
Introduction
| SMS appeared on the wireless scene in 1991
in Europe. The European standard for digital wireless, now known
as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), included
short messaging services from the outset. |
| |
| In North America, SMS was made available
initially on digital wireless networks built by early pioneers
such as BellSouth Mobility, PrimeCo, and Nextel, among others.
These digital wireless networks are based on GSM, code division
multiple access (CDMA), and time division multiple access (TDMA)
standards. |
| |
| Network consolidation from mergers and
acquisitions has resulted in large wireless networks having
nationwide or international coverage and sometimes supporting
more than one wireless technology. This new class of service
providers demands network-grade products that can easily provide
a uniform solution, enable ease of operation and administration,
and accommodate existing subscriber capacity, message
throughput, future growth, and services reliably. Short
messaging service center (SMSC) solutions based on an
intelligent network (IN) approach are well suited to satisfy
these requirements, while adding all the benefits of IN
implementations. |
| |
| Figure 1 represents the basic network
architecture for an IS–41 SMSC deployment handling multiple
input sources, including a voice-mail system (VMS), Web-based
messaging, e-mail integration, and other external short message
entities (ESMEs). Communication with the wireless network
elements such as the home location register (HLR) and mobile
switching center (MSC) is achieved through the signal transfer
point (STP). |
| |
| Picture 1. Basic
Network Architecture for an SMS Deployment (IS-41) |
| |
 |
| |
| SMS provides a mechanism for transmitting
short messages to and from wireless devices. The service makes
use of an SMSC, which acts as a store-and-forward system for
short messages. The wireless network provides the mechanisms
required to find the destination station(s) and transports short
messages between the SMSCs and wireless stations. In contrast to
other existing text-message transmission services such as
alphanumeric paging, the service elements are designed to
provide guaranteed delivery of text messages to the destination.
Additionally, SMS supports several input mechanisms that allow
interconnection with different message sources and destinations. |
| |
| A distinguishing characteristic of the
service is that an active mobile handset is able to receive or
submit a short message at any time, independent of whether a
voice or data call is in progress (in some implementations, this
may depend on the MSC or SMSC capabilities). SMS also guarantees
delivery of the short message by the network. Temporary failures
due to unavailable receiving stations are identified, and the
short message is stored in the SMSC until the destination device
becomes available. |
| |
| SMS is characterized by out-of-band packet
delivery and low-bandwidth message transfer, which results in a
highly efficient means for transmitting short bursts of data.
Initial applications of SMS focused on eliminating alphanumeric
pagers by permitting two-way general-purpose messaging and
notification services, primarily for voice mail. As technology
and networks evolved, a variety of services have been
introduced, including e-mail, fax, and paging integration,
interactive banking, information services such as stock quotes,
and integration with Internet-based applications. Wireless data
applications include downloading of subscriber identity module
(SIM) cards for activation, debit, profile-editing purposes,
wireless points of sale (POSs), and other field-service
applications such as automatic meter reading, remote sensing,
and location-based services. Additionally, integration with the
Internet spurred the development of Web-based messaging and
other interactive applications such as instant messaging,
gaming, and chatting. |
Benefits of SMS
| In today's competitive world,
differentiation is a significant factor in the success of the
service provider. Once the basic services, such as voice
telephony, are deployed, SMS provides a powerful vehicle for
service differentiation. If the market allows for it, SMS can
also represent an additional source of revenue for the service
provider. |
| |
| The benefits of SMS to subscribers center
around convenience, flexibility, and seamless integration of
messaging services and data access. From this perspective, the
primary benefit is the ability to use the handset as an
extension of the computer. SMS also eliminates the need for
separate devices for messaging because services can be
integrated into a single wireless device—the mobile terminal.
These benefits normally depend on the applications that the
service provider offers. At a minimum, SMS benefits include the
following: |
| |
|
Delivery of
notifications and alert |
|
Guaranteed message
deliver |
|
Reliable, low-cost
communication mechanism for concise information |
|
Ability to screen
messages and return calls in a selective way |
|
Increased subscriber
productivity |
|
| |
| More sophisticated functionality provides
the following enhanced subscriber benefits: |
| |
|
Delivery of messages to
multiple subscribers at a time |
|
Ability to receive
diverse information |
|
E-mail generation |
|
Creation of user groups |
|
Integration with other
data and Internet-based applications |
|
| |
| The benefits of SMS to the service provider
are as follows |
| |
|
Ability to increment
average revenue per user (due to increased number of |
| |
calls on wireless and
wireline networks by leveraging the notification
capabilities of SMS) |
|
An alternative to
alphanumeric paging services, which may replace or |
| |
complement an existing
paging offer |
|
Ability to enable
wireless data access for corporate users |
|
New revenue streams
resulting from addition of value-added services such |
| |
as e-mail, voice mail,
fax, and Web-based application integration, reminder
service, stock and currency quotes, and airline
schedules |
|
Provision of key
administrative services such as advice of charge,
over-the- |
| |
air downloading, and
over-the-air service provisioning |
|
Protection of important
network resources (such as voice channels), due to |
| |
SMS’ sparing use of the
control and traffic channels |
|
Notification mechanisms
for newer services such as those utilizing wireless |
| |
application protocol
(WAP) |
|
| |
| All of these benefits are attainable
quickly, with modest incremental cost and short payback periods,
which make SMS an attractive investment for service providers. |
Network Elements & Architecture
| The basic network
structure of SMS in an IS-41 network is depicted in
Picture 1. |
| |
| External Short
Messaging Entities |
| An ESME is a device that may receive or send
short messages. The short message entity (SME) may be located in
the fixed network, a mobile device, or another service center. |
| |
|
VMS - The VMS is responsible
for receiving, storing, and playing voice |
| |
messages intended for a
subscriber that was busy or not available to take a
voice call. It is also responsible for sending
voice-mail notifications for those subscribers to the
SMSC. |
|
Web - The growth of the
Internet has also affected the world of SMS. |
| |
Therefore, it is almost
mandatory to support interconnections to the World Wide
Web for the submission of messages and notifications.
The increasing number of Internet users has a positive
impact on the SMS traffic increment experienced in the
last few years. |
|
E-Mail - Probably the most
demanded application of SMS is the ability to |
| |
deliver e-mail
notifications and to support two-way e-mail, using an
SMS-compliant terminal. The SMSC must support
interconnection to e-mail servers acting as message
input/output mechanisms. |
|
Others - There are several
other mechanisms to submit short messages to |
| |
the SMSC that include,
but are not limited to, paging networks, specialized
software for PC-based messaging and operator bureaus. |
|
| |
| SMSC |
| SMSC is a combination of hardware and
software responsible for the relaying and storing and forwarding
of a short message between an SME and mobile device. |
| |
| The SMSC must have high reliability,
subscriber capacity, and message throughput. In addition, the
system should be easily scalable to accommodate growing demand
for SMS in the network. |
| |
| Normally, an IN-based solution will allow
for a lower entry cost compared to point solutions because it
can support other applications on a single hardware platform and
share resources, thereby spreading the deployment cost over
several services and applications. |
| |
| Another factor to be considered is the ease
of operation and maintenance of the application, as well as the
flexibility to activate new services and upgrade to new software
releases. |
| |
| The benefits of SMS to the service provider
are as follows |
| |
|
Ability to increment
average revenue per user (due to increased number of |
| |
calls on wireless and
wireline networks by leveraging the notification
capabilities of SMS) |
|
An alternative to
alphanumeric paging services, which may replace or |
| |
complement an existing
paging offer |
|
Ability to enable
wireless data access for corporate users |
|
New revenue streams
resulting from addition of value-added services such |
| |
as e-mail, voice mail,
fax, and Web-based application integration, reminder
service, stock and currency quotes, and airline
schedules |
|
Provision of key
administrative services such as advice of charge,
over-the- |
| |
air downloading, and
over-the-air service provisioning |
|
Protection of important
network resources (such as voice channels), due to |
| |
SMS’ sparing use of the
control and traffic channels |
|
Notification mechanisms
for newer services such as those utilizing wireless |
| |
application protocol
(WAP) |
|
| |
| Signal Transfer Point |
| The STP is a network element normally
available on IN deployments that allows IS-41 interconnections
over signaling system 7 (SS7) links with multiple network
elements. |
| |
| HLR |
| The HLR is a database used for permanent
storage and management of subscriptions and service profiles.
Upon interrogation by the SMSC, the HLR provides the routing
information for the indicated subscriber. Also, if the
destination station was not available when the message delivery
was attempted, the HLR informs the SMSC that the station is now
recognized by the mobile network to be accessible, and thus the
message can be delivered. |
| |
| Visitor Location
Register (VLR) |
| The visitor location register is a database
that contains temporary information about subscribers homed in
one HLR who are roaming into another HLR. This information is
needed by the MSC to service visiting subscribers. |
| |
| MSC |
| The MSC performs the switching functions of
the system and controls calls to and from other telephone and
data systems. The MSC will deliver the short message to the
specific mobile subscriber through the proper base station. |
| |
| Air Inteface |
| The air interface is defined in each one of
the different wireless technologies (GSM, TDMA, and CDMA). These
standards specify how the voice or data signals are transferred
from the MSC to the handset and back, as well as the utilization
of transmission frequencies, considering the available bandwidth
and the system’s capacity constraints. |
| |
| The Base Station
System |
| All functions related to the transmission of
electromagnetic radio signals between the MSC and the mobile
devices are performed in the base station (BS). The BS consists
of base station controllers (BSCs) and the base transceiver
stations (BTSs), also known as cell sites or simply “cells.” The
BSC may control one or more BTSs and is in charge of the proper
resource assignment when a subscriber moves from one sector of
one BTS to another, regardless of whether the next sector lies
within the same BTS or in a different one. |
| |
| The Mobile Device |
| The mobile device is the wireless terminal
capable of receiving and originating short messages. Commonly,
these devices have been digital cellular phones, but more
recently the application of SMS has been extended to other
terminals such as POS, handheld computers, and personal digital
assistants (PDAs). The wireless network signaling infrastructure
is based on SS7. SMS makes use of the mobile application part
(MAP), which defines the methods and mechanisms of communication
in wireless networks and employs the services of the SS7
transactional capabilities application part (TCAP). An SMS
service layer makes use of the MAP signaling capabilities and
enables the transfer of short messages between the peer
entities. |
| |
| The capabilities of the terminal vary
depending on the wireless technology supported by the terminal.
Some functionality, although defined in the SMS specification
for a given wireless technology, may not be fully supported in
the terminal, which may represent a limitation in the services
that the carrier can provide. This trend, however, is
disappearing as service providers’ merger and acquisition
activity demands uniform functionality across all the
constituents of the parent companies. Also, some manufacturers
may include additional functionality, not considered in the
specification, attempting to offer a more attractive product for
service providers as well as end users. This will be the case
more often as service provider continue to incorporate SMS into
their revenue-generating and customer-loyalty strategies. |
Signaling Elements
| IThe MAP layer defines the operations
necessary to support SMS. Both American and international
standards bodies have defined a MAP layer using the services of
the SS7 TCAP. The American standard is published by
Telecommunication Industry Association and is referred to as
IS-41. The international standard is defined by the European
Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and is referred to
as GSM MAP. |
| |
| The following basic MAP operations are
necessary to provide the end-to-end SMS: |
| |
|
Routing Information Request
- Before attempting delivery of a short |
| |
message, the SMSC must
receive routing information to determine the serving MSC
for the mobile device at the time of the delivery
attempt. This is accomplished by way of an interrogation
of the destination handset’s HLR, which is accomplished
via the use of the SMSrequest and
SendRoutingInfoForShortMsg mechanisms in IS-41 and GSM,
respectively. |
|
Point-to-Point Short Message Delivery
- The mechanism provides a means |
| |
for the SMSC to transfer
a short message to the MSC that is serving the addressed
mobile device. After the address of said MSC has been
obtained from the station’s HLR, the short message
delivery operation provides a confirmed delivery
service. The operation works in conjunction with the
base station subsystem while the message is being
forwarded from the MSC to the MS. Therefore, the outcome
of the operation comprises either success (such as
delivery to the mobile) or failure caused by one of
several possible reasons. The point-to-point short
message delivery is accomplished via the use of the
short message delivery-point-to-point (SMD-PP) and
forwardShortMessage mechanisms in IS-41 and GSM,
respectively. |
|
Short Message Waiting Indication
- The operation is activated when a short |
| |
message delivery attempt
by the SMSC fails due to a temporary failure, such as
the station being unregistered, and provides a means for
the SMSC to request the HLR to notify the SMSC when the
indicated mobile device becomes available. This short
message waiting indication is realized via the use of
the SMS_notification indicator and
set_message_waiting_data mechanisms in IS-41 and GSM,
respectively. |
|
Service Center Alert - The
operation provides a means for the HLR to inform |
| |
the SMSC, which has
requested a notification that a specific mobile device
is now recognized by the mobile network to be available.
This service center alert is accomplished via the use of
the SMS_notification and alert_service_center mechanisms
in IS-41 and GSM, respectively. |
|
| |
| Service Elements |
| SMS is comprised of several service elements
relevant to the reception and submission of short messages: |
| |
|
Message Expiration - The
SMSC will store and reattempt delivery of |
| |
messages for unavailable
recipients until either the delivery is successful or
the expiration time - set on a per-message basis or on a
platform-wide basis - arrives. |
|
Priority - This is the
information element provided by an SME to indicate the |
| |
urgent messages and
differentiate them from the normal priority messages.
Urgent messages usually take priority over normal
messages, regardless of the time of arrival to the SMSC
platform. |
|
Message Escalation - The
SMSC stores the message for a period no longer |
| |
than the expiration time
(it is assumed that the escalation time is smaller than
the expiration time associated with the message), and
after said escalation time expires, the message will be
sent to an alternate message system (such as a paging
network or an e-mail server) for delivery to the user. |
|
| |
| In addition, SMS provides a time stamp
reporting the time of submission of the message to the SMSC and
an indication to the handset of whether or not there are more
messages to send (GSM) or the number of additional messages to
send (IS-41). |
| |
| Subscriber Services |
| SMS comprises two basic point-to-point
services: |
| |
|
Mobile-originated short
message (MO-SM) |
|
Mobile-terminated short
message (MT-SM) |
|
| |
| Mobile-originated (MO) short messages are
transported from the MO-capable handset to the SMSC and can be
destined to other mobile subscribers or for subscribers on fixed
networks such as paging networks or Internet protocol (IP)
networks (including the Internet and private e-mail networks).
Mobile-terminated (MT) short messages are transported from the
SMSC to the handset and can be submitted to the SMSC by other
mobile subscribers via MO-SM or by other sources such as
voice-mail systems, paging networks, or operators. |
| |
| Mobile-originated (MO) short messages are
transported from the MO-capable handset to the SMSC and can be
destined to other mobile subscribers or for subscribers on fixed
networks such as paging networks or Internet protocol (IP)
networks (including the Internet and private e-mail networks).
Mobile-terminated (MT) short messages are transported from the
SMSC to the handset and can be submitted to the SMSC by other
mobile subscribers via MO-SM or by other sources such as
voice-mail systems, paging networks, or operators. |
| |
| For MT-SM, a report is always returned to
the SMSC either confirming the short message delivery to the
handset or informing the SMSC of the short message delivery
failure and identifying the reason for failure (cause code).
Similarly, for MO-SM, a report is always returned to the handset
either confirming the short message delivery to the SMSC or
informing of delivery failure and identifying the reason. |
| |
| Depending on the access method and the
encoding of the bearer data, the point-to-point short messaging
service conveys up to 190 characters to an SME in GSM networks
and from 120 to 205 in IS-41 networks. |
| |
| In GSM networks, the type of messaging
service is identified by the protocol identifier information
element, which identifies the higher-level protocol or
interworking being used. Examples are telex, group 3 telefax,
X.400 messaging, European Radio Messaging System (ERMES), and
voice telephone. |
| |
| In IS-41 networks, the service type is
distinguished by use of the teleservice identifier. Basic
teleservices include the following: |
| |
|
Cellular messaging
teleservice (CMT) |
|
Cellular paging
teleservice (CPT) |
|
Voice-mail notification
teleservice (VMN) |
|
| |
| CMT differs from the CPT due to the
inclusion of a reply mechanism that enables a user or network
acknowledgment to be selected on a per-message basis. The user
acknowledgment includes a response code that paves the way for
powerful interactive services between SMSCs. |
| |
| Many service applications can be implemented
by combining these service elements. Aside from the obvious
notification services, SMS can be used in one-way or interactive
services providing wireless access to any type of information
anywhere. By leveraging new emerging technologies that combine
browsers, servers, and new markup languages designed for mobile
terminals, SMS can enable wireless devices to securely access
and send information from the Internet or intranets quickly and
cost-efficiently. One of these technologies where SMS can
provide a cooperative, rather than a competitive, approach is
the WAP, which allows transport of data for mobile wireless
users. |
| |
| A generic network infrastructure for
realizing the innovative SMS services is depicted in Picture 2. |
| |
| Picture 2. Network
Infrastructure |
| |
 |
| |
| Some of the potential applications of SMS
technology, utilizing both MT-SM and MO-SM where appropriate,
include the following: |
| |
|
Notification Services -
Notification services are currently the most widely |
| |
deployed SMS services.
Examples of notification services using SMS include the
following: |
| |
|
Voice/fax
message notification, which indicates that voice
or fax mail |
| |
messages are
present in a voice mailbox |
|
E-mail
notification, which indicates that e-mail
messages are present in |
| |
an e-mail
mailbox |
|
Reminder/calendar services, which enable
reminders for meetings and |
| |
scheduled
appointment |
|
|
E-mail Interworking -
Existing e-mail services can be easily integrated with |
| |
SMS to provide e-mail to
short messaging and mobile e-mail and message
escalation. |
|
Paging Interworking - Paging
services integrated with SMS allow digital |
| |
wireless subscribers to
be accessible via existing paging interfaces, as well as
escalation of messages. |
|
Information Services - A
wide variety of information services can be provided |
| |
by the SMS, including
weather reports, traffic information, entertainment
information (e.g., cinema, theater, concerts), financial
information (e.g., stock quotes, exchange rates,
banking, brokerage services), and directory assistance.
SMS can support both push (MT) and pull (MO) approaches
to allow not only delivery under specific conditions but
also delivery on demand, as a response to a request. |
|
WAP Integration - SMS can
deliver notifications for new WAP messages to |
| |
wireless subscribers but
can also be used as the transport mechanism for WAP
messages. These messages can contain diverse information
from sources that include databases, the World Wide Web,
e-mail servers, etc. |
|
| |
| Mobile Data Services |
| The SMSC can also be used to provide short
wireless data. The wireless data may be in interactive services
where voice calls are involved. |
| |
| Some examples of this type of service
include fleet dispatch, inventory management, itinerary
confirmation, sales order processing, asset tracking, automatic
vehicle location, and customer contact management. Other
examples may be interactive gaming, instant messaging, mobile
chat, query services, mobile banking, etc. |
| |
| Customer Care and
Management |
| The SMSC can also be used to transfer binary
data that can be interpreted by the mobile device without
presentation to the customer. This capability allows the
operators to administer their customers by providing a mechanism
for programming the mobile device. Examples of such services
include mobile device programming, which allows customer
profiles and subscription characteristics to be downloaded to
the mobile device (customers can be activated/deactivated based
on the data downloaded) and advice of charge, which enables the
SMS to be used to report charges incurred for the phone call
(e.g., calls made when roaming). |
| |
| One interesting method to provide customer
support is to offer a list of answers to frequently asked
questions via short message. SMS also can be used to distribute
general information about other products and services being
offered by the service provider, thus guaranteeing maximum
penetration of the advertising over the existing customer base.
In a different scenario, a service provider may want to deliver
short messages to subscribers to remind them of, for example,
past-due payments, instead of reminding them over traditional
mail or courier delivery, therefore reducing cost and ensuring
that the message is delivered to its destination in a timely
manner. |
Mobile-Terminated Short Message Example
| Picture 3 depicts the successful MT–SM
scenario for GSM. |
| |
| Picture 3. MT–SM
Scenario (GSM) |
 |
| |
| 1. |
The short message is
submitted from the ESME to the SMSC. |
| 2. |
After completing its
internal processing, the SMSC interrogates the HLR and |
| |
receives the routing
information for the mobile subscriber. |
| 3. |
The SMSC sends the short
message to the MSC using the forward short |
| |
message operation. |
| 4. |
The MSC retrieves the
subscriber information from the VLR. This operation |
| |
may include an
authentication procedure. |
| 5. |
The MSC transfers the
short message to the MS. |
| 6. |
The MSC returns to the
SMSC the outcome of the forwardShortMessage |
| |
operation. |
| 7. |
If requested by the
ESME, the SMSC returns a status report indicating
delivery |
| |
of the short message. |
|
| |
| Picture 4. MT Short
Message Scenario (IS–41) |
 |
| |
| 1. |
The short message is
submitted from the ESME to the SMSC. |
| 2. |
The SMSC sends an
acknowledgement to the ESME, indicating reception of t |
| |
he short message. |
| 3. |
After completing its
internal processing, the SMSC interrogates the HLR. |
| 4. |
The HLR sends the
routing information for the mobile subscriber to the |
| |
SMSC. |
| 5. |
The SMSC sends the short
message to the MSC using the SMSDPP Invoke |
| |
operation. |
| 6. |
The MSC transfers the
short message to the MS. |
| 7. |
The MS returns an
acknowledgement to the MSC. |
| 8. |
The MSC returns to the
SMSC the outcome of the SMSDPP operation. |
| 9. |
If requested by the
ESME, the SMSC returns a delivery receipt indicating |
| |
successful delivery of
the short message. |
|
Mobile-Originated Short Message Example
| Picture 5 depicts the successful MO–SM
scenario, utilizing the GSM method. The IS–41 method for the
MO-SM scenario is depicted in Picture 6. |
| |
| Picture 5. MO–SM
Scenario (GSM) |
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| |
- The MS is powered on and registered with
the network.
- The MS transfers the SM to the MSC.
- The MSC interrogates the VLR to verify
that the message transfer does not violate the supplementary
services invoked or the restrictions imposed.
- The MSC sends the short message to the
SMSC using the forwardShortMessage operation.
- The SMSC delivers the short message to
the SME (and optionally receives acknowledgment).
- The SMSC acknowledges to the MSC the
successful outcome of the forwardShortMessage operation.
- The MSC returns to the MS the outcome of
the MO-SM operation.
|
| Picture 6. MO–SM
Scenario (IS–41) |
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| |
- The MS transfers the SM to the MSC.
- The MSC interrogates the home SMSC to
verify that the message transfer does not violate the
supplementary services invoked or the restrictions imposed.
The MSC sends the short message to the home SMSC using the
SMSPP Invoke operation
- The SMSC delivers an acknowledgment to
the MSC.
- The MSC returns order release to the MS.
- The SMSC queries the HLR for the
location of the destination MS.
- The HLR returns the destination (MSC)
serving the destination MS.
- The SMSC delivers SM to the MSC serving
the destination MS.
- The SMSC delivers the short message to
the MS.
- The MS acknowledges to the MSC the
successful outcome of the SMSDPP operation.
- The MSC returns to the SMSC the outcome
of the MO–SM operation (delivery successful).
|
SMS Applications
| 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. |
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| 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. |
Test Your Knowledge
|
1. SMS guarantees
message delivery even if the terminal is turned off when the
message is sent.
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2. Short messages
cannot be delivered when the mobile telephone is being used
for voice calls.
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3. The maximum
message size is independent of the network technology.
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4. Short
messaging can provide delivery notification when the message
arrives at its destination.
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5. Queries to the
HLR are performed to find the location of the serving MSC in
___________.
| a. |
TDMA |
b. |
CDMA |
|
| c. |
GSM |
d. |
all the above |
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6. The SMSC
delivers messages directly to the ___________.
| a. |
HLR |
b. |
VLR |
|
| c. |
MSC |
d. |
BSC |
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7. SMS is defined
only for delivery of messages to mobile phones, not
supporting interactive services.
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8. The element in
charge of storing short messages when these cannot be
delivered to the handset is the ___________.
| a. |
MSC |
b. |
ESME |
|
| c. |
SCP |
d. |
SMSC |
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9. SMS can
support the following services:
| a. |
notifications |
b. |
wireless data |
|
| c. |
e-mail |
d. |
all the above |
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10. SMS cannot
interact with WAP services.
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11. SMS does not
utilize the existing digital network infrastructure.
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12. Which of the
following pairs of technologies use IS–41?
| a. |
GSM and TDMA |
b. |
CDMA and GSM |
|
| c. |
TDMA and CDMA |
d. |
all the above |
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External Links
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