This week marks the 25th birthday of text messages. Texting is more properly known as SMS. On Dec. 3, 1992, 22-year-old Sema Group software architect Neil Papworth typed the first SMS (Short Message Service) message, “Merry Christmas” on a computer and sent it over a GSM network in the UK, to an Orbitel 901 handset owned by then-Vodafone director Richard Jarvis.
In 1993, a year after the first text message was sent, Nokia (NOK) set up the first commercial SMS service in Finland. Nokia was the first handset manufacturer whose total GSM phone line supported users sending SMS text messages. In 1997, Nokia became the first manufacturer to produce a mobile phone with a full keyboard: the Nokia 9000i Communicator.
Texting adoption
SMS adoption was slow at first, with only 0.4 text messages sent per month in 1995. The fact that UK users could only send SMS messages to those on the same network was a big problem until the restriction was lifted in 1999. However, as smartphone technology developed and text messages became easier to use, SMS popularity ballooned. As mobile phones became more popular, texting skyrocketed. By 2007, the Brits were sending 66 billion SMS messages a year and in 2012, they sent 151 billion texts.
In the U.S. SMS was slower to catch on, mainly because mobile operators charged more for texts and less for voice calls, and because of the popularity and availability of PC-to-PC instant messaging or IM. However, in the United States, 45 billion text messages were sent per month in 2007, a figure that became 167 billion per month in 2011. In June 2017, 781 billion text messages were being sent in the United States per month according to the experts.
U.S. Texts Sent
| Month | Number of Text Messages Sent Each Month | Increased Number of Text Messages Sent YoY | % Increased Number of Text Messages Sent YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2017 | 781.000,000,000 | 147,000,000,000 | 431.3% |
| June 2016 | 634,000,000,000 | 73,000,000,000 | 768.5% |
| June 2014 | 561,000,000,000 | 63,000,000,000 | 790.5% |
| June 2013 | 498,000,000,000 | 75,000,000,000 | 564.0% |
| June 2012 | 423,000,000,000 | 56,000,000,000 | 655.4% |
| June 2011 | 367,000,000,000 | 126,000,000,000 | 205.8% |
| June 2010 | 247,000,000,000 | 86,000,000,000 | 187.2% |
| June 2009 | 161,000,000,000 | 86,000,000,000 | 87.2% |
| June 2008 | 78,000,000,000 | 30,000,000,000 | 150.0% |
| June 2007 | 45,000,000,000 | 32,500,000,000 | 38.5% |
| June 2006 | 12,500,000,000 | 5,250,000,000 | 138.1% |
| June 2005 | 7,250,000,000 | 4,390,000,000 | 65.1% |
| June 2004 | 2,860,000,000 | 1,660,000,000 | 72.3% |
| June 2003 | 1,200,000,0002 | 270,000,000 | 344.4% |
| June 2001 | 33,000,000 | 21,000,000 | 57.1% |
| June 2000 | 12,000,000 |
With 25 years under its belt, many people wonder if the end of the line is near for SMS. This is because apps such as Apple‘s (AAPL) iMessage, Google‘s (GOOG) Hangouts, Facebook‘s (FB) Messenger, WhatsApp, and SnapChat have become very popular.
Closed systems
These new chat applications also marked a more fundamental shift away from an open standard that anyone could use (even if your operator charged you) to closed messaging systems controlled by technology giants. Text messages, however, might not be going away soon. SMS is a very practical and easy-to-use communication method, especially for areas and countries that do not have reliable internet connections.
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Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.