| There is a nice television commercial that is being | | | | revenue earner for the telecom companies thanks to |
| shown currently on the Indian TV channels. The | | | | the TV channels. Almost every program advertises a |
| Nokia advertisement seeks to dispel the commonly | | | | short code (three, four or five figure number) for |
| held notion that phones are used just for talking. A | | | | viewers to send text messages with their opinions. |
| number of applications are shown, including video | | | | Marketing companies have used text so extensively |
| recording, still photos, MP3 music, FM radio and of | | | | that the courts stepped in to restrict the usage. |
| course text messages. Though text messaging is a | | | | Sending text messages is also very convenient |
| big improvement on the pager (remember it?), today | | | | because this medium is very suitable for sending |
| it feels impossible to live without it. | | | | payment reminders, payment intimations, disaster |
| For the younger generation, life is unimaginable | | | | alerts, SOS calls, greetings and courtesy calls can be |
| without a mobile phone. For them it is like an | | | | transmitted in this form. Receipts of payments like |
| extension of their hands, a handy tool to say so | | | | utility bills, club fees, subscriptions, renewals and so on |
| many things. The young people have devised a | | | | can be sent by way of SMS messages. |
| peculiar lingo of missed calls and text messages by | | | | Text messages have proved their worth during the |
| the dozen. Text messages are an improved version | | | | last few years as the ownership of mobile phones |
| of the old pass-the-note messaging, especially in the | | | | exploded to 60 million sets. During times of crisis, |
| classroom as SMS messages scurry to and fro. Text | | | | governments have rushed SMS alerts to citizens |
| messages are ideal to send to people because they | | | | warning of floods, earthquakes, etc. Thanks to its |
| are stored in their handsets to be read when they | | | | ease of use, more people are taking up text |
| are free. Sometimes a call might catch the receiver | | | | messaging. The mobile phone is now seen more as |
| at an awkward moment and he may prefer to ignore | | | | an accessory of modern life than as a novelty item. |
| it at the time. Text messaging is possible on every | | | | There are now more than 120 million phones in India, |
| mobile phone and some landline phones also. | | | | of which landlines constitute less than half the |
| Text messaging has proved to be a profitable | | | | number. |