What exactly is Text Messaging (Texting)? Text messaging, also called mass texting, is actually one of the earliest forms of communication which involves the transmission and generation of short digital messages between two or more wireless devices. This form of communication has been around since the early days of cellular telephony in the late twentieth century. The advent of computer technology allowed mobile phone manufacturers to incorporate text messaging features into their models. The popularity of mobile phones with built-in keyboards helped fuel its growth. In recent years, as text messaging became even more popular, smart phones with SMS enabled capabilities have also been introduced in the market.
Nowadays, Texting has become a vital mode of communication for people belonging to all walks of life, from kids to seniors, housewives to career women, and even for those who are addicted to technology! With millions of people using mobile phones to send text messages to each other, messaging has become an instant means of communicating across geographical and time barriers. Business owners and managers can easily send instant messages to their employees to ensure smooth office work and effective time management. Couples can also send messages of love, congratulations, and support to each other during times when they may feel lost or lonely without the help of their friends and relatives back home. Text messaging also offers practical help in the event of emergency as one can call up a nearby rescue team without any difficulty.
The rapid growth of messaging applications in the market paved the way for expansion of its services. This has prompted service providers to further integrate messaging applications with their respective mobile phone operating systems. In fact, most messaging applications available on the market today boast of features which can be used on any messaging platform. In fact, there are over a dozen messaging applications available for both iOS and Android devices which collectively have a million users. The popular messaging applications include iSwipe, Facebook’s official messenger, Moxier, and Avira.
While iSwipe is arguably among the most well-known application, it was one of the first group messaging applications to hit the Android market. The iSwipe Android application was one of the first Android apps to integrate the technology behind group messaging. Like most messaging applications, it allows users to make group calls and send text messages from their mobiles using their personal numbers. In this respect, the iSwipe resembles a hybrid of the Blackberry Messenger and the Windows Live Messenger. The group chat function allows its users to create virtual rooms where they can chat with their peers.
Avira is another well-known and highly rated messenger application that allows its users to chat with other Avira users around the world. Like Facebook, Avira is available for free on the Android Market. However, to unlock the true potential of this messaging application, you would need to purchase the $4.99 monthly version that enables instant messaging (IM) and video calling.
A relatively new messaging application, Skype has quickly established itself as a top competitor in the global telecoms industry. With over 30 million users already, this instant messaging service is fast becoming a household name in the telecommunication industry. Unlike Blackberry or other similar services that require a cellular network to send and receive text messages, users of Skype can use their smartphones to send and receive messages. Unlike Blackberry, however, users are not able to send and receive text messages when on Wi-Fi.