With technology come great possibilities. The world over the years evolved from sending text messages, then voice messages, to sending multimedia messages, and even real-time communication across great distances. MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. It is a standard method of sending messages that include multimedia content, such as pictures, videos, slideshows, etc, to and from a phone, over a cellular network. These types of messages are referred to as PTX, picture messages, or multimedia messages. MMS entered the limelight in 2002, around 2012, MMS traffic in the United States increased by 70 per cent; this is a result of the rise in the use of smartphones.

According to Wikipedia, this form of messaging was created using the technology of SMS messaging, first developed in 1984 as a captive technology that enabled service providers to collect a fee, every time anyone snaps a picture. These messages are delivered in a different way from SMS, the first step being the sending device, encoding the multimedia content, then forwarding it to the carrier’s MMS store and forward server, known as the MMSC (Multimedia Messaging Service Centre). The MMSc acts as a relay if the receiver is on a different carrier from the sender. 

The Benefits of MMS

MMS can be seen as an improvement on SMS. The most profound benefit of MMS is the fact that multimedia content can be shared from one phone to another. It is said that a picture speaks more than a thousand words therefore; it is not farfetched to claim that the ability to share pictures and other forms of pictorial messages is a big improvement on just plain SMS. The following are benefits of MMS;

• Multimedia messages are more effective than plain text. They tend to gain more attention, as they stand out.
• MMS can be used as a medium for delivering scan-able coupon codes, product images, videos and other multimedia information.
• With MMs, one can send a text blast, with a large amount of content.

The Demerits of MMS

Just like every other concept in the world, there are disadvantages to using MMs as a messaging tool, just as there are advantages. Below are a few disadvantages of using MMS as a messaging tool;

• Expensive; compared to SMS, MMs is a more expensive option when it comes to messaging.
• Compatibility; Multimedia messages created by a particular brand of smartphone, may not be compatible with the receiver’s smartphone.
• WAP Push; several mobile network operators do not offer a direct connection to their MMSC for their content providers, as a result of this, many content providers have to use WAP Push as a means to send rich content.
• Not everyone can receive MMS; smartphones have to be enabled, in order to perform this function. This is a downside because it can be hard to tell which smartphone is enabled and which is not when trying to send a text blast.
• Because it requires a certain level of skill, to be able to create multimedia content, it would prove difficult for most to come up with content to send as MMS. This might require the person trying to send a message to pay, to get the work done, thus increasing expenses.

Why Use MMS

MMS is a text messaging option that provides more latitude content-wise, this is why the use of this method of communication rose from 2011 to 2013. People used it as a medium to stay in touch visually; most companies at that time also used it as a great marketing tool, to deliver more visual information on their products. 

The most popular use of MMS was to send pictures, videos and slideshows, to other people. Businesses used this standard platform as means to send brochures, images of their products, short clips of their services and the likes to their customers. MMs prove to be an effective marketing tool, as items and products can be visually represented, and sent to customers, to evaluate and see for themselves. 

MMS Vs SMS

While MMS and SMS are similar in the sense that they are both mediums, through which information can be shared from one device to another, there are a few notable differences between them. These differences include;

1. Character limit;

The character limit for a conventional SMS is 160 characters, MMs improve on this, this means that using MMS, one can send a longer text, and there is more room to fit more information.

2. Cost;

SMS is way cheaper to send than MMS. This can even be seen as a downside to MMS, as SMS is a more cost-effective option for businesses.

3. Variety;

The most notable difference between MMS and SMS is that While SMS is limited to just alphabetic and numeric contents, MMs are capable of sending alphabets, numerals and most forms of multimedia content. This is a great improvement.

4. All a person needs to receive an SMS is a phone with a sim card; 

Whereas, to receive MMS is more complicated, as this function would have to be enabled by smartphone users, to have access to MMS. This gives SMS an upper hand as it can be considered a trusted and effective tool for message delivery. 

MMS is capable of sending 40 seconds of video, one picture, and a slideshow. There is no specified maximum size for a message, but the most commonly recommended sizes are 300KB with MMS 1.2, and 600 KB, with MMS 1.3. 

SmartSMSSolutions for SMS Messaging

As we have looked at the differences between SMS and MMS, it is easy to point out that SMS is a more effective way for businesses to share information, in that it has a wider reach; businesses can reach a wider audience using SMS. SmartSMSSolutions is a business interested in using communication as a tool to build good customer relations with our client businesses and their various customers, using bulk SMS, Emails and Voice call. 

Our Bulk SMS service is easy to access and easy to use. By just visiting our website and creating an account with us, you have opened your business up to great and effective communication possibilities. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and open an account with us.