{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
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    "title" : "SMS or Short Message Service |Digital.gov",
    "description": "SMS or Short Message Service",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/08/21/sms-or-short-message-service/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"SMS or Short Message Service","summary" : "SMS or Short Message Service (Texting) is a mobile device capability where users are able to send short (generally 160 characters maximum) text messages to another user via the use of the keypad or built-in keyboard. Seventy-three percent of cell phone owners use their device to text,","date" : "2012-08-21T13:10:46-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","topics" : {
        
            "mobile" : "Mobile"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2012-08-21-sms-or-short-message-service.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2012/08/2012-08-21-sms-or-short-message-service.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2012/08/2012-08-21-sms-or-short-message-service.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2012/08/2012-08-21-sms-or-short-message-service.md","slug" : "sms-or-short-message-service","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/08/21/sms-or-short-message-service/","content" :"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2013/12/text4baby.png\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2012/08/531-x-344-text-4-baby.jpg\"\n    alt=\"531 x 344 text 4 baby\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMS or Short Message Service (Texting) is a mobile device capability where users are able to send short (generally 160 characters maximum) text messages to another user via the use of the keypad or built-in keyboard. Seventy-three percent of cell phone owners use their device to text, according to an 8-15-2011 Pew Research Center report: \u003ca href=\"http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Cell-Phones.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eAmericans and Their Cell Phones\u003c/a\u003e Of those users, \u003ca href=\"http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Cell-Phone-Texting-2011.aspx\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e31% prefer to be contacted via text message\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"toc0\"\u003e\u003ca name=\"x-Why does it matter?\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eWhy does it matter?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSMS is one of the most ubiquitous features of mobile phones. Whereas functionalities like GPS are generally available on smartphones, the majority of mobile phones have an SMS functionality. SMS can be a useful way for agencies to inform and even connect with their mission audience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"toc1\"\u003e\u003ca name=\"x-Government Agencies Using SMS\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eGovernment Agencies Using SMS\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.fda.gov/TobaccoProducts/ResourcesforYou/BreakTheChain/ucm237760.htm\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eBreak the Chain\u003c/a\u003e is FDA’s new campaign to educate retailers and raise awareness about tobacco product regulations designed to protect kids from the dangers of tobacco use and its negative health impacts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.cdc.gov/mobile\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eCDC Health Alerts On-the-Go\u003c/a\u003e: In 2009 the CDC launched a text messaging campaign pilot. The initial focus was to provide H1N1 related information but has moved on to general health information. They have been actively collecting metrics and feedback about the project. Texting project now called Everyday Health Alerts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eFDA Medwatch\u003c/a\u003e Your FDA gateway for finding clinically important safety information and reporting serious problems with human medical products.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.text4baby.org/about.html\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eText4Baby\u003c/a\u003e is a free mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health. An educational program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB), text4baby provides pregnant women and new moms with information they need to take care of their health and give their babies the best possible start in life.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://mobihealthnews.com/9429/hhs-announces-text4health-task-force/\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003eText-4-Health\u003c/a\u003e HHS has also created a special Text4Health taskforce to determine how to best apply lessons learned from Text4Baby to smoking cessation, obesity and childhood health issues.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/05/12/national-contact-centers-text-message-program/\" title=\"National Contact Center’s Text Message Program\"\u003eNational Contact Center Text Message Program\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-namex-sms-cautionsasms-cautions\"\u003e\u003ca name=\"x-SMS Cautions\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eSMS Cautions\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePotential users will have different SMS billing plans with their mobile service providers. Some will have unlimited plans and some will be charged by the SMS message. It is important to consider this when designing an agency program. Agencies should explain to potential users how often the program will SMS them and remind them to consider their SMS billing rates.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIt is important to know that mobile technologies should not be solely relied upon in emergency situations. Coverage may be spotty and/or mobile networks may be overloaded or down (either intentionally or unintentionally) during times of crisis. SMS can provide one means of emergency communication, but certainly not the only means.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"a-namelessons-learned-from-a-text-messaging-pilot-at-cdcalessons-learned-from-a-text-messaging-pilot-at-cdc\"\u003e\u003ca name=\"Lessons Learned from a Text Messaging Pilot at CDC\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003eLessons Learned from a Text Messaging Pilot at CDC\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe webinar below describes CDC’s text messaging pilot and how the agency delivers critical health messages and emergency alerts to mobile subscribers when and where they need it. In this webinar, CDC shares information about how they market their health campaigns, segment messages by subscribers’ needs, and ways to develop interactive quiz messages with great success. The session also describes the results of CDC’s text messaging evaluation and lessons learned for improving success.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCovered in the webinar:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeveloping a sustainable text messaging program\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWriting text messages that are actionable and relevant\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTailoring messages to the audience\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIncorporating interactivity into your messages\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMeasuring and evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of your program through practical metrics\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGuidelines and best practices\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLength of message\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContent of message\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCall-to-action\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFollow-up\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eForwarding\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpTnJFmDgcY\u0026amp;w=600]\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}