Sony Ericsson T226 manual EMS Enhanced Messaging Service, EMS more than just words

EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service)

Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS) adds new powerful functionality to the well-known SMS standard. With it, mobile phone users can add life to SMS text messaging in the form of pictures, animations, sound and formatted text. This gives the users new ways to express feelings, moods and personality in SMS messages. In addition to messaging, users will enjoy downloading, collecting, swapping, and editing pictures, ring signals, and other melodies.

EMS uses existing SMS infrastructure and industry standards, keeping investments to a minimum for operators. EMS provides a familiar user interface and compatibility with existing phones and other manufacturers.

EMS – more than just words

Sounds and melodies

EMS gives the user the ability to send and receive sounds. These can be pre-defined sounds or melodies (ring signals in the phone), downloaded from the Internet, received in SMS messages or composed by the user on the phone keypad or a PC. Note that MIDI ring signals cannot be exchanged via EMS.

Several sounds and melodies can be inserted in one message, and they can be combined with pictures.

Pictures, animations and formatted text

Phones supporting EMS include a set of pre-defined pictures for inserting in SMS messages. New pictures and animations are downloaded from the Internet or received in SMS messages. Several pictures can be inserted in one message, and they can be combined with sounds and melodies. The users can format text in messages with different styles and sizes.

T226 White Paper

July 2003 (Rev C)

Concatenated messages

A part of the EMS standard is the support for concatenated messages, which means that the phone is able to automatically combine several messages both when creating and receiving EMS. This is useful to be able to build, and display, messages with rich content, since the amount of information in each SMS is limited by the SMS standards.

New possibilities with messaging

The EMS standard is now a part of the SMS standard and supported by the major network operators and mobile phone manufacturers. This universal approach enables a fast penetration and development of new services and applications within messaging.

Creativity explosion

Users will be inspired to create and swap their own melodies and pictures. But more importantly, professional content creators and providers are already preparing to offer imaginative and creative contents for use with EMS. Based on subscriptions, fees or ads, network operators will be able to provide wide ranges of ring signals, operator logos and corporate icons, as well as personal and mood-related pictures and melodies. Movie, music and game companies can promote new products and events with designer melodies, animations and pictures.

Huge business potential

Network operators can now enhance their services and attract more customers by offering pictures, animations, ring signals and melodies for download at their portals. Operators can charge more per EMS message since it contains more data. Thereby EMS adds more value to the operators and to the end users.

Increase SMS revenue

EMS uses the same basic network support as ordinary SMS, and with the same familiar user interface. From an operator's point of view, SMS is low tech because minimal investment is needed to provide an effective SMS service to subscribers and little maintenance is required. EMS will create additional revenue for service providers and network operators by increasing SMS traffic.

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