SMS

(1) (Short Message Service) The formal name for a text messaging service that enables short messages of generally no more than 160 characters in length to be transmitted to and from a cellphone. SMS was introduced in the GSM system and later supported by all other digital-based mobile communications systems. Similar to e-mail, messages are stored and forwarded at SMS centers, allowing users to retrieve messages later if they were sent when their phones were turned off. SMS messages travel to the phone over a control channel that is separate from the voice channel. See MMS, texting, GSM and mobile phone spam.

(2) (Systems Management Server) Systems management software from Microsoft that runs on Windows NT Server. It requires a Microsoft SQL Server database and is used to distribute software, monitor and analyze network usage and perform various network administration tasks. See SMS Installer.

(3) (Storage Management System) Software used to routinely back up and archive files. See HSM.

(4) (Storage Management Services) Software from Novell that allows data to be stored and retrieved on NetWare servers independent of the file system the data are maintained in (DOS, OS/2, Mac, etc.). It is used to back up data from heterogeneous clients on the network. Various third-party backup products are SMS compliant. See SIDF.

(5) (System-Managed Storage) Enhanced data management software for MVS mainframes from IBM. Introduced in 1988, it provides functions such as automatically allocating data, which prevents most out-of-space errors when disk volumes become full. See DFSMS.

1.	(messaging)	SMS - Short Message Service.
2.	(storage)	SMS - Storage Management Services.
3.	(operating system)	SMS - System Management Server.