Happy Birthday Text Message

advanced34    Text Messaging    

by Bob Bentz

The text message celebrated its fifteenth birthday on December 3, 2007.

Like most teenagers, the text message has a bright future with untapped potential.  In the mere fifteen years since the first text message was sent, it has changed the way we communicate.  From simple peer to peer communication to mobile advertising, the simple text message has, and will have, a continuing impact on all of our lives.

“That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”

These immortal words were spoken by Neil Armstrong–first man on the moon.

The first text message was also sent by a Neil.  It was sent by Neil Papworth, an Airwide Solutions engineer, who sent a text message to his colleague at Vodafone.  While Papworth was busy working overtime, his friend at Vodafone was at his company Christmas party, perhaps with a lamp shade on his head.

 The first text message?  Not nearly as profound as Armstrong’s.

“Merry Christmas”

And, a Merry Christmas to you as well.

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