However, a few more years were to pass, before the first SMS was sent. It was not until 1992 that Neil Papworth from Great Britain sent Christmas greetings to his colleague. Ironically, by the way, this was done from a computer, because Papworth, like the recipient, lacked an input facility for text on his phone. What followed this simple message was a success story that none of the developers had expected.
Even though today OTT apps (apps that send messages without the detour via a provider) are increasingly displacing SMS from person-to-person communication (P2P, also peer-to-peer), SMS are still extremely successful in A2P communication. This is no surprise, because there are many ways to use SMS as a business tool. Possibilities range from securing confidential data (for example through 2-factor authentication) to running marketing campaigns. In addition, OTT apps only ever reach the people who have installed the respective app. SMS, on the other hand, are carried out to every mobile phone.