'SMS' originates from the telecommunications industry, specifically the term 'Short Message Service', where 'short' meant 'brief' and 'message' meant 'communication'.

'SMS' was developed in the 1980s as a part of the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard and became widely used in the 1990s.

Initially, it meant 'a brief text communication', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.