EMS can be referred to as enhanced SMS, and adds life to the users� SMS text messages. Messages sent with the 3GPP standard EMS (Enhanced Message Service) contain a combination of text and simple pixel-image and/or melody. Users may download images and melodies from the Internet, or for even greater self-expression, create them on their own directly in the phone. Unlike SMS messages, the text of an EMS message can be formatted using a variety of fonts, sizes, type styles, etc. Ericsson's EMS is a backwards-compatible service, meaning that the text portion of its messages can be received by terminals not supporting EMS. EMS is an open 3GPP standard, and paves the way for the introduction of MMS.

EMS specifications are found in "Technical Specification 3GPP; Technical realization of the Short Message Service (SMS)" (3G TS 23.040), which can be downloaded from 3rd Generation Partnership Project website

3rd Generation Partnership Project website