The Short Messaging Service (SMS) is an effective means for asynchronous communication.  It has long been used in customer services and peer messaging.  The centrally-provided SMS service is authentic and helps prevent department recipients from receiving fake SMS purporting to be the university or department.  The CityUHK SMS comes in three options:

1. CityUHK Announcement Portal (CAP)
   The CityUHK Announcement Portal (CAP) administrator may decide to send also SMS  to staff and students who have provided their SMS phone numbers to departments or in AIMS (the "Personal Data for Communication" option via the "Personal Information" tab in AIMS).
2. SMS Web Service
   If a department is maintaining a SMS phone list and system for sending SMS, this option will provide a computer program interface for the departmental SMS system to send messages via the central service.
3. SMS Account
   If your department is maintaining a SMS phone list, this option will provide an account to access the web interface provided by the external SMS provider.  This will also enable department to receive SMS messages sent from correspondents.