You're in the kitchen having dinner, or you're laying down in your bedroom. Maybe you're watching television. Regardless of what you're doing, your mind is preoccupied. But you just put laundry in the dryer 20 minutes ago. Or maybe it was a half an hour? You forgot to check the time when you transferred your clothes from the washing machine to the dryer and now you don't want to get up to check the time and then again once the clothes are ready. If you're in a spot where you can't hear the dryer's buzzer once the clothes are done, how will you know when they're ready?

This is a problem we've all faced before, but now there may be something we can do about it.

According to an article in Lifehacker, Thomas Taylor, a member of the DIY network, created a system that sends a text message when the dryer cycle is complete. The system integrates with a smartphone and uses its personal network to launch immediate text alerts when the laundry is dry.

"It's by no means an easy task, but the end result is a dryer that texts you when it's finished," the article says. "That means no more excuses for forgetting about the laundry."

The potential for this kind of technology in the service industry is astronomical. Imagine working as a dry cleaner or auto mechanic and implementing a solution that triggered a text alert once the task at hand was finished. This would save a tremendous amount of time and costs as it would mitigate the need to get ahold of customers and organize a time for them to return to the service area. The text would go out and the customer would be instantly informed.

This type of system may have a long way to go before it becomes a mainstream solution, but it shows the power of SMS services. Working with an organization like Swift SMS Gateway allows companies to obtain the tools needed to generate innovative text message programs.