Communicating with others is at the heart of our cellphone usage (well, most of us). Here are a few programs and tips that can make it easier to help improve contacts management and to take text messaging to the next level.

1. Save contacts to your phone and not the SIM card. Saving to the phone allows you to input additional details like email addresses, birthdays and anniversaries. Use a program like the Birthdays plugin to show upcoming anniversaries on your Today Screen.

2. Assign your contacts to categories like family, friends and business. A category for 'online contacts' or email only might also be useful. You can then filter contacts by categories to show only certain categories, and also, assign different ringtones to groups of people using a program like VipPimRingtone or 1Touch Mobile (for smartphones).

3. Group SMS is a must (and it's free). It will allow you to send texts to multiple contacts. If your contacts are in categories, then you can also select a category of people to send to.

4. If you use text messaging a lot, then getting a threaded SMS application like SMS-Chat, may be for you ($14.95). This program makes it easier for you to view the text messages by person, with messages displayed like an Instant Messenger program. This is particularly useful when you want to retrieve an old message.

5. If you're on a limited call and data plan, then consider an application that will track your usage. Battery Status is an excellent free program with many functions. One of the things it can do is keep (and display) a log of incoming and/or outgoing phone calls, text messages and even track data usage.

6. Consider an upgrade to a more friendly user interface - I can't be the only one that squints from looking at Windows Mobile contacts. PocketCM and iContact are excellent (and free) programs for PocketPcs. They offer finger friendly scrolling, seeing pictures of your contacts and adding favorites.

7. Finally, don't forget to back up your contacts - on your computer and online if possible. My contacts are synced with the desktop Outlook client, plus Plaxo backs those contacts up online.

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