Sometimes it's easy to forget that Twitter has, at its core, a secret, passionate love for SMS. That's why the original 140 character limit came along in the first place - so that Twitter users could use the microblogging platform with just about any phone made in the last ten years, and on pretty much any network. In an age when many of us use smartphones and computers to access Twitter, one can easily wonder whether Twitter has forgotten its roots.

Have no fear, SMS users - Twitter hasn't forgotten about you. Two new Twitter features launched this week are targeted specifically at SMS users, giving them the ability to more quickly gain access to Twitter and to critical Twitter feeds, particularly in emergency situations.

The first new Twitter SMS feature is called "Fast Follows." Essentially it's a way for SMS users, even if they aren't Twitter users, to start following a Twitter user and receiving SMS when that user makes a tweet. It's a feature designed to give SMS users the information that they need in real-time, without requiring them to go through the sign-up process.

The "Fast Follow" feature is particularly useful in emergency situations when real-time information is critical; the example Twitter uses is an SMS user who wants to follow New York City’s office of emergency management (@NotifyNYC), who use Twitter to disseminate real-time information during emergencies. Instead of going to Twitter, signing up for an account, and following @NotifyNYC, SMS users, even if they're not Twitter users, can just text ‘follow NotifyNYC’ to 40404 in the US and they'll immediately begin to receive SMS messages when @NotifyNYC makes tweets.

It's a clear indication that Twitter wants to position itself as a means of communication during emergencies and crises where real-time updates are critical and users don't have the time to sign up for a Twitter account. Although the "fast follow" feature is currently only launched in the US, we expect to see it eventually roll out in many other countries.

The second new Twitter SMS feature is called "SMS Alerts," which allows registered Twitter users to quickly receive SMS alerts on their phone whenever a particular user makes a Tweet. It's a good way for SMS users to get the Twitter updates that they care about the most, whether or not they're in front of their computer. It's fairly simple to user - from a computer, Twitter users can click a hovercard and then click the mobile icon that appears there to start receiving SMS alerts for that user, or they can simply text ‘on [username]’ or ‘off [username]’ to 40404 in the US or any other country's Twitter number.

All the pertinent information about the new Twitter SMS features is available in Twitter's blog post on the new SMS features. Check it out and get your SMS on - just remember, if you don't have an unlimited SMS plan, and you're not in a country with free Twitter SMS, watch out for carrier charges!