10.2.2. SMS Service
Providers (SMS Gateway Providers, SMS Resellers, SMS Brokers)
There
is a demand for SMS connectivity from applications that does not
require the sending or receiving of large amount of SMS messages. One
example is a remote monitoring system. If the remote monitoring
system finds that a certain server is not responding, it will send an
SMS alert to the system administrator's mobile phone. This remote
monitoring system will have a very small amount of SMS traffic per
month since the servers being monitored should be working fine most
of the time.
Since
a wireless carrier usually does not provide direct SMSC or SMS
gateway access to users without a large amount of SMS traffic, some
companies come out to fill the gap. These companies are called SMS
service providers. There is no minimal purchase requirement or
monthly minimum usage requirement for many SMS service providers.
SMS
service providers are also known as SMS gateway providers, SMS
resellers and SMS brokers because of the following reasons:
SMS
gateway providers -- An SMS service provider provides an SMS
gateway for its users to send SMS messages to. This SMS gateway will
then route the SMS messages to another SMS gateway or SMSC.
SMS
resellers and SMS brokers --
SMS service providers buy a large amount of SMS messages from
a lot of wireless carriers at a low price per SMS message. They then
sell the SMS messages at a price higher than the cost.
Unlike
wireless carriers, many SMS service providers provide detail
information about their SMS connectivity service on their web site.
For example, you may find the cost of the service, network coverage,
protocols supported, developers' guide, etc, on the web site. Thus,
the service of different SMS service providers can be compared
easily. If you are not happy with, say the price or network coverage
of an SMS service provider, you can simply leave its web site and
find another SMS service provider.
Another
advantage of using the SMS connectivity services of SMS service
providers is that their network coverage is very good. They work hard
to cover as many wireless networks as possible so as to make their
services attractive. Some SMS service providers can send SMS messages
not only to GSM wireless networks, but also to CDMA and TDMA wireless
networks.
It
is easy to send SMS messages with an SMS service provider. Here are
the typical steps:
Register
for an account on the SMS service provider's web site. (An SMS
service provider may allow newly registered users to send a few free
SMS messages for testing its service quality.)
Log
into the account.
Buy
a number of credits or SMS text messages online. Many SMS service
providers support credit card payment and some also support PayPal.
Send
SMS messages using a protocol / interface (e.g. HTTP, email, FTP)
supported by the SMS service provider.
SMS
service providers can be divided into two categories depending on how
they require you to pay for their SMS messaging service:
Credit-based
-- You purchase a number of credits from the SMS service provider's
web site. Sending one SMS message will cost you one or more credits,
depending on the country you send the SMS message to. For example,
sending an SMS text message to India might cost you one credit while
sending an SMS text message to the US might cost you two credits.
SMS-based
-- You purchase a number of SMS messages from the SMS service
provider's web site. The cost per SMS message is the same for all
destinations. For example, if you purchase ten SMS messages, you can
send at most ten SMS messages no matter the destination is India or
the US.
The
cost per SMS message sent depends on which SMS service provider you
choose and how many SMS messages you purchase. It starts at around US
$0.06 to US $0.07 per SMS message. The more SMS messages you
purchased, the lower the cost of sending one SMS message.
A
comparison of some SMS service providers can be found in "SMS
Gateway Providers Comparison Table". You may also want to
have a look at the article "How
to Choose an SMS Gateway Provider" to learn some of the
things that you should consider when choosing an SMS gateway provider
for your SMS application.
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