SMS gateways

Providers

SMS gateway providers facilitate the SMS traffic between businesses and mobile subscribers, being mainly responsible for carrying mission-critical messages, SMS for enterprises, content delivery and entertainment services involving SMS, e.g. TV voting. Considering SMS messaging performance and cost, as well as the level of messaging services, SMS gateway providers can be classified as aggregators or SS7 providers.

The aggregator model is based on multiple agreements with mobile carriers to exchange 2-way SMS traffic into and out of the operator’s SMS platform (Short Message Service Centre – SMS-C). Aggregators lack direct access into the SS7 protocol, which is the network where the SMS messages are exchanged. These providers have no visibility and control over the message delivery, being unable to offer delivery guarantees. SMS messages are delivered in the operator’s SMS-C, not the subscriber’s handset.

Another type of SMS gateway provider is based on SS7 connectivity to route SMS messages. The advantage of this model is the ability to route data directly through SS7, which gives the provider total control and visibility of the complete path during the SMS routing. This means SMS messages can be sent directly to and from recipients without having to go through the SMS-Centres of other mobile operators. Therefore, it’s possible to avoid delays and message losses, offering full delivery guarantees of messages and optimised routing. This model is particularly efficient when used in mission-critical messaging and SMS used in corporate communications.

The University of Duisburg-Essen, in partnership with mobile messaging provider Tyntec, have developed the study for SMS messaging to enable the detailed monitoring of SMS transmissions to ensure a greater degree of reliability and a higher average speed of delivery.[1] The new parameters can be used by mobile network operators, third party SMS gateways and mobile network infrastructure software vendors to monitor the transmission of SMS messages and to detect network transmission problems quickly and accurately.

Landline phone

These services allow cellphone users to send SMS messages to landline phone numbers just as they would to other cellphones. With a representative service, Sprint's Text to Landline, after the customer has sent off the SMS message to the landline number, the recipient's phone rings with the caller ID of the Sprint customer's cellphone. When they pick up, an automated voice reads the text message and allows for a response via a voicemail or via one of a few canned text messages.

Several operators, including BT, Telefonica and Telecom Italia, have true fixed-wire SMS services. These are based on extensions to the ETSI GSM SMS standards and allow fixed-fixed, fixed-mobile and mobile-fixed messaging. These use Frequency-shift keying to transfer the message between the terminal and the SMSC. Terminals are usually DECT-based, but wired handsets and wired text-only (no voice) devices exist. Messages are received by the terminal recognising that the CLI is that of the SMSC and going off-hook silently to receive the message.

When messages are addressed to a device that lacks the ability to receive SMS, then a text-to-speech gateway is employed. The translated message is then either stored in the subscriber's voice mail-box, or the system places a call direct to the end-point and plays the message.

IP SMS Gateways

For high volume SMS traffic IP SMS gateways can be used. These gateways connect directly to the Short Message Service Center (SMSC) of the SMS service providers using one of the following protocols: SMPP, UCP/EMI, CIMD2. Most IP SMS gateways provide various API's that allow software developers to send and receive huge number of messages. An example of an IP SMS gateway is the Ozeki IP SMS Gateway. It is a classic example of a routable SMS gateway, which means it allows connection to multiple SMSC's at the same time and it has a routing table that can be configured for load balancing, least cost routing, etc. Most SMS to E-mail, and Web service to SMS gateways have a similar architecture.?

Home automation systems

Some Home Automation systems have the ability to accept SMS messages from the users' mobile phones to control lighting and other appliances. The system may send an SMS confirmation when the requested action has been performed

Mobile 'hub' to SMS

Some products exist which allow messages to be sent via pre-installed software (via a PC or laptop) and an attached GSM device.This plug-and-play software was recently used to great effect as a monitoring tool during the Nigerian elections,[2] and also won the WSIS "ICT Success Story of the Month" for April 2007.[3]