SMS Service & Aid

One SMS service that has been around for a long time is that of the fundraiser that allows individuals to donate money to a certain cause by sending an SMS to a specific short code. The amount donated is then deducted from the sender’s available airtime.

More recently, however, one company has moved into the spotlight where disasters are concerned. Ushahidi provides an online platform to help map the effects of natural disasters as well as other events that affect the lives of a population or society. Their system relies on information contributed by the public, with as one of the main platforms, to plot the information received on a map. Contrary to the usual A2P (Application to Person) direction of an SMS service, this serves as an example where the direction is reversed.

According to a report recently published on the BBC news website, messages such as “Send help. I’m stuck under a building with my child. We have no supplies” or, from the Ushahidi website, “People are looting building close to the Comercial Siglo Xxi Supermarket in Conception” have been flooding in, thereby helping emergency services coordinate the appropriate responses and also emphasizing the role of an SMS service.

SMS Service: What Can You Do?

The fact of the matter is that the above serves as an example of the applied innovation utilizing a medium common to 4.6 billion people on earth: SMS . Due to the immediate nature and ubiquitous nature of this platform, one can easily imagine SMS services being used for similar purposes closer to home.

Possible applications may include a neighborhood watch SMS service, a local lift club operated entirely by SMS, lost pet service, etc. In fact, as has been shown over the years, the possibilities are endless.

How An SMS Service Works

In many instances an SMS service is employed to fuel business; on the odd and very worthwhile occasion, SMS is also used to help save lives. It’s what happens with these messages after they are delivered, that determines their actual worth, as is not only evidenced by the Ushahidi case, but by your run-of-the-mill commercial successes as well.

Small to medium enterprises that require an SMS service often rely on established software and interfaces, such as Clickatell’s Communicator or Messenger PRO to cater for their messaging needs. In both instances a pre-designed interface provides two-way messaging functionality, messages templates, powerful reporting, and much, much more.

Medium to large organizations who have their own development teams on board are able to make use of any of the available Application Programming Interfaces. While not all API’s provide two-way functionality, they can be combined to ensure optimal integration and business functionality.

So, do you have any ideas on how SMS can be used to improve the safety and quality of life for yourself and those around you? For more information on how you can get SMS connected, read more on our SMS service page.

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• Send messages in excess of 160 characters. Messages longer than 160 characters are sent in groups of 160 characters(max) at a time and then concatenated on the destination mobile device. It is, however, not advisable to send messages of more than three parts since they are not always sent in sequence by the destination mobile network.
• Send contacts. Use converters to convert VCal and VCard messages into the correct format.
• Reporting. As with the other Application Programming Interfaces, the SMTP API (email to SMS) provides functionality for reporting.
• Send messages in different formats. While the standard is 7-bit messaging, other formats are also available for different purposes. They include binary messaging (8-bit), flash messaging and 16-bit messaging (UTF-16 Unicode). The latter can be used to send messages in other languages using their native characters.

Note: Email to SMS does not support two-way messaging, but can be used in conjunction with a two-way capable protocol to facilitate this messaging requirement.

Where Can Email to SMS be Used?

The following include situations where email to SMS can be used, but do not represent them all. Remember, if there’s one-way communication taking place, chances are that that’s where you’ll be able to employ email to SMS.

The Personal Assistant

Notifications based on email rules and alerts. These include messages from a specific sender, messages with a certain subject, messages with certain keywords, etc.

Technical / Engineering

To use an umbrella term, SMS can be used for all server and/or network notifications. These can include the results from periodic system checks to network and system alerts, etc.

Stock Control

Keeping track of stock numbers as they decrease or when they reach a certain level. This will alert the controller of when to place an order without incurring additional work.

Education

Teachers can use email to SMS to send messages to parents in a number of situations:

• attendance
• test results
• meeting requests
• etc.

Why Should You Use Email to SMS?

While there exist a number of reasons why we think you should use email to SMS as a service, we’ll only list those of importance to your business – to help you work smarter and better. Here’s how you’ll be able to make business better:

• Save on voice call costs.
• Save on snail mail costs.
• Enjoy cheap international communication (at the touch of a button).
• Recipients will receive your messages instantly; cut down on communication delays.
• Reach customers and employees wherever, whenever.
• Enjoy  increased penetration and response rates

Looking at the above, can you honestly say that none of this would benefit your business in some way? Read more by following the link to the email to SMS page.

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SMPP: Touching Base

To ensure that everyone’s on the same page, let’s quickly look at the basics of SMPP.

• It’s a protocol
• Synchronous & Asynchronous
• Two-way
• Scalable
• VCard, VCal, Ringtones, Logos Support

So, what the above is essentially saying is that SMPP is an acronym for an abbreviation that means Short Message Peer-to-Peer protocol.

It has two-way functionality (which means messages can be sent and received) and can either be used synchronously or asynchronously. This basically means that message acknowledgments can either be sent after each and every message or collectively for a number of messages at once.

Because SMPP is a protocol, it means that it is perfectly scalable and supports integration with just about any piece of software and architecture out there and supports message formats not only limited to the standard 7-bit characters, but also supports binary messaging and conversion.

Pretty nifty. Pretty flexible. And also a pretty big part of the reason why the big players all like using SMPP for their messaging needs. But there’s a bit more that you might not have known about SMPP, and it’s all got to do with the SMS gateway.

What’s with the SMS Gateway?

The SMS gateway is used to communicate between two dissimilar SMSC’s (Short Message Service Centre). This means that, if you want to send a message from one network to another – and if those networks don’t use the same protocols on their SMSC’s – then an SMS gateway is necessary to translate messages from one format into another. So where does SMPP come in?

The main protocols currently in use on SMSC’s include UCP/EMI, CMID, OIS and, of course, SMPP.

It is exactly this that makes SMPP such a favored protocol; it is not only a reliable means of message delivery, but it is a reliable means of high-volume message delivery and comes with all the bells and whistles one would expect from such a powerful protocol.

And because the SMSC’s use it, it means that messages get sent straight to the SMSC without going through the translation process.

Who Uses SMPP?

SMPP is the preferred protocol of companies and organizations who needs a reliable, fast and high-volume messaging solution. Think in terms of banks and other financial organizations that often have to communicate time-sensitive information to their clients and investors.

Social networks also rely on SMPP, especially since this protocol can be integrated with the custom systems they use and also because the amount of messages they have to send often run into the millions each month. Information sent out by social networks can also be considered time-sensitive – why use an SMS service where notifications might get delayed, thereby proving to have no worth to users?

When Should You Use SMPP?

So let’s look at message volume first. SMPP can be used for any purpose. But it’s performance will only become apparent when it comes to messaging volumes where other API’s might not perform as well.

Also, because SMPP is a protocol, it means that out-of-the-box use isn’t really a feasible option, which means that some coding or development skill would be necessary. However, if those skills are readily available, then SMPP becomes a transparent protocol capable of delivering results according to the most stringent criteria.

What You Should Pay for SMPP

And finally, as with anything else, one has to look at the cost involved. But there’s a catch here: while there are many very affordable service providers out there, the aim should be to find a provider that ensures a certain measure of reliability combined with affordable pricing. And in case you want to send messages internationally, then coverage also becomes an issue.

That being said, if you qualify for all of the above, then this power-protocol is probably the thing you need. Follow the link to the SMPP page for more information.

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Can you believe it’s already February? Like last year, this year is gaining momentum, which means there is no time to lose. We’ll be looking at two powerful API’s that can SMS-enable your business and help you get those SMS messages sent off in a lightning-fast fashion.

FTP API

Been in the computing world for a bit? If so, then you’ll know that the FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is a handy little protocol that allows you to either upload or download files located on a server somewhere on the internet. One of the main benefits of this protocol is that it is easy to use, which means the FTP API will make international SMS a breeze.

Here are some of the main benefits of this API:

• Fast and reliable messaging
• Perfect for high-volume local and international SMS messaging.
• Simply requires you to upload a text file to the FTP server

But, because this file is read by a script, you’ll have to ensure that it is in the correct format. Here’s an example of the correct file format:

api_id:xxxx
user:xxxxxxxxx
password:xxxxxxxxxxx
to:1234567890,1234567890
text:This is my first FTP API SMS.

Everything to the right of each colon will, naturally, be replaced with your own details. In case one message has to be sent to more than one recipient, simply specify the different destination numbers for your local or international SMS messages, separated by a comma.

This file can be uploaded using an FTP client, your web browser or, if you’re a hard core computer user, with the CLI (Command-Line Interface).

SMTP API

As with the FTP API, the SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) API makes local and international SMS messaging a breeze, requiring a simple plain text email with the details of the messages you wish to send in the message body. And best of all, the format of the message is exactly the same as the FTP API.

api_id:xxxx
user:xxxxxxxxx
password:xxxxxxxxxxx
to:1234567890,1234567890
text:This is my first SMTP API SMS.

Here are some benefits of the SMTP API:

• Easy to employ
• Use any email client to send messages
• Suitable for any volume messaging

Again, if you want to send one messages to more than one recipient, simply specify the different numbers next to the ‘To:’ field, separating them with commas. This makes international SMS a simple operation using a run-of-the-mill email client.

Regardless of which of the above two API’s you use for international SMS, there’s one benefit that makes them ideal to use: while they can be employed using everyday software that you can download from anywhere, they provide enough flexibility to allow for total integration into any native software environment. This means that they are suitable for all levels of use.

See how easy it is? If this got your attention and want to know more, simply navigate to our international SMS page for more information.

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In recent months there has been quite a positive response to bulk SMS messaging via SMS gateways. The reasons for this are clear:

• communication via an SMS gateway is cheaper than traditional forms of communication, which includes post (a.k.a. snail mail) and voice calls.
• sending an SMS to a mobile phone means that the recipient is much more likely to pay attention to it – the mobile phone is one of the most personalized electronic devices of today. This means that, when an SMS is received, it packs a greater punch than, say, an email or a letter with a printed label (a hand-written letter from Granny is something entirely different).

If bulk messaging is what you need to empower your marketing campaigns, then we’ll show you how to make an informed choice when it comes to choosing the best out of many SMS gateways.

Here are some questions you need to ask:

“Who are they?”

This may sound like a silly question, but there are a lot of SMS gateways out there hosted by different SMS messaging providers. Look at a couple of providers and start making notes:

What is your initial impression?
Although more akin to a gut feeling, first impressions are very important as this is the company you’ll be using to get in touch with the life-blood of your business via their SMS gateways.

How much information do they supply on their website?
Just browse around, and see if they have a surplus of information relating to the SMS gateway you might consider using.

Do they have a presence in more than one country?
Whether you currently just want to send to clients or customers in one country, it’s important to keep your options open in terms of future developments as switching from one provider to another could be a costly exercise. Additionally, ensure that your service provider’s SMS gateway supports two-way messaging to give you the opportunity to interact with your clients.

Do they offer anything else aside from a website, like forums and a Facebook or Twitter account where you’ll be able to interact with them?
Think of this as a value-added part of the service they provide. While normal support channels are available by default, it helps to be able to get in touch with the people that are hosting the SMS gateways that help you reach out.

Now, once you’ve skimmed through all the data, it’s time to start asking the more important questions. These include:

“Is registration free?”

Seeing as you’ll be paying for your messages that get sent through the SMS gateways, should you be charged for registering? If the service provider supplies you with added benefits associated with this registration fee, are there other providers that provide the same services at no additional charge?

“Are there any hidden costs?”

Does your intended provider supply you with any type of guarantee that there will be no hidden costs? If you’re unsure, the best way to find out is to give them a ring and supply them with a hypothetical monthly scenario.

“How much will you pay to send a message?”

Sending messages through SMS gateways are generally cheaper than sending messages through your mobile phone because the SMS service provider buys credits in bulk from the network providers. But how much will you have to pay for these messages? Whether you pay on a per message basis or for credits to send these messages, it’s important to keep in mind that cheaper that the price should be on par with the type of service provided.

“Do you have to buy credits in bulk?”

Taking into account that you’re registering for a service that provides you with a bulk messaging capabilities via SMS gateways, it’s not uncommon that they’ll require you to buy messaging credits in bulk. Still, this minimum requirement should at least be affordable and supply you with enough credits to get started with your SMS marketing campaigns. Also, remember to check whether your messaging credits can expire when they remain unused for a certain period of time.

“How easy is it to use the product?”

What does it help you if the SMS gateway you are using is great, but extremely complex? If registration is free, log in and see whether you’ll be able to test the service. In a number of instances you’ll be provided with messaging credits for testing purposes.

“How efficient is the support?”

This not only refers to the support team sitting there waiting for your call overcome with an eagerness to please, but documentation, too. The best way to test this is to invent a hypothetical situation involving SMS gateways, and test the support and documentation on the website itself. And if you can’t think of any situations, why not just give them a ring and ask (or use your favorite search engine)?

Does the above make sense? To get started with your journey to finding the right provider, start reading the SMS gateways page now.

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The death toll in Haiti is said to have topped 150,000 following an earth quake registering 7.0, with a number of powerful aftershocks afterward. Through various efforts a sizable amount has been accumulated by aid agencies and charities around the globe to assist rescue operations and those affected by this terrible tragedy. And in most cases, all it took was a simple SMS. So how did they do it?

Why SMS is Used

Think about your own handset and the small little SIM card inside. This SIM card holds some important information relating to your phone, and allows you to make contact with just about anyone else, be it via voice, text or data. But only if you have airtime. In fact, it’s the airtime that plays an important part here: when donating money to a suitable charity, the amount donated is deducted from the available airtime. This ensures a hassle-free and secure payment method; a transaction completed by simply sending a message via an SMS gateway while on the move. That’s why SMS is the fund-raising tool of choice for many organizations and charities.

Premium Rate SMS Messages

So how can your company or organization employ this beneficial technology in a similar manner? Let’s start with the short code – usually 4 to 6 digits in length, making it easier to remember and generally more accessible for individuals to get in touch with your organization and/or company. This short code, more formally known as a Common Short Code (CSC), is regulated and approved by the Common Short Code Administration. Using a CSC, companies and organizations are able to send and/or receive premium rated messages via the SMS gateway that allow destination numbers to pay for content or, as is the case with Haiti, to donate money.

Common Short Codes can only be used on a national level, which means that, should you wish to raise money in a different country for a worthwhile cause or use a premium rate short code for a different purpose, you’ll have to apply for one in that specific country.

Do You Get All the Money?
Associated with premium-rated SMS messages is a revenue-share model. This model specifies how much of the donated or paid amount is kept by the network operator, after which the remainder is paid out to the company or organization renting the premium-rated short code.

Without getting too technical, let’s look at the various ways companies, both big and small, can use SMS gateways to raise money or sell premium content.

Easy to Integrate, Easy to Use

There exist two ready-to-use interfaces associated with SMS message transmission and reception. Each of these provide their own benefits to enable the company or organization to use an SMS gateway as a fund raising / marketing / internal communication tool without any effort.

Web Interfaces (e.g. Communicator)

If you’ve got a browser and an internet connection, then you’ll be able to use this interface from anywhere in the world. These interfaces take care of all the technical aspects of message sending and allow companies and organizations to send messages through the SMS gateway using a relatively intuitive look & feel.

After logging in with a username and password you’ll be able to:

• Send Messages
• Receive Messages (Two-way messaging must be enabled)
• Manage address books & lists
• View delivery reports
• View account balances
• Manage routing profiles (for campaigns with a budget)
• etc.

Desktop Interfaces (e.g. Messenger Pro)

If you like what you’ve read regarding the web interface, then you’ll love the desktop interface that provides exactly the same functionality, with the only difference being that it is installed locally on a computer. As with the web interface, this also requires an internet connection that connects to the SMS gateway and makes message transmission possible.

Note that most of the desktop interfaces are OS dependent.

Requires Programming Skill

There exist a variety of application programming interfaces (API’s) that will allow your company or organization to connect to the SMS gateway to send and receive messages. These API’s allow for the integration of native software environments with the SMS gateway without requiring a total infrastructure revamp. This will allow you to integrate your own databases and programs with SMS messaging to ensure ease of use. Current available API’s include:

• HTTP/S
• SMPP
• SMTP
• SOAP
• FTP
• XML
• .COM

Whether you use any of the existing interfaces for your charity campaigns or one of the API’s for total and seamless integration, premium-rated SMS messaging is achievable in both instances and will allow you to help those who need it most, just like current aid campaigns for Haiti. For more information, read more about the SMS gateway.

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The seasons are about to change and for a large part of the country it will mean a return to better weather and smiles all around. This year, however, could be different: as a result of the lengthy and rather extreme weather, the average consumer will be looking forward to the coming spring, which means that it is now the time to get your business bulk SMS-enabled and get the info about your spring specials out there.

Why Bulk SMS?

There are a number of distinct advantages to using bulk SMS to get in touch with both current and prospective customers. These include:

• The mobile phone is almost always carried, and always on. This means you’ll be able to reach individuals wherever they are, be it out on lunch or, perhaps even better, while they’re out shopping.
• SMS messages are often read as soon as they are received. Compare this to email, which in many cases can wait in the inbox until the next morning or, when it’s Friday, until Monday morning.
• The mobile phone is a personalized medium. Nay, it’s an extension of the person. In fact, it is perhaps the only device that we customize to the last detail, which means there is a type of connection between the device and the person that makes it receive more attention than most other devices in our daily lives.

Taking the above into account, it becomes obvious that bulk SMS is the ideal way to communicate with your target market above the more conventional methods, such as print, email or even web (but it doesn’t mean that SMS can’t be used in conjunction with the aforementioned).

What You can do with SMS this Spring

One of the main benefits of bulk SMS is that it is almost instantaneous delivery, which means that your contact will be able to see what you have to offer right after you sent it. But what do you have to offer? Here are a couple of ideas of what you can do this spring:

1. Provide value-added services: “Weather around Joe’s Pizza Bar: 71°F with clear skies. Perfect weather for pizza!”
2. Give Discounts: “Beat the winter blues with 25% off on all orders! Only on Wednesdays and only @ Joe’s Pizza Bar!”
3. Freebies: “Buy 1 get 1 free between 6PM & 7PM today only! Only @ Joe’s Pizza Bar”
4. Competitions:  “Text to win” competitions are almost just as effective as incentives to help you get contacts on your bulk SMS distribution lists.

Can you think of anything else? Although the above have proven to be popular recipes for success for many businesses in just about every industry, there are in fact countless ways to promote your business this spring and it only relies on your own creativity.

How to get Your Opt-ins

As with the amount of things that can be done with bulk SMS, the number of ways you can get opt-ins on your contact list once again only depends on your creativity. But, keep in mind that there exist a number of regulations regarding the sending of SMS messages in the U.S.A – it will be in your best interests to stick to these regulations.  Once you’ve gone through the regulations, then feel free to use any of the below ideas to get current and potential customers to sign up, or simply use your own creativity:

• Online: Provide your users with the option to opt-in to your contact list on your website so that they’ll be able to receive information on future specials and giveaways on their mobile phones.
• Print: Distributing flyers? Perhaps business cards? Or maybe you’re advertising in the newspaper? Whatever you’re doing, it could be in your best interest to provide your opt-in number to “Receive information about future specials and giveaways, only available via SMS”.
• Noticeboards: If you’ve got a little space in your establishment, hang a noticeboard displaying the availability of your bulk SMS information service through which anyone will be able to receive information on specials and giveaways.

If you need any more ideas on how to get opt-ins or what you can do with bulk SMS this spring, download the 101 Business Uses for SMS.

Getting Started with Bulk SMS

One of the most common misconceptions regarding bulk SMS is that it is a communications solution for the corporates and other big players. The truth, however, is a little different: it’s a solution available to anyone who needs an effective way to communicate with their target audience. If that’s you, then you’ll be able to use any of the methods below to start sending out those bulk SMS messages and energize your sales:

Small to medium-sized businesses: How you send out your bulk SMS messages depends entirely on how many contacts you have. For those who don’t have thousands upon thousands of contacts and would like an easy way of implementing SMS, then a web-based or desktop application can be just the thing to suit your needs.

Medium to large businesses: Application Programming Interfaces (API’s) are most suited to those businesses who have their own development teams. These API’s exist in some of the most popular protocols and programming languages to allow for ease of implementation. Use this option if you want to seamlessly integrate bulk SMS into your current software infrastructure.

If you want to know more about marketing through the mobile phone, just follow the link to the bulk SMS page.

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A couple of years back, it was almost impossible to think that cellular phones would be able to do almost anything a computer can do – from surfing the web, storing and opening visual and audio media and even word processing. But now it’s a given and, in some cases, may still not be enough. The problem is that no one can really say where it’s all heading – current preferences in electronics depend on user preference as well as new developments that could potentially change the way we interact with our beloved devices. So where does SMPP come in?

SMS as Technological Lingua Franca?

Here’s an interesting bit of information: the first SMS message between two people was sent in Finland, 1993. Since then SMS took off to become a ubiquitous method of communication, not only from person to person, but from business to consumer, etc. The proof lies in the fact that every cellular phone now shipped, whether smartphone or otherwise, has the ability to send and receive SMS messages, making it the most versatile method of distributing mobile content. With SMPP, one of the most powerful protocols available, you will be able to get in touch with a large number of individuals in a short amount of time.

So About SMPP…

SMPP, or Short Message Peer-to-Peer, is a protocol that allows companies to integrate their systems with an SMS gateway. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of this protocol, aside from the fact that integration can be seamless, is its ability to relay messages at high speeds to a large number of destination devices, making it the perfect tool for communication with customers and employees, both locally and internationally.

But there’s a bit more, and it’s perhaps the most important part, especially in terms of distributing content to different types of mobile devices. And that is the ability to send messages in different formats, including binary and Unicode. Combine that with SMPP’s quick message relaying capability, and you’ve got the ability to send URLs, images, audio files and much more using a simple medium common to every cellular phone.

And MMS…?

When speaking about sending different types of content via SMS, you’re almost inclined to wonder where MMS, or Multimedia Messaging Service, comes in. Although MMS provides similar functionality, it has to be kept in mind that:

• It is not supported by all devices
• MMS is not supported by all networks across the globe
• In some cases users will have to establish a WAP connection, meaning that they have to use their airtime to view your content (this becomes especially important when sending to countries where receiving an SMS is free)
• Not all cellular phones have the ability to display all types of content
• In many cases users are notified via binary SMS (URL included in message) that they have an MMS message waiting.

But who knows what the future holds? For now, however, it is safe to say that SMS, with SMPP as one of its most powerful message relaying protocols, is here to stay.

For more information on how you can enable your business with high-speed messaging, click to read more about SMPP.

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1. Be Geographically Independent

Whether you’re selling dolls or relaying time-critical stock information, international SMS provides a vehicle that allows you to reach just about any handset in the world, almost anywhere in the world. The only requirements are that the destination handset and the network it is connected to must be able to receive your message.

This will allow U.S. businesses to expand their customer base beyond local borders and reach further through effective short message communication.

2. Go for Cost-effective Communication

It’s cheaper than a telephone call. International SMS provides you with the ability to reach either 10 or 10,000 people at once, whilst still allowing you to stay within your budget. This is done with customisable routing profiles that enable you to calculate the cost of the messages you want to send.

Another aspect that makes this a cost-effective method of communication is that in most countries outside U.S. borders, receiving an SMS message is free.

3. Use Near-Instant Messaging

From the internet, we’ve learned that keeping our customers up-to-date is in our best interests. Due to the immediacy of SMS technology, text messages are delivered within a matter of seconds, provided that the destination network has the ability to relay the message and that destination handset is switched on and capable of receiving messages.

A related benefit here is that, as opposed to a landline or even a computer, a handset is carried almost everywhere, which means you’ll be able to reach customers and/or employees while they are on the move in just about any country in the world.

4. Employ Multi-Language Communication

Are your customers located in China or Japan? Perhaps another country with its own language characters? International SMS supports messaging using Latin-alphabet language characters as well as Unicode formatting, which means that your message can be sent in a language of your choice, using the most appropriate characters. Your foreign customers and employees will appreciate your efforts of communicating with them in their native language.

5. Receive Replies with Two-way SMS

International SMS also provides you with a two-way messaging option. This means that your customers will be able to respond to your messages from their handsets, bringing you closer than ever before. This makes international SMS the perfect tool for international “SMS to win” campaigns, as well as support services and survey programs.

But Keep in Mind…

As with the U.S., most other countries have their own rules and regulations regarding the transmission of SMS messages. If you intend to use international SMS in 2010 to boost your client base and your business, it might be a good idea to ensure that you are familiar with the legalities surrounding SMS of the country you wish to send to.

For more information on how easy it is to SMS-enable your business in 2010, visit the international SMS page.

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A short article appeared on Philadelphia’s KYW Newsradio website detailing a new and rather unusual move from the Academy of Music. According to the report audience members will be allowed to turn on their handsets during intermissions and at the end of performances of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker. Audiences will be allowed to participate in polls/surveys relating to the performance via text message, without incurring any costs to themselves. And, as you could have guessed, there are SMS gateways somewhere in the picture that makes all this possible.

Cracking the Nut

Even though there’s a slight lack of information detailing the inner workings of this mobile survey, there are a few assumptions that can be made:

1. Although not entirely of a commercial nature, audience members will have to consent to partake in this operation.
2. Sending SMS messages one by one from a mobile phone or device seems unlikely, which means that an API (Application Programming Interface) is employed to communicate with the SMS gateways which, in turn, relay the messages to mobile devices.
3. The API has to be a two-way API to ensure that replies from audience members can be received successfully.
4. Messages sent by audience members will have to be stored in a suitable database for analysis.

Perhaps all of the above seems like it requires a certain level of expertise. But nothing could be further from the truth and is as easy as using a web interface capable of connecting to SMS Gateways to both send and receive SMS messages. For an example of such a web interface, visit Clickatell’s Communicator page.

Your Own Custom SMS Solution

Whether you run a theater or a coffee shop, a global business or a daycare center, SMS gateways can help you improve customer communication and feedback. The core of communication with the gateway lies in the effective use of the API – a software module that allows you to integrate SMS technology into your existing software infrastructure.

Available API’s include HTTP/S, SMPP, XML, FTP, SMTP, SOAP and .COM objects and allow for the sending (and receiving, where applicable) of SMS messages from a variety of technologies that include web pages, email, Windows-based software applications and custom software applications. SMS gateways are more than just a tool for staying ahead of the competition – it becomes an essential part of your business that allows you to communicate with clients, consumers and even employees on a personalized medium, anywhere in the world.

Ensure that your business takes an innovative lead, just like the Academy of Music. Read more about the benefits, capabilities and the various API’s and how they are connecting to SMS gateways.

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