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Introduction
The technology of Short Messages Service constitutes an important element of the possibilities rendered by GSM telephony. It is now one of the most popular forms of mobile communication and the number of its applications in both B2B and B2C areas is continuously growing.
Communication via Short Messages can be organized in many ways. Depending on the regional infrastructure of the mobile network operator, the following scenarios are possible:
- Sending messages via gateways of different nature. There are gateways that allow massages to be sent through modem, via the Internet and net services such as SMTP or WWW etc;
- Sending and receiving through GSM terminal (GSM modem or telephone) attached to computer;
- Sending and receiving messages via direct connection with Short Messages Service Centre of the network operator.
Message sending through SMS gateways
First of the presented ways of communication is usually bound to widely available public messaging services. It is limited to sending messages only. It has number of limitations among which low reliability is the most important one. There are often additional limitations set by the providers like limit on the maximum number of messages transmitted in a period of time etc.
GSM terminal based communication
Second of the presented scenarios allows for both sending and receiving messages. It is however preferred for small traffic messaging services (up to 600 messages per hour). It's main advantage is simple integration with custom systems. It's disadvantage is a high cost per message and lack of possibility to service short numbers which are typically used to realize information services.
Communication through SMSC
Short Message Service Centre is an element of GSM network infrastructure responsible for transferring SMS messages. Direct communication with the SMSC is both the most universal and the richest way of communication via Short Messages. Particularly it offers:
- The safest and the most reliable messaging services
- The highest possible efficiency of communication
- Receiving messages sent to Short Numbers
- Possibility to negotiate the tariff with the network operator for the messages received
- The lowest cost possible of sending messages
- Access to all possible options available while sending and receiving messages
- Possibility to send messages containing images, logos, ring tones, binary data, etc.
- Obtaining full delivery information about of a message being send
One of the main disadvantages of this way of communication is the cost of the infrastructure required for establishing secure connection between client application and the SMSC of the operator.
Depending on operator, one can find different requirements to the kind of network connection that has to be established between the client application and the network in which the SMSC operates. Typically, these are the connections made using private network connection that operates on top of the Internet network. One can also find solutions working on basis of X.25 protocol and other protocols.
Depending on the kind of the SMSC, one of four different protocols used for communication with the SMSC can be found: SEMA protocol, developed by Sema Telecom company, CIMD2 protocol, developed by NOKIA company, UCP protocol, developed by CMG Wireless Data Solutions company and SMPP protocol developed by SMPP Developers Forum organization.
Communication organized with the SMSC of the operator, enables receiving messages sent to the so called Short Numbers within GSM network, as well as sending messages to all subscribers' numbers accessible within network of a given operator (taking into consideration roaming with other operators). If a set of Short Numbers of several operators has to be serviced, the connection must be established with SMS centres of all operators, whose subscribers are going to have the possibility to send messages to the client application.
What do we offer?
We offer experience in designing and developing of mobile messaging systems and system extensions. We create software suitable for:
- Information services integrated with customer's business applications
- Surveys, contests, micropayments, data distribution etc.
- Other forms of message driven mobile communication specific to the nature of the business processes of the customer's enterprise.
Our communication software has been tested with the SMSCs of local Polish GSM operators as well as with other SMSCs. Thus we can offer a solutions that proven to be operational and efficient, which is a guarantee of successful implementation of proposed solutions.
We also offer a set of SMSC communication libraries SMSC Relay ActiveX SDK and SMSC Relay VCL SDK which allow for creating of custom SMS messaging solutions.
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