How SMS works??

[superprogrammer]

How does the site which offers free sms from website to your cellphone works? How do they send sms to different countries even? What are the costs involved?
If I have a number 894850845 say
then is it same as just sending the text as email to [email protected]??
How does it differ?
Are there already such scripts available( and if possible free)
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks

 

[Scott]

I'm not sure. I'm currently looking into purchasing paid SMS credits and offering them for free to website users via some kind of API. We'll see (although I know they can't just be sent from PHP or anything similar like that, they need to be relayed).

 

[ichibaka]

From what I know (or so I think), the message that you sent are relayed through a real SMS carrier to the number that you want to send to.

 

[superprogrammer]

Relaying is ok
But I have seen for many numbers with the service providers, there is an associated email..like if you email [email protected] that email(mainly the subject) would reach as SMS to that person. Going by the same logic....SMS can be sent to limited customers??

 

[superprogrammer]

You can see an example of what I am talking about here
http://www.krify.com/cell/

 

[Matt]

hehe...I love these Q's

easiest and best route, imho, certainly for Scott, is to goto someone like : www.haysystems.co.uk - I used to work with them. They have a very effient api / various forms of interface depending on how high up you want to go. They have direct access at smpp into the main 4 carriers in the UK. They also have a full global routing system. I know this, cause I helped design it

Rgds
matt

 

[superprogrammer]

SY4
Many thanks for the link...It is great
Are you from UK?
I have done a search and found out that many ringtones websites/resellers are from UK
Any idea why?

 

[armstrong]

Assuming that sending SMS from your handheld is cheap, and thinking out of the box (and making it up as I go along :p), you could:

1. setup a home server that's always connected to the internet
2. attach an SMS device (cell phone?) via USB to your home server
3. program your website to communicate SMS messages to your home server (possibly via email? if your home server is your webserver, then you won't need this part)
4. program your home server to send SMS via your SMS device

Possible? I think so. Difficult? Definitely, unless you already know what you're doing.

 

[Peter]

Assuming that sending SMS from your handheld is cheap, and thinking out of the box (and making it up as I go along :p), you could:

1. setup a home server that's always connected to the internet
2. attach an SMS device (cell phone?) via USB to your home server
3. program your website to communicate SMS messages to your home server (possibly via email? if your home server is your webserver, then you won't need this part)
4. program your home server to send SMS via your SMS device

Possible? I think so. Difficult? Definitely, unless you already know what you're doing.

I should imagine the costs would be much greater doing it this way as you would have to pay your network rate which in the UK is 10p for Uk texts, companies such as clickatell do it for 0.4p per message (and cheaper the more you buy) the price is also the same for some foreign countries

 

[Chris M.]

I can simply make a sms text messaging script using PHP and PHP Mail function.. It is a 10 minute job... PM Me if you need details.

 

[Scott]

I can simply make a sms text messaging script using PHP and PHP Mail function.. It is a 10 minute job... PM Me if you need details.

What server are you relaying through? Is it an open server or paid?

 

[superprogrammer]

I can simply make a sms text messaging script using PHP and PHP Mail function.. It is a 10 minute job... PM Me if you need details.

No way
There are only limited service providers which allow this and which really work through emails

 

[primacomputer]

Most big boys have their own SMSC, or deal with someone who does. You don't have to go this way though. During the dotcom years I worked on several projects that required me to look into services providing some sort of API, as well as the possibility of interfacing directly with the network. You needed serious volume before either became economical. Many companies doing millions of messages rejected both these options in favor of a computer, cel phone, and a data cable.

If your carrier offers an unlimited text package I don't see how anyone could offer you a better deal.

I've been running an email -> sms gateway for several years using this kind of system. It works great. I also use it to send me server reports, or alerts if a really cool name expires. I pay <US$0.04/text with my carrier.

I wrote the system long ago, but even then it wasn't difficult. Today you could do the whole thing with a few free utilities and a batch file.

 

[Ferman]

Hi,

http://www.nowsms.com/documentation/ProductDocumentation/

Regards
Ferman