8 SMS gateways/aggregators

Posted 28 November 2008 09:00am by Patrick Oak with 1 comment

Last week in my SMS primer, I discussed the role of the SMS gateways that provide connectivity to the mobile infrastructure that makes SMS messaging possible. If you've developed a mobile application and need connectivity to the carriers, you'll need an SMS gateway.

There are a number companies offering SMS gateway services. These companies are also referred to as SMS aggregators. Some have direct connections to carriers and others don't. This can affect pricing.

Here are a number of the larger and well-known SMS gateway providers.

• mBlox (Global)
• Clickatell (Global)
• Verisign (Global)
• Air2Web (Global)
• Motricity (Global)
• Kapow (United Kingdom)
• OpenMarket (United States/North America)
• SinglePoint (United States/North America)

Several tips:

• Be sure to talk to a few providers. Rates will vary from provider to provider and you may find that one provider provides better rates to the carriers that you anticipate you'll be dealing with most.
   
• If you're planning to leverage Premium SMS billing, be sure to ask the providers about their payment terms. Some offer expedited payment programs that ensure you get paid sooner than you would otherwise if you had to wait for the carrier to settle up with the gateway.
   
• Many providers also offer pre-built applications, not just connectivity. If you're looking to run a simple SMS marketing campaign, for instance, you will almost certainly be able to leverage a managed service instead of having to build your own SMS marketing application and then acquire gateway service. This can save you a significant amount of money.

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