A2P SMS Features
A2P SMS has a myriad of capabilities that can enhance any business. Learn about the different features of these services and how they work.
Web SMS Services
Most Web SMS Services will have an online user interface that can be accessed through a web browser. There will generally be a way to upload a list and send a message to that list. The quality of services varies a lot but they are becoming easier to use every day.
High-quality online SMS services will have a lot of value-added features such as:
Reporting
Number upload filtering
Automation
Personalisation
Reply management
SPAM compliance
List management
Templates
Character counting
Email SMS
Email SMS is the process of sending a text message to a mobile phone using email. A special email address is defined using the mobile number and the gateway address.
Eg. 0422333444@transmitsms.com
Sending an email to this address will deliver its contents to the mobile phone, and when it replies to the message, vice versa. This process is known as 2 Way SMS.
Email SMS gateways are most commonly provided by Web SMS companies and can be configured quickly and easily. Companies commonly use Email SMS as a replacement for an API, since it is very easy to set up and doesn’t require any coding.
SMS API
An Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of easy to follow instructions and commands that a programmer can use to integrate services into their application. In the case of SMS, it’s for sending text messages, adding contacts to lists, and processing replies and reports.
Some SMS APIs have downloadable applications called clients or wrappers. These talk to the SMS API gateway and have customised code samples that help developers add the API services into any application.
SMS API Integration
In order to integrate an online SMS service via an API, you will need to have access to programming skills in the language that your destination application is coded in.
The first stage will be to have the programmer evaluate the API documentation to ensure that it has the services you require for your application.
API documentation and connection authentication requirements should be available from your account, SMS vendors website, or directly from the vendor themselves. Authentication is generally via an API key that is passed via HTTP Basic Auth headers.
