Why Mobile SMS/Text Messaging?

What is Mobile SMS/ Test Messaging?

Mobile text Messaging, or Short Message Service (SMS), as we all know it, is the ability to send and receive text messages to and from mobile telephones. The text can comprise words or numbers or an alphanumeric combination. SMS was created as part of the GSM Phase 1 standard. The first short message is believed to have been sent in December 1992 from a Personal Computer (PC) to a mobile phone on the Vodafone GSM network in the UK. Each short message can be up to 160 characters is length when Latin alphabets are used.

Customer Usage and Market Growth

There is no doubting the success of the Short Message Service - the market in India alone has reached over one billion messages despite little proactive marketing by network operators and phone manufacturers. Key market drivers over the next two years such as the access of cheaper mobile technology to the masses will continue this growth path.

Mobile Messaging: How can your business benefit?

Enterprise Messaging

Enterprise uptake of mobile applications is set for phenomenal growth. By 2005, Gartner anticipates that 65 percent of enterprises will be harnessing the power of wireless applications to efficiently automate the existing business processes and use wireless connectivity for one or more user groups.

Statistics are already showing a considerable growth in the enterprise messaging, within the last seven quarters.

Where does enterprise messaging fit into your business

No matter what the nature or model of your business is, you can effectively exploit the potential of Mobile Messaging. Following are some examples of the application areas where Mobile Messaging is excelling:

1. B2B Messaging

Mobile terminated and mobile originated SMS and MMS via UCP, XML and PHP interface

Benefits: Using industry standard protocols provide easy integration with existing systems as well as a robust and scalable model for future technologies.

2. B2B Campaigns and list processing

Permission-based mobile marketing campaign of consumer goods, advertisement campaign, promotions etc.

Benefits: Mobile marketing provides unparallel advantage of effectively targeting specific audience level.

3. B2B Applications

Customized mobile applications conforming to a business rule and addressing a specific target audience. Example: MIS reports to mobile sales force, critical data to mobile technical work force. The possibilities are unlimited and the flexibility is enormous!

How to choose a high quality and reliable service provider for SMS/Text Messaging for your enterprise messaging needs?

The first option that comes to one's mind is mobile operators. However, though they have complete control over network infrastructure, they are generally not too keen to service customer for meeting their messaging needs. The prime reasons for this are:

• Enterprise messaging involves complex integration with backend database/applications
• The volume of messages is typically not high (except in large B2C companies)
• The criticality of message delivery is extremely high
• Operators largely cross subsidise 'voice' with 'data' services.
• It a specific network is down, then the service suffers.
• The service need extra attention in terms of providing high service levels

There are many independent providers of mobile data services focussed in the domain of enterprise messaging that provide end-to-end SMS/text messaging service. For example, ValueFirst (http://www.vfirst.com) provides SMS/Text messaging services to enterprises.

There are several advantages of working with an operator neutral service provider:

• Easy and quick integration with back-end application/databases
• Connections with multiple operators ensure better service quality (i.e. service is continued even if the network of a specific operator fails)
• Single entry point into the mobile networks.
• Uniform application access ? no duplicate efforts required
• Reliability and timeliness - Acknowledged mobile messaging with guaranteed message delivery information available
• Integrated payment ? one stop shop for all billing aspects and
• Seamless and secure messaging environment.

About The Author

This article has been contributed by (Mr.) Vijay Shukla, Country Head, ValueFirst Messaging India (http://www.vfirst.com). Vijay has over 8 years of industry experience management consulting and mobile data services. He can be contacted at vijayshukla@yahoo.com.

---

Defeating Crime With Digital Camera Cell Phones

The newest techno gadget, which is reshaping the way teenagers interact is the Digital Picture Camera 3G Cell Phone. As more and more people have these and as higher bandwidth and video compression... Read More

Mobile Phone Unlocking

In the world today, you will but a phone, and it will be locked to one single network. This is because the network providers lock the phones to only accept their SIM cards,... Read More

Camera Cell Phone Verizon

Camera cell phone by Verizon ? offer with a service plan.Camera cell phone by Verizon offer is just an example of many types of camera cell phones offered by various service providers. The... Read More

Customize Your Cell Phone With Ringtones and Wallpaper

As an important part of your daily life, your cell phone should reflect your personality. At one time, the only way to personalize your phone was to get one in your favorite color.... Read More

Advantages and Disadvantages of Prepaid Cell Phones

We are constantly seeing advertisements on TV promoting cell phones and cell phones carriers with what they call great introductory offers if you sign up with them on their network.Is it worthwhile signing... Read More

The Cell Phone Store

Effectively everybody wants the hottest and best cheap cell phones nextel, cheap cell phones in canada, cheap cell phones only when they are shown on TV. Also, there are various means of personalizing... Read More

Location Sensitivity - Cell Phone GPS

This is basically a system to locate the handheld when making a call to 911. In the mid to late 1990's, many people got cell phones just for the emergency use of being... Read More

What Are Smart Phones And Do You Need One?

Smart phones are a combination of a cell phone and PDA functions all in one device and are much bigger and notably more expensive than regular handsets, generally costing in the neighborhood of... Read More

Cell Phone Security. How Vulnerable Are You?

There have been significant improvements made recently in cellular phone security. But be careful. Read on for valuable information to protect yourself.Just remember that wireless phone conversations are transmitted over radio frequencies and... Read More

Local Search on Cell Phones will Derail Yellow Page Directory Usage

Local Businesses have Been Slow to Capitalize on Search Engine NoticeYellow Page directory usage has been falling for years. But most merchants who've always relied on their directory listing for new business have... Read More

Cellular Phone Service

Cellular phone service ? pick the one you like.You can select the cellular phone service of your choice from one of the many cellular phone companies like AT&T, Sprint PCS, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless,... Read More

Call Russia Feeling Like a Royal Romanov

Get set to be greeted by the Russians, with a grandiose display of a regal past from the Romanov's to Peter the Great and Catherine the Great. In the form of tall spires,... Read More

Cellular Phone Services & Bill Payment Services: The New Wave For Merchant Retailers

PREPAID CELLULAR TIMEPrepaid Cellular Are A Smart Choice!There are huge demands for prepaid services all over the world, somewhere in the neighborhood of 120 million prepaid cellular and long distance users in North... Read More

Recent Cell Phone Advancements

Cell phones have come a long way since the early days of the 1980s when they were the size of a brick and weighed almost as much. Today, cellular phones come with built-in... Read More

Camera Cell Phones - Say It With Pictures!

Camera cell phones are sweeping the nation! In fact, long gone are the days when a telephone is used for the sole purpose of speaking to another person. Cell phone cameras are all... Read More

Cell Phone Etiquette

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE Okay, I'll admit I have been pushed over the edge.... Read More

We Have Compiled a List of Wireless Cell Phones General Cautions and Warnings

For the most part, wireless cell phones are safe. And who could deny the convenience and freedom they have bought to our lives. Wireless cell phones bring our family and friends closer and... Read More

Prepaid Calling Cards and Terrorism: Where Did All The ?Chatter? Go?

Does that necessarily mean that there are no terrorist communications happening, or does it simply mean that terrorists have found other effective ways to get their twisted plots across continents? The advent of... Read More

Tips for Cell Phone Batteries and Usage

There are just a few tips that will help you increase the life span of your cell phone and cell phone battery.Below we are going to outline the most important tips:1. Try not... Read More

Cell Phones Can Damage Your Eyes

A recent scientific study identified a link between microwave radiation of the kind emitted by cellular phones and two different kinds of damage to the eye. At least one type of damage apparently... Read More

Sorting Through Your Cellular Phone Options

Some people purchase a cellular phone for emergency use only, but others use their cellular phone on a daily basis as a replacement for their land-line home phone. With the number of options... Read More

Cell Phone Reviews ? Why Do Them?

Well let's be honest some people just don't bother doing cell phone reviews, and why should they? Well let's keep things simple, would you just walk into a car showroom and drive away... Read More

How to Find the Best Cellular Phone Service Deal

Finding the best cellular phone service deal can seem as frustrating and difficult as shopping for a new car. Nothing can be as vexing as trying to set up a new service plan... Read More

SMS 101 - Short Message Service Explained

Short Message Service (SMS) is a quick and simple way to communicate short messages via mobile phones, handheld devices, and increasingly even landline telephones. Commonly known as text messages, SMSes, or even texts... Read More

Small Business Phone Systems ? A Brief Explanation

How a business presents itself to its customers has to be the single most important factor in its potential success. In days gone by usually your first contact with new customers would have... Read More

Cell Phone - Why Should I Upgrade

We hear from friends or just general chat by people wanting to upgrade their cell phones. There are a number of very good reasons to upgrade but unfortunately the main reason people upgrade... Read More

Spider-man 3 on Your Cellphone Anyone?

The titanic developments in new technology have radically changed the way we watch TV and movies at home. Gone are the days when the TV set was a box in the corner with... Read More

Protect Your One and Only Brain From Cell Phone Radiation

Cell Phones have become a part and parcel of everybody's life. They are no more the nifty gadget that a selected few carried around. They are carried around like the life depends on... Read More

Internet Cell Phone Deals - How to Take Advantage of Them

The internet can be a great place to buy your next cell phone. How many times have you been in the mall and were harassed by some pushy wireless telephone dealer? The internet... Read More