BulkSMS

BulkSMS (or bulk SMS) is the facility to send large volumes of text messages over IP (internet protocol) to mobile phones.

Rather than sending an SMS through a specific network, such as Vodafone or O2, BulkSMS allows the sending of a text message over the internet through a gateway. These gateways are set up and owned by companies who have aggregated the connections to the various operators, making arrangements with both local and global networks to send text messages. These aggregators sell text messages on in blocks of 1000s at a discounted rate for provision to business users. In their raw form bulk messages are of little use to an end business user. They simply consist of 160 characters of text, 12 characters to show the sending number and a receipt for delivery. In order to send messages a connection must be made over the internet to the gateway and a system developed to manage this.

txt4ever.com is a powerful bulkSMS platfrom that allows any business user the facility to send volumes of text messages in the UK and worldwide. Bulk SMS can be used for a variety of functions, from customer relationships to customer aquisition, or specific uses such as marketing, appointment functions, or mobile ticketing.

Quality of bulkSMS can vary from provider to provider. Things to consider when buying volume SMS:

• The delivery platform - is it easy to use? Can numbers be easily managed?
  
• Average speed of delivery to the handset
  
• Are there delivery receipts?
  
• How quickly are delivery receipts supplied (real time or the following day)?
  
• Do they have fixed or dynamic sender IDs? The sender ID is the part of the message showing the mobile number it is coming from. A dynamic sender ID will allow 12 characters or 11 letters (such as a company name)
  
• Service - can you contact your bulkSMS provider and what is their usual repsonse time?