Short Message Service (SMS) is part of the GSM specification. SMS has become very popular, and is now commonly called "Texting". Popular with tenneagers, as it is intimate, personal yet non-permanent, and popular with the networks because it is obscenely profitable.
A SMS consists of text of up to 160 characters, which is sent to the phone whether or not engaged in a call. The effect of this is to give the mobile phone the facilities of an alphanumeric pager, but with confirmed delivery of messages. Unlike with a pager, the system holds undelivered messages, and resends them at intervals until receipt is confirmed. The problem is how to send them.
How do you send them?
On a some phones you can type the text in on the phone's keypad. Phones able to send SMS are
called "SMS MO enabled" (MO means Mobile Originated) You can get software that
connects the phones to a Windows PC or a Psion Organiser to do much the same. Modern mobile phones use predictive text, which works out which ot the three or four letters on a number key you want by matching what you type against a dictionary.
There are other ways, though. You use a computer and modem to connect to the relevant number and type your message in at the prompt. Orange (0973 100602) and Vodafone offer a text-based front end at present, but the other two will surely follow. There is a TAP interface connection for some of the SMS-carrying networks, but I've never used them, so I can't add much about them. Software to use this is available, for example the excellent SMS Centre from http://www.desoft.co.uk.
The One2one email -- SMS gateway
One2one offer an email-SMS gateway, but charge users 10p per message, in or out, so it could be a little expensive if someone sends you junk email!
WWW to SMS?
You can send SMS messages from the Orange web pages.
This is restricted to Orange phones, but the messages seem to arrive within a
couple of seconds. You have to register, and get a password by email. This only takes a few seconds, but don't
forget your username and password.
You can also register to use O2 (formerly called Cellnet and Genie) to send SMS from their web page, but I've found this less reliable.
email to SMS?
There are no free ways to send an SMS by sending an email to a gateway address any more. The costs forced the free services to close.
There are services offering email to SMS gateways at a price, from three pounds per month upwards. This allows you to receive incoming emails as SMS messages. I used to use Locust myself, and found it useful. Locust also offers SMS to email and fax, but see below for alternative solutions to that, needing no subscription.
SMS to email and fax?
There is a free SMS to email service available, provided by
Andrews & Arnold, who are Orange dealers. You send the SMS to 0973 577510, with the beginning of the SMS
being the email address you are sending to.
Because there is also Demon's email to fax service, you can also send SMS to fax using the same number, prefixing your SMS with the full fax number in +441234 567890 format. This service is paid for by advertising -- there is a big advertisement on the fax or a smaller one at the end of the email message. The distinction between your message and the ad is clear enough.
If you sign up with eXcell at http://www.excell.to you can send emails by sending an SMS to the gateway number (in fact I think it works without signing up) but it is an overseas number, and the Orange SMSC won't seem to deliver to it.
What does SMS cost?
Orange charge between 3p and 10p per SMS sent depending on talk plan, One2one charge £1 per month for the
service, plus 4p per on-net message (10p to other networks), but free on some talkplans. Vodafone and
Cellnet charge 10p per message sent. If you use a foreign SMSC, you probably won't get charged by
Orange at present, but Cellnet and Vodafone do charge 10p plus VAT whichever SMSC you use.
Information services
Orange offer information by SMS - news flashes, weather forecasts and stock market
prices. Orange charge 10p per message (25p per share price message). Having tried it, I'd say it was nice on the free
trial period, but it's not worth the money to me.
More information...
For more information about SMS, see mrbush@btinternet.com's
web pages. He knows a lot more about it than I do!
Comments, suggestions and amendments welcomed!
cellular. v1.58 8 Oct 2000