Overview
The Short Message Service (SMS) is the ability to send and receive text messages to and from mobile telephones. The text can be comprised of 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 is up to 160 characters in length when Latin alphabets are used, and 70 characters in length when non-Latin alphabets such as Arabic and Chinese are used.
This article explains how SMS is being used in the GFI FaxMaker.
Information
- GFI FaxMaker includes an email to SMS or texting gateway, enabling users to send SMS text messages from Outlook.
- SMS messages can be sent from any GSM mobile phone, as well as from several Internet-based service providers.
Using a central company, SMS Gateway has many advantages:
- Sending of messages from Outlook:
- It is much faster than from the mobile phone.
- Allows you to use the Outlook contacts list.
- Allows you to keep a copy of SMS messages sent.
- A web-based SMS provider means additional administration costs and allows users to log in to the service with their user account. This is an additional step for the user and additional administration for the administrator.
- Because all SMS messages will be logged on the server, you can ensure that sending of SMS messages will be used for business purposes only.
- Users will not use SMS to communicate with colleagues or customers if they have to use their own mobile, because of the charges involved.