subject: The Four Popular Sms Solutions [print this page] You see them everydayYou see them everyday. On television channels, radio programs, and even in print media. They are omnipresent. Today, it is impossible to fathom a world without them. They are used for business promotion, communication and marketing.
Well, that indispensible and an integral part of our daily lives is short code, a subset of bulk SMS which is used for television reality show voting, "Request a song" radio service and a host of other interactive tasks. Short codes make SMS even more powerful because recipients can typically respond to it.
There are two variants of SMS; dedicated and shared. While the former takes a lot of time and money to set up, this 5 or 6 digit number can be exploited by a single entity, while the latter can be shared with several entities; each of which identifies its traffic with a keyword. A typical example of a shared short code is mentioned below.
TEXT WEATHER TO 87878 for latest weather update in your city. The keyword here is weather and 87878 is the shared code.
There is yet another subset of bulk SMS, called long code. Long codes are very similar to short codes including mechanism & integration, but they consist of 10 digit numbers. They are used for two way communication tasks. Long numbers or long codes can be purchased from telecom companies. Some of its benefits are mentioned below.
Multiple keywords and sub keywords possible.
Cheaper than dedicated short codes.
Companies, who use long codes, provide their customers a cheaper way to send SMS to them, unlike short codes which are charged at premium rate.
Like short codes even these codes are exploited for competitions and voting. However, due to its cost effectiveness they can be programmed for longer durations.
They are also used for lead generation, product information & promotion and feedback.
Unlike short codes which have geographic limitations, long codes can be accessed internationally.
Both short codes and long codes form an integral part of SMS solutions. These variants or solutions have evolved from basic SMS.
Apart from short codes and long codes there are two other solutions which SMS offers.
1. Bulk SMS - It is one of the fastest growing marketing platforms. It is used for a number of tasks and purposes such as; business promotion, brand establishment and marketing of products. Bulk SMS forms a big chunk of mobile marketing.
Bulk SMS can be sent from web based interface or standalone application using internet and SMS credits. The process is quite simple; the marketer composes a catchy marketing campaign, selects a group of recipients and simply clicks on the send button to despatch thousands of messages instantly.
2. Voice SMS - Another amazing SMS solution. As the name suggests, this SMS variant is perfect for areas where language is a barrier. Messages sent to these places are typically recorded in a local language. Voice SMS adds a human touch which creates an instant bond with the recipients.
