SMPP
Introduction
SMPP stands for Short Message Peer-to-Peer protocol, which was introduced by the mobile networks as the original way to send SMS.
The Esendex SMPP API allows our customers to send and receive high volumes of SMS with complete confidence, thanks to its multi-bind functionality and low latency.
For a more in-depth look at SMPP, please go to our Developers Portal, here.
What is SMPP?
SMPP is a standard way to send and receive SMS messages between applications and mobile devices through SMS centres or gateways. It enables applications to communicate with mobile devices.
SMPP allows you to connect directly, so they don’t need to set up a new connection each time they send a message.
Our system can handle multiple SMPP connections for each account at the same time, which means it can easily adjust to meet demand.
This helps you send large numbers of messages without slowing down.
Who is SMPP for?
You may choose to send SMS with us through our SMPP API if:
- You are sending large volumes of SMS frequently.
- You have an existing SMPP set up that you are currently sending SMS from.
- You would like to be able to separate your send and receive traffic to make it easier to manage.
- You aren’t interested in using any of our other communication channels.
Typical Applications of SMPP
SMPP is commonly used for SMS applications, making it a suitable protocol for mobile operators, message centre vendors, infrastructure providers, and application developers to deploy their SMS-based services. Here are some examples of typical SMPP applications:
Marketing
- Businesses can send promotions, notifications, and campaigns (Bulk SMS) to customers through text messages.
Appointment reminders
- Send appointment reminders to reduce financial losses and improve customer experiences from missed appointments.
Security applications
- Alarm systems can use SMS for remote access and alerts, like an employee receiving the code to open up the store.
Two-factor authentication / OTP
- Using SMS to transmit a verification code, which serves as a secondary authentication factor for identification, particularly for login procedures.
Why use SMPP?
Lets take a look at why you would want to use SMPP:
Send & Receive SMS
- The SMPP API is an industry-standard way for customers to send and receive SMS.
- Customers with an existing SMPP connection can easily set up new binds with our SMPP API.
Ideal for bulk SMS sends
- The multi-bind capability allows you to separate your SMS traffic into inbound and outbound messages, which means you can send and receive high-volume campaigns without any performance bottlenecks.
Direct Communication
- SMS sends your message straight to your customer’s mobile phone, helping you reach your target audience wherever they are.
High Conversion rates
- SMS has high open rates and can increase engagement with marketing promotions, offers, important reminders, and urgent messages.
Scalability & performance
- SMPP offers a constant connection that greatly improves reliability, efficiency, and throughput. This makes it the top choice when you need to send a large number of SMS messages frequently, especially in situations where low latency is important, like bulk SMS sending.
- We can increase the rate limit and the number of messages you can send per account for SMS, so you can scale dynamically according to your business needs.
- The Esendex SMPP API can also be configured for multiple binds per account. This flexibility enables you to scale your message throughput dynamically to match your business needs. To learn more, please get in touch with your account manager.
Separate Inbound and outbound SMS traffic
- You may wish to separate your SMS volume with one bind for sending and one bind for receiving delivery reports, to help prioritise different types of SMS traffic – the SMPP’s multi-bind capability makes this easier to manage.
Congratulations! You now have an understanding of how SMPP works. To learn more, please go to the Developers portal here.