Bulk SMS

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How to send bulk SMS

SMS can be sent programmatically from an application using SMS APIs and libraries or SDKs, by using an SMS text messaging add-on or extension to software (e.g. Microsoft Excel), by using an application with in-built SMS text messaging capability or by using a SaaS (software-as-a-service) application through your web browser.

An example of a SaaS application that is a bulk SMS sender for marketing purposes is the Melrose Labs Campaign Solo service for SMS text marketing. Programming or scripting languages such as Python, PHP, Node.js, Go and others can be used to send and receive SMS with SMS APIs such as SMPP and REST.

Some web applications and portals that can be used for sending bulk SMS include:

• webSMS
• MultiSender
• txtConsole Blue
• Campaign Solo

How bulk SMS works

An SMS gateway allows an application to send and receive Short Message Service (SMS) messages to and from telecommunication networks. The vast majority of messages are routed via SMS gateways into mobile phone networks. Delivery reports (or delivery receipts) can be requested by the application in order to indicate the delivery outcome of the SMS. An SMS gateway typically sits between the end-user application that needs to send/receive SMS and a mobile network's Short Message Service Center (SMSC). Such gateways provide their customers with a choice of SMS APIs, including HTTP, SMTP, Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) and Web Services. Providers of SMS gateway services include SMS aggregators (such as the Melrose Labs Tyr SMS Gateway, located in the UK) and mobile operators. SMS gateways operate using software such as that provided by the Melrose Labs SMPP SMS Gateway platform.

When sending bulk SMS, an individual message can be sent in a single SMS or multiple SMS, depending on the length of the message. When receiving a long message (aka concatenated SMS), the whole message is displayed to the mobile user once the user's mobile has received all parts comprising it. It can also be used by mobile marketers to deliver Rich Messaging and Rich SMS via a link in an SMS, where the message displayed by the link contains an image, text, audio, video and CTAs. It can also be used to initiate a dialogue with the mobile user involving Conversational Chatbots.

Operate your own SMS gateway

Operate your own bulk SMS gateway service using the Melrose Labs SMPP SMS Gateway platform. Our cloud-based platform allows you to operate your own gateway and manage customers, billing, supplier connections, routing and reporting. Additional APIs and portals can be used with the platform to provide your customers with access to REST SMS APIs, web SMS portals, text marketing campaign portals and for other uses.

Development, Simulation and Testing

The Melrose Labs SMSC Simulator can be used to simulate an SMSC and the delivery to mobiles of a bulk SMS campaign. Simulation can be used to test the performance of your sending application and its behaviour. Inbound messages from mobiles to your application can be generated to simulate responses from the mobile users receiving your campaign message.

Melrose Labs SMPP Testing can be used to simulate a messaging application and the submission of messages as part of a bulk SMS campaign. Simulation can be used to test the performance and SMPP compliance and capability of your SMSC, SMS gateway or SMPP server and its behaviour. Load testing can be performed where one or more simulated clients submit messages to your server-under-test and allows you to determine the SMS/sec and submit_sm/submit_sm_resp latency.

Using the SMPP Load Test tool, perform an SMS load test using SMPP from your web browser and view the results in realtime. SMPP Load Test tool submits SMS messages using SMPP at the specified rate. Messages are sent to one or more mobile numbers in a range from a single source address or range of source addresses.

See our Developers section for APIs, tools and other documents.