SMS Testing

Testing is always an essential part of development, staging of an application, and when an application has been deployed. SMS has a number of different aspects that require some degree of testing to ensure that applications will perform, and will continue to perform, as expected when used.

As an example, Short Message Peer-to-Peer (SMPP) implementation testing shows the level of conformance to the protocol when sending and receiving SMS messages between applications and mobiles. SMPP testing also determines the implementation's level of performance. Testing shows the conformance of an SMSC or SMS Gateway to the SMPP protocol and its performance, e.g. rate of SMS processing. It is important to perform such testing so to understand the behaviour or the application in various situations and its limitations.

Testing of SMS applications (clients), SMSCs/SMS gateways (servers) and actual live delivery of SMS messages to and from mobile users on relevant mobile networks should be performed. Some of this can be automated, while some involve manual testing by developers, engineers or support staff.

Types of Testing

SMS client and SMS server (SMPP server / SMSC)

• Application behaviour - generation of outbound SMS and handling of inbound SMS.
• SMPP support - used for SMS operations between client and server.
• Stress testing - high volumes of simultaneous SMS messaging over a period of time (example SMPP SMS load test report).
• SMPP/SMSC/SMS application vulnerability testing - check for issues handling malformed SMPP packets and fields or content. Contact us for information on our SMPP vulnerability testing service.

Delivery

• Delivery testing - confirming that messages can be sent to mobiles belonging to a country.
• Content testing - confirming that specific types of messages can be sent to mobiles belonging to a country/network.

Device

• Confirming that messages are displayed as intended.
• Confirming that messages are otherwise handled as intended (e.g. SIM updates).