Gentlemen! I have a need as well as a suggestion for the KH show idea I was wondering if you c...

[G+_Jogi Vyas]

Gentlemen!

 

I have a need as well as a suggestion for the KH show idea. I was wondering if you can shed some light on short code texting in the next KH show. You may already know how and where the short code texting is being used, but I would like to give some glimpse: Short code texting is the way US Post Office text customer updates about package tracking. Second scenario is where a local business can ask for satisfaction score from a patron on a recent customer service, etcetera.

 

I have looked on-line and found so many websites, but it can get expensive. I work for a non-profit organization and I want to notify my client with updated with information. Is there a open source project for this, or less expensive way to achieve this?

 

Thank you,

 

Jogi Vyas

[G+_Ben Reese]

I don't know if they use short codes, but I believe Amazon has a notifications service that will send SMS. It looks like maybe 75¢ per hundred? http://aws.amazon.com/sns/pricing/

 

You can also send SMS from the computer using Google Voice (I belive it limits you for the first couple months until it has validated that you're not just spamming), and I'm pretty sure you can send SMS from the USB cellular Internet gadgets. (Neither of these options would be short codes).

[G+_Jogi Vyas]

Sounds great Ben! Info you provided will be helpful. Many thanks!

[G+_Misha Manulis]

SMS shot codes are, usually, setup on the ISP side and are for high-volume messaging. It's not really designed for "individuals" but for running large campaigns, since it takes a good amount to set them up with the ISP.

 

Depending on your application, there are other options you can investigate, like what Ben Reese has suggested.

 

If you're looking for an SMS provider with an API, Twillio is quite good: https://www.twilio.com/sms

[G+_Eddie Foy]

what ever happened to that SMS server thing?  Leo 'bought' one; not sure he ever got it.

[G+_Jogi Vyas]

Thank you Misha and Eddie! Seems like Short Code stuff is for a large volume. I was looking into more like when, for example, a pharmacy notifies about a prescription being ready for a pick up? 

[G+_Misha Manulis]

SMS here is the smaller portion of the work. How do you link phone numbers to specific prescriptions? How do you identify that a prescription is ready?

 

The notification part here can be done via a few different options, depending on how you address the above questions. E.g. if you're building an app, you can just use push notifications. If you want to use just SMS, you can setup a flow using a regular number, no reason for short codes other than convenience.

 

Think about the user flow here first, the notification piece will fall into place after that.

[G+_Jeff Brand]

Shortcodes SMS costs at least $1,000/month (just for the number) and may take 3-6 months to provision as the shortcode provider must work with each carrier to provision the number for you.

 

Amazon's SNS has limitations but might work in certain scenarios.

 

There are some notification services that let you use a common shortcode along with their other offerings. For example, I know of a hair salon that uses a shortcode to notify customers of upcoming appointments.

 

If you're not tied into the shortcode idea, take a look at Twilio. Their API will let you roll your own notifications via SMS from a regular phone number. This would be perfect for lower-volume personalized messages. High volume broadcasts are likely to get blocked by carriers and raise red flags on that number/account.

[G+_Jogi Vyas]

Thank you Jeff Brand and Misha Manulis for the feedback! Best regards! Jogi Vyas