GFI FAXmaker for Exchange/SMTP Manual The SMS gateway • 133
The SMS gateway
Introduction to the SMS gateway
GFI FAXmaker 12 includes an e-mail to SMS/texting gateway,
allowing users to send SMS/text messages from Outlook. SMS is very
popular, and is increasingly used for business purposes as well.
What is SMS?
The Short Message Service (SMS) is the ability to send and receive
text messages to and from mobile telephones. The text can comprise
of words or numbers or an alphanumeric combination. SMS was
created as part of the GSM Phase 1 standard. The first short message
is believed to have been sent in December 1992 from a Personal
Computer (PC) to a mobile phone on the Vodafone GSM network in
the UK. Each short message is up to 160 characters is length when
Latin alphabets are used, and 70 characters in length when non-Latin
alphabets such as Arabic and Chinese are used.
SMS is mainly used in Europe & Asia, although its becoming
increasingly popular in the US.
Why use an SMS gateway?
SMS messages can be sent from any GSM mobile phone, as well as
from several internet based service providers. However, using a
central company SMS gateway has many advantages:
• Sending of messages from Outlook is much faster then from the
mobile phone.
• Sending of messages from Outlook allows you to use the outlook
contacts list.
• Sending of messages from Outlook allows you to keep a copy of
SMS messages sent.
• A web based SMS provider means additional administration costs
and means users will have to login to the service with their user
account. Additional steps for the user and additional administration
for the administrator.
• Because all SMS messages will be logged on the server, you can
ensure that sending of SMS messages will be used for business
purposes only
• Users will not use SMS to communicate with colleagues or
customers if they have to use their own mobile, because of the
charges involved.
Requirements of the SMS gateway
To use the SMS gateway, you need to:
