SMS messages are transferred between mobile phones via a Short Message Service Center. The SMSC is software that resides in the operators network and manages the processes including queuing the messages, billing the sender and returning receipts if necessary. Many operators now offer web based interfaces to their SMSC so we can send short messages to any mobile phone from the web. Some websites now offer free SMS.
With Premium SMS, the recipient is charged a premium for either receiving or sending a message, usually in return for content or a service. Service providers usually offer dedicated and shared (Keyword) shortcodes that can be set up quickly with the maximum pay-out.
The Short Message Peer to Peer (SMPP) protocol is an open, industry standard protocol designed to provide a flexible data communications interface for transfer of short message data between a Message Center, such as a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), GSM Unstructured Supplementary Services Data (USSD) Server or other type of Message Centerand a SMS application system, such as a WAP Proxy Server, EMail Gateway or other Messaging Gateway.
Most SMS providers offer a simple interface to send SMS messages to your clients around the globe: HTTP.