Building a text message web app

[Daringescape]

Does anyone have any experience or knowledge on building a web (or executable) app that sends text messages over the internet without knowing the carrier of the cell phone number? (i.e. no need to add the @att.net etc. at the end of the phone number)

Any help would be appreciated - I am doing some research for a class and am having a hard time finding any info out there.

 

[angelwatt]

I know Google has set that type of thing up on some off its apps and I've also seen some cell phone web sites that let you send messages from the site itself. What it's using on the backend I'm not sure though. One keyword you maywant to use on your searches is SMS.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=sms+web+app&btnG=Google+Search

 

[OutThere]

Sending an email to cellnumber@teleflip.com works regardless of cell provider, though the text will have a little blurb on it saying that it was sent through teleflip.com.

 

[Me1000]

teleflip would be best, but if you wanted to write your own you could just have a text field for the user to enter the number, then a dropdown list of carriers (for the person you are sending it to) then use PHP to send an email...

teleflip is nice because because it will figure out the carrier for you...

 

[Daringescape]

What teleflip does is exactly what I am trying to figure out - how do they figure out the carrier? - I suppose I could just use php to send an email to all the carriers and it would go through on one of them.... but that seems messy

 

[Me1000]

What teleflip does is exactly what I am trying to figure out - how do they figure out the carrier? - I suppose I could just use php to send an email to all the carriers and it would go through on one of them.... but that seems messy

I wouldnt be surprised if most services out there just emailed the text the carriers. That would be the easiest and "cleanest" way for them, otherwise you would be writing classes of code to interface your software with something that can send texts... seems counterproductive to me when you already have the technology in place take care of by the carriers.

I suppose teleflip could just have an array of numbers (the first 3 after the area code you know) which correspond the carrier name, aren't those unique to the carrier? That is just pure speculation though...

 

[Daringescape]

I wouldnt be surprised if most services out there just emailed the text the carriers. That would be the easiest and "cleanest" way for them, otherwise you would be writing classes of code to interface your software with something that can send texts... seems counterproductive to me when you already have the technology in place take care of by the carriers.

I suppose teleflip could just have an array of numbers (the first 3 after the area code you know) which correspond the carrier name, aren't those unique to the carrier? That is just pure speculation though...

Because of number portability - those numbers can be anything now.... Im still stuck.

 

[Me1000]

Because of number portability - those numbers can be anything now.... Im still stuck.

That's a good point...

I think you had it right by sending it to all the carriers.
Im sure the carries wouldnt like it if they got mass emails like that, but as I see it you dont have any choice. You would need to tie into some API which would find the carrier for you... I mean you could always shoot an email to telewhatever and ask them, but you'll probably just get a "this is a trade secret" response. though it cant hurt...

 

[jamesarm97]

I think they way some of those sites / companies work is that they have a link to an SMS gateway. Another way I have seen it done is have a server with a cell modem attached and you just originate the text message from the server using the AT commands used for sending SMS. The other was is like what was mentioned, having a list of carriers, then knowing how to send the message using post / get commands on their websites. The last method is to send via SNPP which is pretty simple, similar to SMTP and WCTP which is complex.