Cheap bulk SMS gateway
In covering cheap bulk sms gateway, there are three major factors that need to be considered namely the cheap cost aspect, the distribution in sms in quantity aspect, and the gateway aspect.
Taking all these three factors into consideration, a business needs to look at what it requires from a sms provider. Cheap in terms of low cost per text message and that may mean a loss in reliability because the use of hybrid telecommunication carrier(s) that are from overseas facilities. The use of companies with less sophisticated API platforms that do not have the capacity to easily convert your message into sms through a gateway system as promptly as expected. And thirdly, the economies of scale in that the charge for large volumes may be cheaper but the low to medium volumes may cost more per sms.
Deciding on a cheap bulk sms gateway does very much depend on the gateway used by the bulk sms provider. There are two types of telecommunication carriers that bulk sms gateway providers use. The more expensive gateway is known as the Premium or Tier 1 gateway and uses a telecommunications carrier that comes from American networks such as Telstra, Vodafone or Optus. These companies charge more for the use of their network service but they are more reliable, and safer to use. If there is a need for immediacy, near 100% reliability, able to move large volumes of sms at any one time and has a good level of privacy, then this is the right sms gateway for you.
Alternatively, the cheaper version is a hybrid or grey gateway that uses overseas and American telecommunication carriers to do the job of reaching the customer or the person. It will use the cheapest route available and is good for marketing or promotional campaigns were time poor is not an issue and delivery may take up to minutes, hours or possibly a day to reach the recipient mobile phone.
Cheap International SMS Gateway
On deciding on engaging a cheap international SMS gateway provider, one needs to consider a number of elements before venturing into overseas sms companies. This is not saying that such overseas companies are not good because they happen to offer a cheap rate for sms distribution. It is saying that factors that need to be also considered are:
- the speed to which the text message will be sent;
- the reliability of sending a sms at the required time and to the required person;
- the security of the database list of persons provided;
- the accessibility of contacting a customer centre and global time difference should something need attention or change; and finally
- the volume of text messaging that will have different rate cards.
Having made the reader aware of all the above factors to be considered there needs to be consideration made as to the cheap international gateway provider’s carrier. There are different types of telecommunication carriers used in the overseas gateway services. Some of the international sms providers may use a carrier direct, sometimes known as a premium, gateway service which offers a more reliable and efficient service but at a higher cost per sms sent.
Alternatively, other global sms providers may use a cheaper version called a hybrid or grey gateway service to reach customers, clients, stakeholders and employees. This uses various telecommunication carriers from different countries at a cheaper rate but with less assurance that the sms will reach the end mobile user on time, in the same format as was released and with the same level of privacy. The hybrid version is the cheapest route that will be used. If there is no urgency, like promotions, marketing campaigns or providing general information, and requiring larger volumes to be distributed, then cheap international sms gateway providers are possibilities.
Simply summarising the difference between the direct and hybrid gateways, if there is a need for time reliant sms and sms alerts then Direct Gateway is your better option. If sending out large or bulk volumes of sms at any one time for marketing or information campaigns, then hybrid is a cheaper way.
Due to the large number and range of international sms gateway providers from various countries that are available to service your needs, a list of best value was difficult to assess because of the need to consider the points outlined above rather than on price alone.
Cheap bulk SMS gateway comparison on price
From the range of cheap bulk sms gateway providers in USA, a selection of reputable ones were selected because they could offer a range of gateway features that will ensure good distribution, cheap rates and reliability. It was reviewed from a charge per sms on a monthly basis that ClickSend and Message Bird offered the best value compared to other reputable American and overseas sms gateway providers. The graph below summarised the range of fee offers that has been evaluated taking into account the small. medium and large volumes of sms distributed per month.
Cheap bulk sms gateway comparison on reliability
From the perspective of uptime reliability and latency (time) there is a wide range of issues that need to be assessed using the sms gateway system that are available by each provider. The features that should be considered include:
- Timeliness of a text message being sent;
- The content being private and confidential;
- Being SPAM compliant;
- The ability for sms to be returned i.e. two-way communication system;
- Notification and report of when sms is delivered; and
- Reasons for sms distribution whether it be for urgency sake or for non-urgent marketing and promotional campaigns.
On that basis, the graphical representation of a number of cheap bulk sms providers is shown below.
It needs to be emphasised that you should always assess value for money on the basis of cost but need to be provided with an uptime SLA of 99.95% or money back guarantee and that all sms are distributed swiftly and on time and that a reporting system is available for you to scrutinise.
Cheap SMS gateway API
From the analysis and review of numerous reputable and reliable cheap sms gateway APIs, one must understand the need for a sophisticated and valuable API. When discussing an API, one is referring to an Application Programming Interface, which is a software intermediary that allows two different applications to communicate with each other in a meaningful way. API is the conduit or messenger that allows your requirement to be made into a communication form that will deliver the sms and be able to reply back to you so as to know that all have gone well. As you can see, APIs will have a significant impact on your business or your organisation in sending out efficiently and effectively text messages.
There are expensive and cheap APIs platforms around and therefore you are encouraged to scrutinize as to which cheap sms gateway provider will do the job for you. Many of them have flexible integration abilities which will mean that your business will be able to integrate mobile phone messaging seamlessly into the provider’s normal way of operating. In such cases the API platform can easily integrate into businesses applications, websites, intranets, CRMs and other software. This means real-time text messaging capacity.
All this information leads to the fact that reliability of gateway API will assist in the effective distribution of sms at any one time at the cheapest way possible. A range of reliable cheap SMS gateway providers were assessed and it was seen from an American business perspective, that SMS Global, ClickSend and Burst SMS were all rated as very high on the scale of 0 to 100 based on their uptime SLAs, the sophisticated and well versed APIs, and their easy integration processes with businesses.
About Cheap SMS Gateway comparison table and site
The SMS Gateway Comparison Table and associated Site was developed for your use without any fee or charge. It was prepared and now presented to you as a service to make it easier for you to know better about all the features of sms gateway providers. The authors, who were experts in the sms field but no longer are involved in that domain, felt there was a lack of clarity and some difficulty in knowing which sms providers were good. This is the reason for providing simple presented information to make your life easier.
The comparison table has been produced from the details available on sms gateway website providers. Should there be any parts of the information that is different from their sites, please let the authors know so that changes can be made as soon as possible.
As mentioned above, the comparison site and table is free of charge. However should you use the site and then engage one of the gateway sms providers, then the authors may ask a commission from the sms provider.
It is hoped that the information will be valuable to you and your business.
Latest update on 13 December 2017