In a day of increasing technology, there are many new types of communication like text messaging and text marketing that includes SMS, SMTP and SMPP. Each of these various types of text message services have different definitions.
To understand the difference and how each messaging type works, one must know what each of the various messaging acronyms stand for:
- SMS: Short Message Service
- SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
- SMPP: Short Message Peer to Peer
In reference to how these systems work in the text message marketing industry, SMS uses short code as a way of transmission. This is regulated by the various cell phone providers and the Federal Trade Commission. SMTP works by the use of an email gateway, which is attached to every cell phone number with the wireless carrier as the domain name to send the text messages. SMTP is similar in the way it uses short code transmissions to send messages. However, SMTP is able to work through a loophole in the regulated system that allows for text marketing companies to use this as a way of sending unlimited text marketing. Deliveries of SMTP text messages are sketchy at best and wireless carriers are constantly shutting these gateways down. Text message marketing companies utilizing SMTP text messaging services can be fined from the FTC along with the text message providers themselves.
The Differences in SMS, SMPP, and SMTP
- SMS Text Messaging – is currently the most widely used data application in the world with over 2.4 billion users. SMS text messages are often used by businesses to generate marketing and information transmission between the company and the mobile subscriber for a variety of services including marketing, promotions, emergency alerts and entertainment services.
- SMPP Messaging – is the actual protocol for sending SMS text messages between peer entities like short message service centers. It is used to allow service providers like news organizations and text marketing companies to submit messages in mass format to individuals. The protocol is based on pairs of request and respond Protocol Data Units exchanged over connections.
- SMTP Messaging – is a message system used to send e-mail messages from computer to computer. It is a text-based protocol much like SMPP. However, it is “push” based meaning that information cannot be “pulled” or retrieved from the server. A message is sent successfully via SMTP by the operation of the SMTP server, which verifies the message configuration and grants permission to the computer that is attempting to send the text message. The one limitation to SMTP is its inability to authenticate the sender, which can result in message spamming.
Text messaging has made a significant impact on the marketing industry and those that utilize text message marketing services will see continued results given that they use the system correctly.