| Choose Mobile Data Service Providers and not Mobile | | | | Mobile Operator: Normally offer HTTP protocol with |
| Operators | | | | security gaps |
| This article gives a brief comparison between SMS | | | | 4. Support:- |
| Service / text messaging by Mobile Data Service | | | | MDSP: 24X7 efficient support with clear escalation |
| Provider (MDSP) and Mobile Operator (Mobile | | | | policy. Relevant people directly contactable, anytime. |
| Operator) SMS Service / text messaging service. The | | | | Mobile Operator: Support quality poor, bureaucratic |
| comparison is based on the top ten factors as | | | | leading to high turnaround time |
| identified in a study done by the author in various | | | | 5. Client applications:- |
| countries including US, UK, Germany, India and | | | | MDSP: Provides a range of client applications with rich |
| Singapore. The mean score of ranking of importance | | | | features for quick deployment |
| of each factor as identified is provided as below. | | | | Mobile Operator: Provide URL based SMS service |
| 1. Redundancy:- | | | | 6. SMS cost:- |
| MDSP: Connected to multiple operators leading to a | | | | MDSP: Low as Mobile Data Service Provider pass on |
| highly reliable service. | | | | the advantage of its large volume buying to its |
| Mobile Operator: Single operator service. No service if | | | | customers |
| operator network breaks down | | | | Mobile Operator: Likely to be high |
| 2. Scalability and Flexibility (in throughput):- | | | | 7. Online / real-time delivery report:- |
| MDSP: Highly flexible. Ramps up throughput at a short | | | | MDSP: Ensures delivery report at the user interface |
| notice | | | | OPT: If they provide delivery reports, it is on URL |
| Mobile Operator: Dependent on Operator policy. | | | | 8. Level of understanding of IT back-end systems:- |
| Normally, does not make any change for a specific | | | | MDSP: Very high |
| customer | | | | Mobile Operator: Very low |
| 3. Security:- | | | | 9. Business focus: - |
| MDSP: Transmitted using HTTPS protocol from client | | | | MDSP: Only mobile data services |
| application to Mobile Data Service Provider's Server | | | | Mobile Operator: Mainly voice |
| with a third party certification. | | | | 10. |