| SMPP, or Short Message Peer-to-Peer, is a | | | | How SMPP Works |
| telecommunication's protocol that allows for the | | | | SMPP operates on the transport layer of the OSI |
| transfer of Short Message Service (SMS) messages | | | | model (layer 4). This means it can utilise either TCP |
| between hosts. SMPP is rarely responsible for | | | | or X.25 SVC3 to exchange its binary request |
| delivering SMS messages directly to destination | | | | response Protocol Data Units (PDUs) with other |
| mobile phones - it's predominantly used between 3rd | | | | hosts. In terms of data exchange, SMPP may be |
| party entities (businesses etc.) and bulk SMS | | | | synchronous or asynchronous. |
| aggregators to send and receive SMS messages. | | | | - Synchronous: With synchronous messaging each |
| SMPP - A Short Background | | | | peer must wait for a response on the PDU sent. |
| As you may have read on the internet, SMPP was | | | | - Asynchronous: Instead of having to wait for a |
| originally designed by an Irish company called Aldiscon. | | | | response on each PDU, responses for PDUs being |
| In 1999 SMPP was handed over to the SMS Forum | | | | sent are sent back to the sending peer in batches. |
| which has since then been disbanded. | | | | Who Should Use SMPP? |
| There have been numerous versions of SMPP since | | | | As a result of the permanent connection between |
| its inception. Even though the latest version is v5.0, | | | | the organisation or business and the bulk SMS |
| v3.3 is the most commonly used. One key difference | | | | provider, SMPP connections are more often than not |
| between SMPP v3.3 and later is that v3.3 requires a | | | | rather costly to maintain. As such bulk SMS providers |
| separate socket connection to both send and receive | | | | (also known as aggregators) impose a limit on the |
| data. Certain bulk message service providers do | | | | amount of messages to be sent through the |
| however provide versions of v3.3 where the | | | | connection on a monthly basis. |
| BIND_TRANSCEIVER field is available, which means | | | | SMPP is therefore suited to large businesses that |
| that a single socket connection is needed to both | | | | need high volume messaging that is reliable, fast and |
| send and receive messages. | | | | time-critical. |