Detailed Product Description

Viral SMS Gateway is an application that serves Internet content to mobile subscribers using SMS messaging. The SMS Gateway connects to an SMSC (Short Message Service Center) on one side, and connects to applications on the Internet or on local server on the other side. Thus, Viral SMS gateway functions as a "gateway" between the GSM network and the local/internet server, providing Internet information to mobile subscribers using SMS messaging.

The applications are primarily URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), which could be deployed on the same machine, or on a machine in the same LAN, or even on a remote machine on a WAN. These URLs are accessed by the gateway, using the standard HTTP protocol. 

Each of these URLs is identified by a unique keyword, which is configured by the administrator. Thus, for providing news services, an administrator could configure a keyword called "jokes" and map the same with a URL say, jokes [dot] com. When a user sends the keyword, "jokes", the gateway makes an HTTP request to the remote URL, fetches the content, formats it and sends it back to user.

Viral SMS Gateway is currently available as three versions - A Carrier version, an Enterprise Version and Full Grown SMSC Enterprise Version. The Carrier SMS Gateway is targeted at Mobile Network Providers, the Enterprise SMS Gateway is targeted at small enterprises wishing to provide SMS Services to their customers, independent of the mobile network provider. The full SMSC version is targeted to Content Distributors who wish to provide SMSC capabilities for other content providers, who can connect to their gateway and get/distribute content dynamically.

SMS Applications can be built by interfacing them to an SMSC, which is the central component in an SMS network. However there are many SMSCs and each vendor's SMSC supports its own protocol. Standard protocols are not widely used and application complexity increases due to these diverse protocols platforms and environments.

A Viral SMS Gateway hides these complexities by translating SMSC specific protocols into industry standard HTTP format. The use of web-based environment for SMS applications also means that most standard HTML web-applications can be adapted easily to start providing services over SMS.
In addition to the SMS Gateway, Viral also offers its SMS Client that can enable mobile devices to send and receive SMS Messages.

Key Features 

KEY WORD
The applications are primarily URLs that are accessed by the gateway, using the standard HTTP protocol. Each of these URLs is identified by a unique keyword, which is configured by the administrator. 

Thus, for providing news services, an administrator could configure a keyword called "jokes" and map the same with a URL say, www [dot] jokes [dot] com. When a user sends the keyword, "jokes", the gateway makes an HTTP request to the remote URL, fetches the content, formats it and sends it back to user.

Aliases
An application can be identified by a set of additional keywords which basically give end users the flexibility to access applications. 
Thus an application for sports can be configured to a keyword as "cricket", and also a set of aliases like "crket", "cric", "cricketinfo", etc. provided that the alias is itself not a keyword or an alias for some other application.

Enable Application
A configured application can be enabled or disabled at any time. Disabling an application will make it inaccessible to subscribers, although it is available on the SMS Gateway. Administrator can use this feature to temporarily stop a service, without deleting the service permanently. 

Application Launch Date
Thus a service can be configured much before they are actually available. The SMS Gateway makes the service automatically available at the specified date and time without any intervention. Special services like contests, polls, sports tournaments or exhibitions that start and last for a limited time can thus be configured.

Application Expiry Date
This field is similar to the Launch Date parameter, except that it identifies the date beyond which this request will be not be serviced. 

BULK MESSAGING
User based bulk messaging with user accounts for authentication. Controlled bulk messaging quota on per-user basis.

Bulk Messaging from File
Messages can be sent in bulk to intended numbers provided in a given file.

Bulk Message from Range
Messages can be sent to a range of phone numbers. Thus you could specify 9322212225- 9322212250, 9322212275 - 9322212300 which will send messages to numbers falling in the specified range (50 phone numbers in this example).

Multiple SMSC Support and SMSC Configuration
The gateway can simultaneously support multiple SMSCs on multiple protocols. Thus you could have an SMSC A communicating using over the SMPP protocol, while SMSC B communicates over the CIMD protocol simultaneously. There is currently no limit to the number of SMSCs that can be configured for the SMS Gateway.

PULL APPLICATIONS AND CONFIGURATION
PULL applications refer to those applications that are configured on the SMS Gateway, and are invoked by the SMS Gateway, on receiving a message from the subscriber. The first word in the message is referred to as the "keyword". Each keyword is mapped to specific URL on the gateway. 

SUPPORTS

• Supports HTML, XML text messages

• Supports binary messaging (Smart messaging, EMS, WAP Push, OTA, and MMS Notifications

• Supports EMI(UCP) and CIMD2 and SMPP 3.3 and 3.4 protocols

• Supports GSM AT command sets for using GSM modems.