How to Embed SMS Wireless Messaging into ASP Applications

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<b>SMS Wireless Messaging</b><br>
SMS (Short Message Service) wireless messaging has exploded, allowing users throughout the world to send short messages, ringtones, logo graphics, and other information to cell phones and pagers. With 50 Billion messages sent in Quarter 1 of 2001, SMS has become commonplace in many countries.<br><br>
<b>Using SMS in ASP Applications</b><br>
However, it has not been easy to embed this functionality into ASP applications until now. Simplewire has made it easy for software developers to embed SMS into their ASP applications. There are countless applications where sending wireless messages is a useful tool. Websites can notify people of new events, customer information from a program can be relayed to subscribers, or sports scores and stock alerts can be transmitted to mobile users. Can your application benefit from this type of wireless messaging?<br><br>
<b>Simplewire helps you Embed SMS</b><br>
The following gives an example of how you may use Simplewire&#8217;s platform to embed SMS text-messaging into your ASP application. For more information, including how to send ringtones, logos and other features, join the Simplewire Developer Program at http://devprogram.simplewire.com and you will get lots of free resources to help you develop.<br><br>
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<li><b>STEP 1</b><br>
Download Simplewire&#8217;s ActiveX SMS Software Development Kit available for free when you join the Developer Program at http://devprogram.simplewire.com. The ActiveX SMS SDK will run inside ASP pages, Visual C++ Projects, Internet Explorer, Visual Basic, Delphi, Powerbuilder, Microsoft Office, or any other environment that support ActiveX COM objects. As a Developer Program Member you will also have access to the Java, Perl, PHP and Shared Object versions for other applications you may need to embed wireless messaging into.<br><br>
<li><b>STEP 2</b><br>
Set the parameters in your code as shown in the attached source code.<br><br>
<b>Subscriber ID and Password</b><br>
Your Subscriber ID and Password are obtained in an email when you join the Simplewire Developer Program.<br><br>
<b>sms.MsgPin</b><br>
The sms.MsgPin is the phone number of the pager or cell phone to which you are sending a message. It is the same number that you use to make a voice call to or send a page to the device. You must enter both the phone number, as well as country code or area code of the mobile device to which you are sending the message.<br><br>
<b>sms.MsgFrom</b><br>
The sms.MsgFrom is the area in which to specify the name of the person or company who is sending the message. This will be displayed in the message received by the mobile device, in order to let the receiver know the actual name of the person or company who sent the message.<br><br>
<b>sms.MsgCallback</b><br>
The sms.MsgCallback is the phone number at which the receiver may respond to your message. When the user receives the message, they will be able to hit send, and automatically dial the callback number that was specified. It is important to note that the callback number allows the receiver of the wireless message to initiate a voice call to the callback number, not another wireless message in reply. Furthermore, the callback number is not physically displayed in the message received by the mobile device. Only the From text and the Message text are actually displayed on the mobile device. The callback feature is not available on all networks.<br><br>
<b>sms.MsgText</b><br>
The sms.MsgText obviously represents the text of your message. It must be within the limits of the number of characters that the mobile device you are sending to can receive. This is usually between 140-160 characters, and varies depending on the network and mobile device hardware.<br><br>
<b>Testing on Virtual Mobile Phone</b><br>
Test on your Virtual Mobile Phone
In order to allow free testing, Simplewire will assign you a virtual mobile phone # to which you can send, and then view messages on your screen. You may even view the appearance of the message as it would look on a real phone, as pictured.<br><br>
<li><b>Congratulations!</b><br>
Once you have embedded the SMS Software Development Kit, and sent to your virtual phone, you have created a wireless messaging application!<br><br>
<b>Wireless Connectivity</b><br>
In order to now allow your application to send to mobile phones throughout the world, you have several options. You may work with the carriers (Sprint, France Telecom, BT Cellnet, etc.) Or you can use a gateway through a provider who has already set up connections to these networks. Simplewire offers such a network. Once you have your virtual mobile phone receiving messages, Simplewire can help you begin sending live messages.<br><br>
<b>Questions or Comments</b>
I hope that this tutorial has helped those of you who wish to embed wireless messaging into your ASP applications. If you have any questions, please contact me at devprogram@simplewire.com. One of the main reasons I love it at Simplewire is that we are developers and we love to work with developers to help them create all of the exciting new applications that will make our future. Looking forward to speaking with some of you.