The Small Business SMPP Problem: Finding Developers

Small businesses might be able to make good use of application programming interfaces like SMPP - but only if they are able to implement them. Is integrated SMS text messaging still closed to those with no technical expertise at hand?

If you think about it, the average small business, travel agencies for instance, might be able to make good use of SMPP. In any one month one could imagine that they send out a number of messages which include, but are not limited, to the following situations:

• Order confirmations
• Payment requests
• Payment receipt confirmations
• Flight details
• SMS-based check-in tickets
• Hotel details
• Etc.

As you can see the list can get pretty long, and it’s all in the name of good customer service. It works, too, but only for the big boys who have access to their own development teams or the odd smaller firm who has access to someone’s nephew who, as it happens, is ace at his C or java and capable of implementing SMPP.

But many businesses do not have a nephew hidden away somewhere, and will therefore miss out on the benefit of powerful SMS integration, and perhaps even more business. Is this the end of the road for them until SMS has become so widely used that finding the correct 3^rd party application or plugin is easier than it is now?

This is actually a real dilemma facing the very small business or start-ups that would benefit greatly from SMS, especially since mobile penetration is on the increase all around the world. What would you recommend?

Below are a couple of viable options, some that require a bit of money, and others that require slightly more effort to operate than the integrated SMS solution. To clarify, by an ‘integrated SMS solution’ I refer to a system that sends SMS text messages automatically with the minimum amount of user input.

1. Finding the right software to use.

3^rd Party software applications are plentiful. The downside, however, is that they require not only a fair amount of technical knowledge to implement, but they also require a certain level of SMPP know-how for optimal usage.

2. Freelance Developers

Freelance developers can provide companies of any size with the required solution to integrate an SMS into their current business procedure. However, to be fair on the business, it’s necessary to caution that finding the right freelance developer isn’t always such an easy task; will they be able to do a proper job, are they expensive and what is their support or maintenance like?

So what’s the Small Business SMPP Solution?

Seeing as the main reason for small businesses to use SMPP is to cater for their message volume requirements, one should perhaps consider that other APIs are better suited to those businesses that do not have their own internal development teams or the necessary infrastructure. Here’s a short API cheat sheet to help small businesses make the API decision:

So using the above flowchart, which of the mentioned options will be the easiest to implement? Although, personally, SMPP is the best choice for high message volumes, the above should help you make the right API or even application, with regards to Communicator, decision.

But, if you’re like me and a die-hard fan of the Short Message Peer-to-Peer protocol, read more about it on our SMPP page.

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