I want to receive and send cell phone SMS messages to/from
applications (that I write) in my PC. That is, I want to be able to
receive an SMS message into a C program or Perl script, do some
processing on it (say, look-up something in a data base), and then
send a reply via SMS. I know how to program to the sockets interface
(for TCP and UDP applications). Would a similar kind of simple send()
and recv() semantic exist for SMS?
In addition to the mechanics of an "SMS API", I also need to better
understand the cellular service side of the picture. Do I wirelessly
receive and send the messages (e.g., install a GSM modem in my server
PC), or can I receive and send via some Internet service? What are
the cost issues? How do I make my service available in multiple
cities?
I have read about SMS gateways (e.g., http://www.smseverywhere.com/
and others found here:
http://archive.devx.com/wireless/articles/SMS/SMSTools.asp). It seems
to me that these are all focused on sending SMS messages and can, at
most, support reply messages. I don?t see how a user can originate a
message to such a gateway and the message get to my PC and my service.
A good answer will point me to the resources (including web sites,
books, magazine articles, and example programs) that will enable me to
quickly build an SMS-based service to run on a server PC, to do so
economically, and to make it widely available. The kind of service I
want to offer is something like a dictionary... you type in a word on
your cell phone and send it to my service, I will then reply with the
definition of the word. My service should preferably be identified by
a single phone number that users can store in their telephone books
(in their cell phones).
Thanks! |
