NZ SMS API Provider

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openmedia

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#699629 11-Oct-2012 12:29

Ragnor:
openmedia:

Bulletin are based in NZ and have local connections with all the carriers. There shouldn't be any issues with number ports.

Isn't it a US company with a local offices around the place including NZ?

Good that they have local connections though.

14c USD per message
https://www.bulletin.net/pricing.html

Their head office is US, but all their geek is in NZ.

11c US or 14.1c NZ

Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.

CYaBro

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#699659 11-Oct-2012 13:15

nate:
sbiddle: The best approach is to deploy your own solution.

I would disagree. Commercial gateways have speed and reliability on their side. Power/network outage at your place and your GSM modem is out for the count.

CYaBro: They allowed us to set the sender ID as our business name so when a text arrives on a phone it just has our company name and no number associated with it.

Try sending a message to an 027. Telecom replace the sender ID with a +44 number. If you txt a ported number, the message also doesn't go through.

Unfortunately you can't have cheap and reliable. Pick one.

Like sbiddle, I rolled my own GSM gateway and wrote some custom software to run it. Currently it sits on a Vodafone Prepay sim, and I pay .25 cents per message ($12/5000 txt).

More info here.

Haven't had an issue yet that I'm aware of, at least no one has said anything to us about not getting the texts (and we do ask) or saying that it came from a +44 number.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

MurrayM

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#699681 11-Oct-2012 13:57

CYaBro: We use Clickatell ourselves to send job updates to customers from our job tracking system.
Costs bugger all to send a text, can't remember exactly but I think it's around 5c per text depending on which network you are sending to.

I used Clickatell when building a website for a plumber and they wanted people to be able to submit urgent plumbing jobs that then get texted directly to a plumber. Works really well, cheap as chips and never had any problems.

coldstone

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#699744 11-Oct-2012 15:33

Why Telcos block SMS from an Local number orgiinating from an international gateway

There are multiple reasons but i wanted to give a few i those out there

a) often the A-number owner has not authorized the use
b) There can be issues with the unsolicited messages act and as such Telcos have to protect themselves from abuse as the onus is on the operator
c) Having these open in the past has lead to spam and flodding attacks (DOS attacks in essence) this can destroy international signalling networks and lead to the stopping of ligitimate service- Roaming, International SMS, International inbound and outbound calling- think back a few months
d) the termination comes to the end network generally with NO inpayment- so this increases the cost on the network with no reveune
e) why should A2P intergrators get FREE service when customers pay?
f) Also please note the Ts and Cs in most mnobile agreements state the devices that the sims can be put in- sim boxs and GSM gateways are generalyl barred mainly for good reasons including network security
g) Mostly you cannot prove or see if the message was delivered using this method so no use for any vital communication
h) Number portability means it will not always work if using this method.
Also- If you have a SIM BOX or LARGE GSM gateway in the house next to you it can affect your services.

None of these alone are the one issue but when you combine these along with a larger raft of technical issues and the DOS like attacks on mobile networks i hope it helps explain the reasons they have

freitasm

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#699756 11-Oct-2012 15:46

Of all the SMS I have received with spam - offering lottery prizes, asking for information etc, none had a New Zealand number. They all had overseas numbers.

Saying inbound SMS from overseas with a NZ number is spam is contrary to what I've seen around.

coldstone

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#699852 11-Oct-2012 18:17

Agree most if not all spam is from offshore numbers. But they are also from one operators sim but another countries global title or SMSC and as such are looked for. (this is how the spammers avoid paying) if it was always free a telco would be inundated as everyone would use this method.

for example an +61 sim sending a sms from nigeria.

as such mobile operators look for this and block it (hopefully) but the spammers are smart and so migrate to the path of least resistance - local number from a foriegn network.

Just like those sending email spam.

So the service/option could not be opened as it would flood a network.

Just information ratger than an opinion.

coldstone

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#699855 11-Oct-2012 18:18

Sorry written on a mobile. apologise for the spelling and grammer.

Equinox IT

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wsnz

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#700029 12-Oct-2012 09:06

sbiddle: The "not too expensive" pretty much ruled out every solution on the market.

The best approach is to deploy your own solution. Buy a ~$50 GSM modem and nowsms and deploy your own gateway. I've run my own SMS gateway using nowsms for about 6 or 7 years now.

Except this is often expressly forbidden by telco's.

freitasm

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#700030 12-Oct-2012 09:09

Where does it say it?

coldstone

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#700044 12-Oct-2012 09:36

From 2degrees Ts and Cs-

Under the fair use policy the connection of GSM gateways and Sim box's are prohibited-

http://www.2degreesmobile.co.nz/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=0f91803a-fc64-44fe-af46-3153e84075eb&groupId=10128

"For the avoidance of doubt, fair use of our Services excludes activities such as auto-dialling, continuously call forwarding, tele-marketing, call centres and use of Cellular Trunking Units (including SIM boxes and GSM gateways).

I havent looked but i bet Telecom and Voda have the same provisions

nate

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#700128 12-Oct-2012 11:34

coldstone: I havent looked but i bet Telecom and Voda have the same provisions

They do.

icepicknz

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#701028 14-Oct-2012 16:54

We have an API: http://websms.co.nz/web2sms.php . If you want your messages guaranteed simply add premium=1 and it will be delivered via NZ carriers rather than going best effort least cost around the world.

Cheers
Barry

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Vibe Communications LTD - Business ISP and Wholesale Carrier

Any comments made by myself don't reflect the views of my employer, they are mine and mine alone

snowfly

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#702338 17-Oct-2012 10:05

Barry, do you offer a free trial service? I'm interested in the premium delivery method.

I have trialled 3 different SMS providers with API's, and none of them so far have been 100% reliable:

Kiwilink:
Out of 9 test messages, 4 came through within 1-2 minutes, 2 came through within 10 minutes, 2 came 24 hours later! And one didn't even arrive.
http://kiwilink.co.nz/sms.php

Bulletin.net:
Test message via the web tool worked (arrived within 1 min)
2 messages sent via the Bulletin Messenge HTTP API sent successfully (received XML response), but never arrived. Interestingly my bulletin account balance never decreased?
Also when trying to verify my mobile via Bulletin, the confirmation code never arrived!!
https://www.bulletin.net

One Way SMS:
Sent 3 messages via HTTP API, 2 arrived within 1-2 minutes, the 3rd never arrived. (onewaysms report for 3rd message still shows Status = 'Sent To Telco')
www.onewaysms.co.nz

Overall very hit and miss.
Unfortunatelly the success/failure ratio is not good enough for what I was hoping, as I was going to plug this into Nagios for server monitoring, and into a Customer Support Ticket system, for alerting staff on new tickets.

If up to 30% of the SMS messages never come through, this would have a serious effect on trying to monitor servers and support tickets.
And yes I am happy to pay for a web based SMS gateway, if only this was reliable. (my preference over using a "roll your own" GSM modem system)

By the way I have an 021 xxx xxx number (6 digits), that is ported to 2 Degrees.
So what is up with SMS delivery in NZ to 2 Degrees??

MurrayM

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#702342 17-Oct-2012 10:11

You're never going to get 100% delivery rates with SMS, I've learnt this the hard way! I now rate SMS about the same as email as far as delivery rates are concerned.

freitasm

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#702346 17-Oct-2012 10:21

SMS *is not* guaranteed. SMS *should not* be used for time sensitive communications where ACK is required - that's what voice calls are for.

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