SMPP: An Introduction

SMPP v3.3 is the most widely employed protocol version, even after the release of later versions. What are some of the main differences? What can you do with SMPP?

For those new to the high-volume SMS arena, SMPP, or Short Message Peer-to-Peer, is a protocol that runs on top of TCP or X.25 on layer 4 of the OSI model. It is essentially used for the rapid transmission of SMS messages.

SMPP: A Short History

The SMPP protocol was created by a small Irish company, Aldiscon (currently Acision), which changed hands a couple of times after Aldiscon’s acquisition by Logica. At present the SMPP protocol is back in the hands of Acision, after being handed back by The SMS Forum prior to their disbanding. Since the initial acquisition of Aldiscon, who released v3.3 of the protocol at that stage, it has gone through a number of changes – the most recent release being v5.

Why Use SMPP?

Unlike some of the other Application Programming Interfaces (API’s), SMPP has been designed specifically for the bulk and rapid transmission of messages. This makes it ideal for real world applications where timing is of the essence. Additionally, built-in transmission acknowledgement ensures reliable message delivery each and every time.

Most importantly, however, is the fact that this protocol allows for easy, affordable and seamless integration into an existing software environment – making it possible to send SMS messages of any type from custom software applications.

Differences Between SMPP v3.3 and Later versions

• SMPP v3.3 is a proprietary protocol.
• Later versions support some additional parameters in their operation.
• SMPP v3.3 ID’s are numeric, while v3.4 and later IDs can be alphanumeric.
• While later versions make use of the data_sm field to send and receive messages, v3.3 relies on the submit_sm and deliver_sm to achieve the same functionality.
• Traditionally, v3.3 will require two separate TCP and SMPP sessions for sending and receiving. However, some providers allow use of the bind_transceiver field that allows for transmission and reception over a single protocol session.

Does Protocol Version Matter?

Taking some of the mentioned differences into account, it becomes apparent that it’s more a question of how the protocol is employed instead of what it can do. SMPP v3.3 allows for:

• Text, unicode, binary and flash messaging.
• Extended length messages.
• Messages transmission through any software environment (it’s language independent).
• Two-way messaging
• The transmission of sound files and images.

Using the above functionality, companies around the globe are employing SMPP to distribute time-critical alerts, implement two-way communication with customers and employees, distribute sales and product information (coupons, product images and descriptions), and much, much more.

For more information on the protocol and the PDU fields, simply click through to the SMPP guide.

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Tags: Developers API's, SMPP, SMPP API Connection, SMPP reliable SMS, SMPP SMS Gateway API, SMPP v3.3, Time-critical SMS