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Everything you need to know about text messaging APIs
Image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/texting-mobile-phones-hands-two-1490691/
Text messaging is one of the most used means of communication in the world. There are more than five billion people using mobile devices in the world today. The number is expected to grow due to new mobile technologies that make them even more marketable. This makes text messaging a more reliable mode of communication compared to other applications that rely on the internet to send messages.
Businesses use text messages to communicate with their clients when marketing their products or addressing issues affecting the clients. However, even though text messaging is reliable, it can get a little bit tricky when sending bulk messages. It also gets difficult to track the messages and analyze the responses for future planning.
This is where text messaging APIs come in. They make text messaging simple, easy and help in reaching as many people as possible. Businesses want a communication tool that they can rely on when ensuring that messages are delivered efficiently, at a reasonable price and when required.
What is an SMS API?
An SMS API is a computing interface that connects applications to telecommunication network providers. It allows businesses to send text messages easily to all networks and comes with backup solutions.
Most SMS APIs are simple to use with their functionality being accessible to anyone with an application or those that can send HTTP requests. They make communication via text messaging cheaper and faster.
What to Look for in an SMS API
- Monitoring: When getting an SMS API, it is important to look at its monitoring features. Imagine a situation where you have to keep checking your inbox to see if you have new messages. This would be tiresome. You need to get an API that alerts you when you have new messages or any updates.
- Service Management: Your only interest in getting an SMS API might be sending text messages to your clients. However, as you continue using the API, you will realize that there are things you need like phonebook management, checking your account balance, and even price calculations. Even though you can do these things manually, it would be better to get an API that automates all these processes for you.
- Documentation and Ease of Use: Even though integrating an API into your application might not be a difficult task, some APIs come with many functionalities that might make them difficult to use. You need to go through the API’s documentation and even test the API to see if it is easy to use and if it meets your requirements.
Integrating an SMS API
Integrating an SMS API is straightforward and easy. Even though some coding might be needed, a junior developer should be able to do it within a short period of time.
But how does it work? When a company wants to send a text message using an API, a request is made to the API to alert the provider. The message is then translated to mobile network readable protocols and finally, the correct operator receives it.
After that, delivery status reports, as well as error reports (in case there are errors), are sent back to the API provider for translation into a structure that can be understood by the application that sent the original request.
Conclusion
It is important to look for SMS API providers that can help you with integration when you have any issues. This is where most people spent most of their time because a provider is as important as the API itself. Once you get the right provider, integration should be easy and straightforward, and within no time, you will be able to reap the benefits brought by the use of a text messaging API.