Sending text messages to cell phones

[squash]

I have a client who wants to be able to automatically send a text
message to a cell phone after a user submits a form with a valid cell
phone number. Is this possible? Which websites provide this service, if
any? Is there an api for it?

[Adam Plocher]

I know many cell phone providers have email addresses (ex:
91********@cingular.com or something). but that won't help you for
multiple providers, unless you have the end-user specify which provider
they're using and you have a table in your database with providers and
their corresponding email addresses.

You might want to look at services like http://www.quios.com/. I'm not
too sure what their deal is, but they might offer a better email
system. I think email is the way to go though, there should be a
service that will do what you need...

Check this out too, maybe this will help:
http://www.cellular.co.za/email_to_sms_gateways.htm according to this
page that Quios thing is free. I'm not seeing any free stuff on their
website though..

[kevincw01]

These days there are not that many providers within the US with all the
mergers taking place. I would agree with Adam that you can just send
them an e-mail. Verizon is 10********@vzw.com I think. At first I was
thinking you could figure out which numbers are owned by which provider
and put that info in a table but with number portability, that concept
goes out the window. So, again, I'd tend to agree with Adam, ask for
the provider.

However, if you're serious about this and you have serious money then
you can buy a gsm or cdma pcmcia card.
(http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=GC75) Then sign up the card
for unlimited sms messages. Once it's activated, you can talk to these
cards using standard modem commands and send the sms through your cell
provider's network. To do this using php, you'd just execute a system
command for a shell script on the system with the card that does the
dirty work. Most cell providers allow for cross-provider sms messages
using only a phone number. I.e. send an sms from my verizon network to
someone on the sprint network.

This may seem like overkill, but it's how the big boys do it(minus the
php) and most likely how those e-mail-to-sms-gateways do it too.
-Kevin

[d]

"kevincw01" <ke*******@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:11**********************@g14g2000cwa.googlegr oups.com...

These days there are not that many providers within the US with all the
mergers taking place. I would agree with Adam that you can just send
them an e-mail. Verizon is 10********@vzw.com I think. At first I was
thinking you could figure out which numbers are owned by which provider
and put that info in a table but with number portability, that concept
goes out the window. So, again, I'd tend to agree with Adam, ask for
the provider.
Yup - portability kills that one. :(
However, if you're serious about this and you have serious money then
you can buy a gsm or cdma pcmcia card.
(http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=GC75) Then sign up the card
for unlimited sms messages. Once it's activated, you can talk to these
cards using standard modem commands and send the sms through your cell
provider's network. To do this using php, you'd just execute a system
command for a shell script on the system with the card that does the
dirty work. Most cell providers allow for cross-provider sms messages
using only a phone number. I.e. send an sms from my verizon network to
someone on the sprint network.
Or just get a cheap-ass old mobile phone and a serial connector. Less
hardware, cheaper costs :)
This may seem like overkill, but it's how the big boys do it(minus the
php) and most likely how those e-mail-to-sms-gateways do it too.
-Kevin
I can tell you most definitely, they do use that very technique, in a lot of
SMS-sending companies.