We often use terms without knowing too much about what they mean. For example, did you know that SMS stands for Short Messaging Service? Although other forms of communication (like WhatsApp and similar services) are on the rise, it doesn’t look like texting is going away soon. Large corporations even use them extensively for bulk messaging, and you’ve probably received them yourself. This brings us to another shortcut – an SMS API – and we’ll look at what that is below.
An application programming interface (API) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to communicate with each other by making the functionality of one computer program accessible to another computer program. The API itself is the programming code that allows two software products to transfer data. SMS API can connect an SMS sending service to the software your company is already using. This will enable you to automate the sending of SMS without human intervention.
While we use both SMS and the Internet in everyday life, the infrastructures used by both (telecommunications networks and the Internet) are not automatically connected. This is where SMS APIs bridge the gap between the two and allow web applications to receive or send SMS that they otherwise would not be able to. A standard protocol (also known as an API specification) is used to establish this connection.
SMS APIs are used to engage with customers in a very direct way. They can reach a wide audience quickly and are particularly useful for large companies that need to get information out to a large audience. Sending messages one at a time would be far too tedious, but with an SMS API service, you can send thousands of letters – and still do so in a specific time frame for maximum impact. Or you can link them to a particular event that triggers them, e.g. B., an order.
If you run a business that your customers can access 24/7, you need an SMS API unless you let your employees work 24/7! The SMS API service allows you to send notifications or information to your customers, even outside normal working hours.
Customers don’t have to wait for a response via email or any other form of communication; they receive an instant SMS, giving them peace of mind that everything is going. The benefit of an SMS API is that you don’t need to be connected to the Internet to keep in touch. Almost everyone has a mobile phone and can receive and check SMS messages . However, not everyone is online all the time, adding to the value of an SMS API service.
If you have ever received a one-time password (OTP) via SMS to gain access to a personal website, or an SMS from a store where you shopped to let you know if you have received loyalty points or confirmation of a booking or a doctor’s appointment, then you’ve experienced the convenience that an SMS API can bring to your life!