Terminology

10DLC

10DLC is an abbreviation for 10 Digit Lo...

10DLC is an abbreviation for 10 Digit Long Code and is one of the options for those who want to send A2P SMS traffic in North America where a virtual number is a requirement. The 10DLC is a 10-digit number which functions as an approved sender ID, i.e. the number the recipient will see in the sender field. A 10DLC number is suitable for sending SMS traffic on a regular basis, e.g. two-factor codes, reminders and order confirmations. To learn more about 10DLCs and how to acquire one, read our blog post here.

A2P Messaging

A2P stands for Application-to-Person, me...

A2P stands for Application-to-Person, meaning A2P messaging refers to mobile messages sent from an application to a mobile phone. A2P messages are essentially all messages sent from a device other than a mobile phone with a SIM card to a mobile device. These messages are primarily sent by an enterprise or public organization to a customer’s or citizen’s device.

API

API is short for Application Programming...

API is short for Application Programming Interface and is used to connect applications in order for them to exchange information. An SMS API thus ensures that different services can connect in order to perform an action, e.g. for an SMS to be automatically sent when a user has booked a table at a restaurant. Read here for more details on our SMS APIs. 

CPaaS

A Communications Platform-as-a-Service (...

A Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) is a cloud-based platform that enables you to add communication services to your application without you needing to build your own backend infrastructure. GatewayAPI is an example of a CPaaS that offers multiple communication services via APIs.

DLR (Delivery Report)

A Delivery Report (DLR) is part of the S...

A Delivery Report (DLR) is part of the SMS flow and provides a status on whether the individual SMS messages have been delivered or there have been complications hindering their delivery. For an overview of what the different message statuses mean, see our article on the matter here.

GSM-7

GSM-7 is a character encoding standard w...

GSM-7 is a character encoding standard which covers the most common characters used in many languages. To learn more about how this type of encoding affects the character limit for SMS messages, see our article here.

HLR Lookup / Number Lookup

The HLR (Home Location Register) Lookup ...

The HLR (Home Location Register) Lookup is a central database used to check if a number is authorized to use the GSM core network. Using Number Lookup in this way means that it is possible to check whether a number is valid or invalid before trying to send messages to it. In other words you make sure that you don’t waste time or money sending SMS traffic to invalid numbers.

Kannel

Kannel is a widely used open source WAP ...

Kannel is a widely used open source WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and SMS gateway, actually one of the most popular open source SMS gateways available. To learn more about Kannel, check out our documentation here.

Keyword

Keywords are used for two-way communicat...

Keywords are used for two-way communication and function as the word or phrase that your user can text to your short code to perform an action, e.g. confirm a choice or donate money. You can read more about acquiring keywords here.

MCC (Mobile Country Code)

A Mobile Country Code (MCC) is a predete...

A Mobile Country Code (MCC) is a predetermined three digit number, used in wireless telephone networks (such as CDMA, GSM, UMTS, etc.) to identify which country a mobile subscriber belongs to.

MNC

A Mobile Network Code (MNC) is a two or ...

A Mobile Network Code (MNC) is a two or three digit number which can identify a mobile network in a given country.

MNO

MNO stands for Mobile Network Operator, ...

MNO stands for Mobile Network Operator, referring to a telecommunication company that provides services to mobile phone subscribers.

MO SMS (Mobile Originated SMS Message)

Mobile Originated SMS messages (MO SMS) ...

Mobile Originated SMS messages (MO SMS) are mobile messages sent from a user’s mobile device and delivered to either another mobile device or an application.

MSISDN

Mobile Station International Subscriber ...

Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number (MSISDN) is a unique number to identify GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) or UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) mobile network subscribers. Each MSISDN belongs to a single SIM card, meaning it is the number one can call or send an SMS to.

MT SMS (Mobile Terminated SMS Message)

Mobile Terminated SMS messages (MT SMS) ...

Mobile Terminated SMS messages (MT SMS) are messages delivered to a mobile phone. They can be routed from either a mobile device or an application.

Multichannel marketing

Multichannel marketing means using sever...

Multichannel marketing means using several different channels to contact your customers, whether potential or existing. It can cover both online and offline channels, e.g. a combination of SMS marketing, social media and printed media. The goal is to meet the customer on their preferred channel.

Omnichannel marketing

Omnichannel marketing covers the same co...

Omnichannel marketing covers the same concept as multichannel marketing in many ways, but rather than just utilizing several channels, this type of marketing aims to provide the user with a consistent and seamless experience across all channels.

OTP SMS

One Time Passwords (OTPs) are a type of ...

One Time Passwords (OTPs) are a type of a two-factor authentication, used to heighten security in a login process. A system automatically generates a unique single-use password and sends it to the user’s phone number via SMS.

P2P Messaging

P2P (Person-to-Person) messaging is the ...

P2P (Person-to-Person) messaging is the process of sending SMS messages between two mobile subscribers. It is the type of texting that takes place when people message friends or family over various chat services.

RCS

Rich Communication Services (RSC) combin...

Rich Communication Services (RSC) combines the reach of the SMS with the features of chat apps to provide a more interactive experience for the users. It can be used for both P2P and A2P communication, as it is an IP-based messaging service provided through mobile operator networks. Not all operators provide RCS, but when they do, it is native to the customer’s phone and does not require downloading the same way many apps do.

Sender ID (alphanumeric or numeric)

A Sender ID is what your recipients will...

A Sender ID is what your recipients will see in the “from” section at the top of the SMS. It can either be a name (alphanumeric) of up to 11 characters or just a number (numeric) of up to 15 characters. For more details on both types of Sender IDs and their possibilities and limitations, see our article here.

Short code vs Long code

Short codes are also known as virtual nu...

Short codes are also known as virtual numbers and are primarily used for two-way communication. A short code is a four-digit number whereas a long code is a standard full length phone number. A short code/long code enables the recipients of your message to text back to that number. This can also open up for donations, competitions, polls and payments via SMS. You can read more about acquiring short codes here.

SMPP

SMPP stands for Short Message Peer-to-Pe...

SMPP stands for Short Message Peer-to-Peer and is a telecoms industry protocol for exchanging messages over the internet, between SMS peer entities. In other words, SMPP is a way to send huge volumes of SMS messages extremely quickly and extremely reliably. Read more about the SMPP protocol here.

Toll-free numbers (TFNs)

Like 10DLC, TFNs (toll-free numbers) are...

Like 10DLC, TFNs (toll-free numbers) are long code phone numbers and an option when acquiring a virtual number. Toll-free numbers are a quick way to get started if you want to send SMS traffic to North America. However, they are not designed for high volume sending. To learn more about TFNs, see our blog post here.

Two-Way SMS

Two-way SMS allows the end user to reply...

Two-way SMS allows the end user to reply to an SMS sent from an application. By setting up a virtual number, it is possible for a business to have their end users respond back or perform an action such as donating money or participating in competitions or polls.

UCS-2

UCS-2 is a character encoding standard. ...

UCS-2 is a character encoding standard. This type of encoding is used when sending messages that cannot be encoded in GSM-7, for example when non-latin based characters or emojis are used. To learn more about how this type of encoding affects the character limit for SMS messages, see our article here.

UTF-8

UTF-8 is one of the primary encoding typ...

UTF-8 is one of the primary encoding types of the World Wide Web. Its character set is very similar to that of GSM-7 which is the dominant encoding in the SMS industry. You don’t have to set the encoding as it defaults to UTF-8/GSM-7, but for a larger set of characters UCS-2 can be used. The larger character set of UCS-2 uses more bytes per character, so we recommend using the default encoding unless emojis and special characters are needed.

Webhooks

Webhooks are automated messages that all...

Webhooks are automated messages that allow you to have events/updates from a given system sent to another one. This means that if you for example would like to receive your SMS status in an external system, a webhook can be set up to make this possible. You can read more about webhooks here.

GatewayAPI-specific terms

GatewayAPI-specific terms

.com setup vs EU setup

GatewayAPI offers two different setups: ...

GatewayAPI offers two different setups: The default GatewayAPI.com setup which is used by the majority of our users. and the EU setup, which is for customers who have special requirements concerning their data and are subjected to EU data laws.

To sign up via our standard setup, visit www.gatewayapi.com and press the ‘sign up’ button.

To sign up via the alternative EU setup, visit www.gatewayapi.eu and follow the sign up instructions there.

Standard Class, Premium Class and Secret Class

GatewayAPI has two message classes. The ...

GatewayAPI has two message classes. The Standard Class is suitable for most, whereas the Premium Class suits those who want additional functionalities, such as anonymization.
You can send traffic using the Secret Class, which uses our Premium routes and anonymizes all data in your message once it has been sent. That means that neither we nor you can see the content afterwards. Contact support to get access to the Secret Class.

OCiD

ONLINECITY ID (OCiD) is your master key ...

ONLINECITY ID (OCiD) is your master key to the platforms offered by ONLINECITY.IO – the company behind GatewayAPI. We have created a single authentication system that makes it possible to authenticate once, after which you get access to all our platforms. Read more about OCiD here.

NexCon.io

NexCon.io was founded by the ONLINECITY....

NexCon.io was founded by the ONLINECITY.IO team which has been working with telecom technologies since 1999. We have utilized our expertise in the field as well as our direct collaboration with operators worldwide, which has made it possible to offer IoT SIM card solutions at the highest level from the very beginning.

RelationCity

RelationCity is an advanced communicatio...

RelationCity is an advanced communication and marketing platform. It enables you to create effective communication across platforms and channels, as well as to build marketing campaigns that are personalized, targeted and effective. In short, RelationCity makes it easy to communicate with your customers – wherever they are!