SMPP Versions: A Comparison of Features and Benefits

SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) is an open, industry standard protocol that enables the transfer of short message data between applications and mobile networks. SMPP is widely used for SMS messaging, as well as other mobile services such as EMS, voicemail notifications, cell broadcasts, USSD, and MMS. SMPP has three versions in use: SMPP 3.3, SMPP 3.4, and SMPP 5.0. Each version has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the use case and requirements. In this article, we will compare the features and benefits of each SMPP version, and provide some statistics and a comparison table to help you choose the best one for your needs.

SMPP 3.3

SMPP 3.3 is the oldest version of the protocol, released in 1997. It supports GSM only, and has a limited set of operations and parameters. It does not support optional tag-length-value (TLV) parameters, which are used to extend the functionality and information of the protocol. It also does not support non-GSM SMS technologies, such as UMTS, CDMA, TDMA, and iDEN. Moreover, it does not support transceiver sessions, which allow a single connection to send and receive messages.

The main advantage of SMPP 3.3 is its simplicity and compatibility with older systems. It is easy to implement and understand, and it works with most SMS service providers and mobile network operators. However, it has many limitations and drawbacks, such as:

  • It cannot handle long messages (more than 160 characters) or concatenated SMS (splitting a long message into multiple parts).
  • It cannot handle binary messages (such as ringtones, logos, or pictures) or Unicode messages (such as Arabic or Chinese characters).
  • It cannot handle delivery receipts (confirmation of message delivery or failure) or message status reports (information about the message state).
  • It cannot handle advanced features such as data coding schemes (specifying the encoding and compression of the message), service types (specifying the application or service that originated the message), priority flags (specifying the urgency of the message), validity periods (specifying how long the message should be stored by the network), or scheduled delivery times (specifying when the message should be delivered).

According to a survey conducted by Ozeki, a leading SMS gateway software provider, SMPP 3.3 is still widely used by businesses and SMS service providers, despite its limitations. The survey found that 38% of respondents use SMPP 3.3 for their SMS messaging needs.

SMPP 3.4

SMPP 3.4 is an updated version of the protocol, released in 1999. It adds optional TLV parameters, support for non-GSM SMS technologies, and transceiver support. It also adds new operations and parameters to enhance the functionality and information of the protocol.

The main advantage of SMPP 3.4 is its flexibility and versatility. It can handle various types of messages and services, such as:

  • Long messages (up to 64 KB) or concatenated SMS
  • Binary messages or Unicode messages
  • Delivery receipts or message status reports
  • Data coding schemes or service types
  • Priority flags or validity periods
  • Scheduled delivery times or replace-if-present flags (specifying whether to replace an existing message with a new one)
  • Message payload (specifying the actual content of the message)
  • User data header (specifying additional information about the message)
  • Source address subunit (specifying the subunit within a device from which the message originated)
  • Destination address subunit (specifying the subunit within a device to which the message should be delivered)
  • More subaddress (specifying additional addressing information for routing purposes)
  • Callback number (specifying a number to which a reply should be sent)
  • Callback number presentation indicator (specifying how the callback number should be displayed)
  • Callback number atag (specifying an alphanumeric string associated with the callback number)
  • Number of messages in mailbox (specifying how many messages are waiting in a mailbox)
  • Alert on message delivery (specifying whether to alert the recipient when a message is delivered)
  • Language indicator (specifying the language of the message)
  • Its session initiation protocol information element (specifying information related to SIP)

The main disadvantage of SMPP 3.4 is its complexity and compatibility issues. It is more difficult to implement and understand than SMPP 3.3, and it may not work with some SMS service providers or mobile network operators that do not support it. Moreover, some TLV parameters are vendor-specific or optional, which may cause interoperability problems or confusion.

SMPP 3.4 is the most popular version of the protocol, used by 54% of respondents. It is the recommended version for most SMS messaging applications and services.

SMPP 5.0

SMPP 5.0 is the latest version of the protocol, released in 2003. It adds support for cell broadcasting, smart flow control, and other minor enhancements. It also clarifies some ambiguities and inconsistencies in the previous versions.

The main advantage of SMPP 5.0 is its completeness and standardization. It covers all the features and functionalities of SMPP 3.4, and adds some new ones, such as:

  • Cell broadcast operations (for sending messages to multiple recipients in a specified area)
  • Cell broadcast data coding scheme (specifying the encoding and compression of the cell broadcast message)
  • Cell broadcast service type (specifying the application or service that originated the cell broadcast message)
  • Cell broadcast channel indicator (specifying the channel on which the cell broadcast message should be transmitted)
  • Cell broadcast content type indicator (specifying the type of content of the cell broadcast message)
  • Smart flow control (for optimizing the throughput and performance of the protocol)
  • Message reference number (specifying a unique identifier for each message)
  • Message sequence number (specifying a sequential number for each message within a session)
  • Message state TLV parameter (specifying the state of a message at any point in time)

The main disadvantage of SMPP 5.0 is its availability and adoption. It is not widely supported by SMS service providers or mobile network operators, and it is not widely used by businesses or SMS service providers. In 2023 only 8% of respondents indicated to use SMPP 5.0 for their SMS messaging needs.

SMPP Version Comparison Table

The following table summarizes the main features and benefits of each SMPP version: 

| Feature                     | 3.3 | 3.4 | 5.0 |
| --------------------------- | --- | --- | --- |
| GSM support                 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Non-GSM support             | No  | Yes | Yes |
| TLV parameters              | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Transceiver support         | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Long messages               | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Concatenated SMS            | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Binary messages             | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Unicode messages            | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Delivery receipts           | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Message status reports      | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Data coding schemes         | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Service types               | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Priority flags              | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Validity periods            | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled delivery times    | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Replace-if-present flags    | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Message payload             | No  | Yes | Yes |
| User data header            | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Source address subunit      | No  | Yes | Yes |
| Destination address subunit | No  | Yes | Yes |

Conclusion

To conclude, SMPP is a powerful and flexible protocol that enables the transfer of short message data between applications and mobile networks. SMPP has three versions in use: SMPP 3.3, SMPP 3.4, and SMPP 5.0. Each version has its own features and benefits, depending on the use case and requirements. SMPP 3.3 is simple and compatible, but limited and outdated. SMPP 3.4 is flexible and versatile, but complex and inconsistent. SMPP 5.0 is complete and standardized, but unavailable and unpopular. The choice of the best SMPP version depends on the needs and preferences of the user, as well as the support and compatibility of the SMS service provider and the mobile network operator.

If you are looking for a reliable and easy-to-use SMS gateway software that supports all SMPP versions, you may want to check out Ozeki SMS Gateway. It is a high-performance software that allows you to send and receive SMS messages from your computer using a GSM modem or an IP SMS connection. It also offers various features and functionalities, such as email-to-SMS, SMS-to-email, database-to-SMS, SMS-to-database, HTTP-to-SMS, SMS-to-HTTP, and more. You can download a free trial version from their website and start sending and receiving SMS messages in minutes.

FAQs

What is an EMS?

EMS stands for Enhanced Messaging Service. It is an extension of the SMS standard.

While SMS revolutionized communication, it had limitations. One major drawback was the inability to include multimedia content like pictures, animations, or ringtones. Standard SMS could only handle basic text.

EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service) emerged as a solution. Building on SMS, EMS allowed for richer messaging experiences:

  • Multimedia Magic: EMS messages could incorporate exciting features like pictures, animations, and even melodies, adding a new dimension to communication.
  • Text Formatting Freedom: EMS offered text formatting options. You could specify bold, italics, font size, and other styles to enhance the message's visual appeal.
However, EMS wasn't without limitations:
  • Limited Device Support: Compared to SMS, EMS wasn't as universally supported on all wireless devices.
  • Inconsistent Feature Adoption: Even among EMS-compatible devices, there wasn't always guaranteed support for all its features. A feature might work on one phone but not another.
Despite these limitations, EMS paved the way for richer mobile communication, setting the stage for more advanced multimedia messaging options to come.

What is an MMS?

MMS stands for multimedia message

Looking beyond text, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) lets you send more than just words. Developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), it's an extension of SMS that unlocks a world of multimedia possibilities:

  • Images, Audio, Video, and More: Spice up your communication with pictures, sounds, and even short video clips. Share precious moments, funny clips, or quick audio notes directly through MMS.
  • Rich Text Formatting: Go beyond plain text! MMS allows for formatted messages, adding emphasis and visual interest with bolding, italics, and other formatting options.
  • Picture Perfect Example: One of the most popular uses of MMS is sending photos. Imagine capturing a special moment on your camera phone and instantly sharing it with friends and family through an MMS message.
  • Beyond Photos: Ringtones are another popular MMS application. You can receive and share new ringtones using MMS, keeping your phone's sound personalized.
MMS revolutionized mobile communication by introducing a richer messaging experience, paving the way for today's multimedia-driven communication landscape.

What kind of attachments can I use in an MMS?

Text, picture, sounds, videos, applications, and any other file types.

MMS messages can carry various multimedia attachments, each with its own unique identifier. These identifiers are similar to labels that tell the recipient's device what kind of content it's dealing with (picture, sound, etc.). For a comprehensive list of supported attachment types, refer to resources that detail MMS content formats.

Is it possible to push SyncML setting via your SMS sever to mobile phones?

Ozeki SMS Gateway can be used to push SYNCML settings to mobile handsets. It can use a GSM Modem attached to the server with a phone-to-pc data cable, or it can use IP SMS connections (SMPP, CIMD2, UCP/EMI protocols) to send this information.

Here's a rephrased version that avoids mentioning specific products (Ozeki) and focuses on the general concept of pushing SyncML settings via SMS:

SyncML settings are configurations used by mobile devices to synchronize data. There are two main methods to push these settings to mobile phones using SMS:

  1. Direct HTTP Request: You can send an HTTP request containing the settings in XML format directly to a server. This server would then process the request and push the settings via SMS to the target phone.
  2. Database Storage and Retrieval: Alternatively, you can store the settings in a database (like Oracle, MySQL, etc.). A dedicated program would then periodically read these settings from the database and trigger SMS messages containing the SyncML data to the recipient phones.
For applications that need to push SyncML settings, a specific SMS message type (e.g., SMS:WAPPUSH:OTASYNCMLSETTINGS) might be used. Consult your application's documentation or relevant resources for details on supported message types.

This avoids mentioning brand names and focuses on the core functionality of using SMS to deliver SyncML configurations.