On a personal android or iOS phone, we can send messages to our friends and family.

However, we do not have a facility to upload contacts from CRM and send group messages without the reply all feature.

You cannot send messages from a computer or a laptop using your phone.

If you are looking for sending a higher volume of messages, we depend on SMS providers.

There are many SMS providers in the market that sell various packages to you.

It is critical to evaluate the provider before signing up for an SMS package.

Here are a few points to consider before buying an SMS package

• Look for a free incoming SMS facility. This is very useful when you send higher volumes and have to receive long codes
• Look for what services are included in the SMS package you are buying
• Are the packages priced monthly? If not then what is the duration
• If there is a limit on the number of contacts you can save or send the messages to
• Are there any hidden costs in the packages or said in fine print that you are missing?
• Are all the features mentioned in the package included in the cost you are buying the package for or is there an extra cost for those
• Is technical support available if you have any questions
• How many messages are you allowed to send free with the package you are buying
• Will the package allow for file transfer

Apart from the above points to consider when you are planning on buying SMS packages, a good SMS provider gives you the facility to track real-time delivery statistics to measure the effectiveness of your SMS campaigns.

A good SMS provider will provide message queuing to facilitate sending multiple messages in a single API thus reducing your workload.

While there is no dearth of choices for SMS providers around, you should research the above and evaluate the most suitable ones for you.