Overview

Multiple parties are involved in the process of sending and receiving an SMS. Refer to the glossary below for information on the various SMS-related entities.

Terms to Know

Term	Description
Brand	The entity or business that is communicating with the consumer. Some examples of brands are Starbucks, Amazon, Athleta, and Chipotle. The communication can either be transactional or marketing in nature. The consumers are aware of the brand alone, and the other entities involved in the communication process operate in the background.
ISV	Independent Software Vendor. They link the Brand and the CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) vendor. MoEngage is an example of an ISV.
CPaaS	Communications Platform as a Service. CPaaS provides cloud-based delivery methods for SMS communications (APIs). They are the link between the ISVs and the Aggregators. Some examples of CPaaS are Twilio, Plivo, and Sinch.
Aggregator	The companies that have direct relationships with the carriers. They are the link between the CPaaS and the Carriers. Some examples of aggregators are OneMarket and Vibes. Some Aggregators, like Vibes, also act as CPaaS.
Carriers	The companies that offer cellular plans to consumers and businesses. Some examples of carriers are AT&T, Verizon, and T-mobile.
Handset	A mobile device that can receive SMS messages. “Consumer” and “Handset” are often used interchangeably when discussing SMS.

Sending SMS - MT (Mobile Terminated) An SMS sent from the brand to the user is termed a Mobile Terminated (MT) message, as it’s a message that finally reaches the user’s mobile. The image below represents how the message travels from the brand to the end user’s handset.

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Receiving SMS - MO (Mobile Originated) An SMS sent from the user to the brand is termed a Mobile Originated (MO) message, as it’s a message that originates from the user’s mobile. The image below represents how the message travels from the user’s handset to the brand.

Screenshot_2022-07-28_at_12.49.10_PM.png

Guide

SMS Glossary

Overview

Terms to Know

​Overview

​Terms to Know

Overview

Terms to Know