Stay in touch any places, any time with SMS

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): Most users of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) cell phones are most likely already familiar with its short message service (SMS). With this service, GSM cell phone users are able to send messages up to 160 characters to other users.

Communicating information via SMS messages is tremendously convenient, as you do not have to call the person to whom you are conveying the information. This is particularly useful when you are trying to convey crucial information to a colleague who is in an important meeting.

The service lets you send the information concisely and thoroughly, which is particularly useful when you are trying to pass on detailed information such as addresses, phone or account numbers.

As SMS messages are sent as a kind of "mini package" of information as a single "pulse", there is no telephone call or air time charge involved. There is, however, a small fee for sending SMS messages, but it is minimal compared to the charge of a normal telephone call.

You can even send SMS messages to friends who are overseas by using the operator's roaming service. It will also work conversely; they are able to send you SMS messages while roaming overseas.

Unfortunately, until now the service has been limited to each operator's platform. Users of Satelindo's service, for example, can only send SMS messages to other Satelindo users.

However, now there is a service available for GSM cell phone users to send SMS messages cross platform. A new information technology service, called eNote, enables GSM users to send SMS messages to others no matter who the operators are. The SMS, which should contain a command code and the number of the addressee's cell phone, followed by the actual message itself, is sent to an operator's eNote gateway.

Then, the eNote computer routes the SMS to its destination through the appropriate GSM operator system. Enabling SMS communication among different GSM operators is but one of the facilities that this smart service offers to its subscribers. In addition to being able to send cross-platform SMS messages, eNote subscribers also have access to data communication with alphanumeric paging systems, the Internet and facsimile machines.

The service lets subscribers type a short message on their handphones and send it directly to the designated pager. This enables users to bypass the pager operator which often means having to go through the troublesome task of cross-checking the accuracy of the message with the operator.

This service is still limited to three pager operators: StarPage, MultiPage and SkyTel. It also lets users type an SMS message and send it as a fax. Unfortunately, this service is currently limited to facsimile numbers within the Jakarta (021) city code.

However, the eNote service allows users to send SMS messages, page or fax their colleagues from anywhere their GSM service is available. From outside Jakarta, you can page or fax your friends in Jakarta without having to pay long distance charges. Even a fax machine is not necessary to send faxes. Perhaps the most exciting use of the service is its Internet related features.

Firstly, the service provides e-mail notification on SMS. The arrival of e-mail into a user's mailbox at his/her Internet service provider (ISP) is acknowledged via SMS to the user's cell phone. The information includes the sender's name, subject and part of the content.

Secondly, subscribers can also send SMS messages to Indonesian GSM handphones from the Internet. The message is sent as a short e-mail to an e-mail address which includes the recipient's GSM cell phone number at the beginning of the address. Internet users who have not subscribed to eNote, can even send e-mail directly to the GSM handphones of eNote subscribers. The e-mail is addressed to an e-mail address that includes the recipient's GSM cell phone number at the beginning of the address, similar to the service previously mentioned.

Conversely, eNote users can also send a short e-mail to the Internet. You simply type the e-mail as an SMS, send it to eNote's gateway and it will be automatically relayed to the designated e-mail address. This facility enables people to send and receive e-mail without a computer, modem, or even a telephone line.

The limitation of the SMS service on which most of the services are based would indeed alter the effectiveness of the service. The faxes and e-mail that people can send through eNote is limited to a maximum of 160 characters, minus the designation codes that are needed to route the information.

GSM networks are themselves still not completely reliable. Wide coverage range is often provided at the expense of lesser connection reliability and quality, and vice-versa.

Occasionally, there are network problems that effect SMS messaging. The eNote service is also more compatible with certain operators. Yet, there is no doubt that the services offered by eNote, which brings together information networks: GSM cellular phones, pagers, fax machines and the internet, would provide the answer and solutions to many needs and problems in information communication.

Of course, to be able to make best use of eNote, you need a sophisticated cell phone such as the Nokia 9000 or 9110 communicator, or else you will have to learn to type swiftly on your normal cell phone when using eNote.

The eNote service is based on SMS messaging. GSM cell phone users using one operator can communicate to pagers, fax machines, users of other GSM operators, or e-mail via the internet, by sending information as SMS messages. The messages are sent through the gateways of each GSM operator (Excelcom: 555, Telkomsel: 0811811811 and Satelindo: 0816805407). Each service is charged on a pulse fare basis.

* Sending SMS messages to other GSM operators (1 pulse): type: sm (code for SMS) immediately followed by the GSM cell phone number, space and then the message. For example, Eric, using a Telkomsel cell phone can send a message to Joan's Excelcom cell phone by sending the following SMS message to Telkomsel's gateway: "sm0818123456 Dear Joan, confirm dinner at Kemang, 19:30 tonight. Cheers Eric" The code sm signifies that the SMS is to be sent as an SMS, to the number which follows it.

* Sending SMS to a pager (1 pulse): Pager Operators currently supported are: StarPage (sp) and MultiPage (mp), while services to SkyTel (st), Starko (sk) and Metrotel (mt) will soon be available.

To send messages to a pager, type: pager operator code immediately followed by pager ID number, space, and message. To send a message to StarPage with Pager ID 123456, the following SMS should be typed and sent to the GSM operator's gateway: "sp123456 Pak Udin, I will arrive at Cengkareng airport, terminal 2, on GA308 at 21:30. Please meet me there."

* Sending an SMS to fax machine (2 pulses): Currently, you can only send faxes to destinations in Jakarta (area code 021). Type: fx (code for fax) immediately followed by 021 and the fax number, space, and then the message. To send a fax to 021-5273333, for example, you should type the following SMS and send it to your GSM operator's gateway: "fx021-5273328 Pak Gatot, I just got in tonight. I will see you in your office tomorrow at 08:00 as planned. Thanks Bill."

* Sending SMS messages to e-mail (1 pulse): Type: em (code for e-mail) immediately followed by the e-mail address of the intended recipient, space, and then the message. Some handsets do not have the character set normally used in e-mail addresses, so you can replace "@" with the "$" character and "_" (underscore) with "/" (slash). The SMS should then be sent to the operator's gateway. For example, to send an e-mail to john@intouch.co.id, type following SMS: "emjohn$intouch.co.id Hi John, I am stuck in traffic on my way back from Bandung, so I will be late for our meeting this afternoon. Lets reschedule. This e-mail is sent from my cell phone."

* Sending e-mail to SMS (0 pulse): eNote subscribers can send a short e-mail from their computer to any GSM cell phone in Indonesia by typing a short e-mail message (maximum 160 characters) from the e-mail application, and sending it to the following e-mail address: 081xxxxxxx@enote.intouch.co.id where 081xxxxxxx is the designated cell phone number. It should also include the eNote password in the subject line of the e-mail.

The e-mail should appear like this:

To: 0818123456@enote.intouch.co.id

Subject: justdoit

Message: Hi Joan, arrived at San Francisco on time. I guess you're still in your meeting in Surabaya. Call me when you're back home ok? Love John.

* Receiving e-mail as SMS (1 pulse); E-note subscribers can use their cell phone number as an e-mail address. Your colleagues can send messages to your cell phone by sending it as a short e-mail addressed to 081xxxxxxx@sms.intouch.co.id.