'Twas the short code before Christmas

This past week I (Nick Simon, metroCode tech lead) was having a meeting with my short code/long code provider

and trying to figure out the best ways to cut down on cost for these kinds

of services.  For those of you that don't know what a short code is, a short

code is a 5-digit phone number that allows you to send text messages to it

and receive a response (it can be a pre-defined static response or one that

is generated by an application).  In comparison a long code is a regular 10

digit phone number that provides the same sort of functionality but there

are fewer restrictions attached. There are a couple of issues we have been

dealing with over the past few months and hopefully the remainder of this

blog post will help people through the problems we have faced, so they don't

have to experience the same headaches.

In order to use a short code a user must first send a message to the short

code number to "opt-in" to the service.  This prevents someone from setting

up a short code and spamming messages to all cell phones whenever they

please.  This makes sense, but there are some instances when this set up is

far from convenient.  The major problem with that sort of interaction, where

someone is required to send the first message to a short code is what

happens if someone is using another one of your services (an IVR system or

the accompanying web site for your service) and requires a SMS interaction

on their phone?

There are two specific examples I can think of where an SMS interaction is

required when using another aspect of the service.  The first one would be

creating a new account on a website where the phone number is the most

important piece of information and for security reasons you have to verify

the phone number before the user is able to create their account.  Now there

are two ways to approach this problem, either by asking the user to send a

message from their phone to a specific short code or to send the user a

message from the web site with a password/passcode and ask them to input it

into the website along with the name of their carrier (eg: Rogers, Telus,

Bell, etc...).  To me the first interaction seems easier, but the second one

makes more sense.  In order to execute the second type of interaction a

short code won't do.  This means that the only way to send a text message to

a user would be through a long code because there are no restrictions.  You

would simply get the users cell phone number and you could generate a

message to be sent out through the short code.  The second type of

interaction that is of interest, is when someone is using an IVR system and

wants the information saved on their cell phone, which can be done with

an SMS message.  If the user has not subscribed to a short code, we again

run up against the problem.  But luckily we are still able to use a long

code to perform the desired functionality.  The IVR system simply generates

a text message and uses the long code to send out the message, and in that

message tells the user to subscribe to the SMS service by sending a message

back to the short code.

A long code essentially allows you to make up for the functionality a short

code lacks (or a short code isn't allowed to have).  Having a short code and

a long code means that you have a greater cost, because neither

one is free...actually far from it.  The cost of having a short

code/long code is something that hasn't changed for many years, which

puzzles me.  Where is the additional cost to the carriers?  Why do they

charge so much to have these services? ($800-$1000 per month!)

The telephone infrastructure didn't have to change to provide

these services so why do the carriers keep the price the same instead of

encouraging more people to set up these sorts of campaigns?  I believe the

answer is they have a monopoly over the service and unless something

drastic changes they will be able to charge whatever they want.  According

to my short code provider this probably will never change unless something

comes along to strip the carriers of their control over the situation.  In

order to lower the prices for these services I hope something does come

along in the near future.