SMPP in Times of Natural Disaster

Can SMPP be deemed a fail-safe when even telephone lines are damaged in a storm? You only need to look at what happened in Washington this week to consider SMS technology as a viable alternative to all other forms of communication.

It wasn’t only Washington that suffered the effects of this severe winter storm. Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Philadelphia, Kentucky, Maryland and even New York were also hit. In some areas, all roads remain closed as a result of heavy snow fall. And thanks to efficient emergency services, many lives were saved. Though how can the effects of a storm of this or an even greater magnitude be lessened the next time round? Where does SMPP, or Short Message Peer-to-Peer, come in?

Planning, Coordination & SMPP

Whether it’s a raging snow storm or a hurricane, having the relevant information at the right time ultimately saves lives and helps people to prepare for the onslaught of nature. While it can be argued that there’s always television and radio, you need to keep in mind that not everyone has access to those communication media every minute of the day. In contrast, the mobile phone is almost always carried and almost always on, which makes it the perfect communication tool on a local, national or even international level.

More specifically, it’s about timely communication, which will allow for sufficient time to make preparations. This type of efficient communication can be achieved with SMPP, a bulk SMS technology available to entities that need to communicate with a large number of people without delay.

Taking the above natural disaster scenarios into account, let’s look at how SMPP can be employed to help both citizens and rescue services, as well as save lives:

• Travel Information SMS Message: “Major roads still closed or blocked in Grays Harbor area” and “Trees and/or power lines down. Caution advised: do not travel unless necessary”
• Rescue Services SMS Message: “Two workers injured. Please respond immediately.”
• Weather Services SMS Message: “Extreme winds of up to 95 mph at Clallam Bay. Traveling not advised.”

SMPP can send messages like the above in quick succession, ensuring that they are delivered wherever there is coverage. This ensures that, should traditional communication methods, such as landlines, fail (which occurred in some areas), there is a quick and effective form of communication at hand.

More About SMPP

SMPP is a protocol that operates on layer four of the OSI model, which means it will need a TCP or X.25 session to communicate with the SMS gateway. This makes it the ideal communication solution for entities who already have an existing software infrastructure in place – integration is easy and customizable.

Currently, there a number of SMPP versions exist, with version 3.3 being the most widely employed. One of the key differences between v3.3 is that it needs a separate virtual connection to the SMS gateway to send and receive messages. However, some providers do allow the use of the BIND_TRANSCEIVER field, which means only one TCP and SMPP session is needed to achieve sending and receiving functionality. That being said, it becomes clear that it is a two-way protocol, which means the recipients of SMS messages will be able to respond if two-way messaging is enabled.

Even though ’tis the season to be jolly, it pays to ensure that all bases are covered in terms of communication, thereby saving lives and helping more people reach their loved ones in the depths of winter. Visit Clickatell’s SMPP application page for more info.

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