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How to Receive SMS on your PC

So how can you receive an SMS as an email delivered straight to your PC?

Well, there are several ways to receive SMS on PC. The main ones are:

• Have a mobile attached to a PC with some kind of polling software to monitor inbound SMS messages and convert them into an email and send it. This has obvious drawbacks as the PC will need to be on all the time to receive the SMS and you have email software installed on the PC in addition to have the technical knowledge to do it


• Another way to receive SMS on PC would be to register a Inbound SMS Geographic Number, this is UK long number that looks like a landline eg 020 718718718 for example. There are a couple of suppliers out there that can provide this including us, prices statrt at £59.95

• The next way to receive SMS on your PC is a Virtual Mobile Number, these look like real mobile numbers but are hosted virtually at a main networks SMSC. Virtual Mobile Numbers can receive quite a few SMS at a time 10-20 per second so quite good if you are looking to host competitions or expecting high volume response. We sell these for £600 per year, they are cheaper elsewhere but we add a few extra features with ours which can potentially open up more possibilities for yourselves.

• Next up to receive SMS on your PC is Hosted SIM, this is where we or another supplier take your SIM card and host it at a datacentre or SMSC. Great throughput again as you are directly connected to the main network and you have the added bonus of keeping your SIM at the end of the subscription period. Hosting a SIM also allows you to accept receive SMS on a foreign number.

• Last up to receive SMS to PC are Short Codes; and Short Codes with Keywords. This can be an expensive option to receive SMS on your PC, typically £800 to have the same shortcode across all 4 networks or £50 a month per keyword on a Shared Shortcode. Although shortcodes are the most familiar option with most consumers recognising them it can be just out of the price range for most small businesses.

So there you have it 5 different ways for your business receive SMS as an email, which one you choose is down to your budget or number preference, Geographic Number, Long Mobile number (mobile attached to PC), Long Mobile Number (Virtual Mobile Number), Hosted SIM (Your own number) or a Short Code (5 digit number).

For more information have a look our comparison chart for three of these options that we provide.