Services

160 Characters: The maximum number of characters supported across most US carriers. Nextel only supports 140 characters.
1X: Technology standard for 3G (third generation) high-speed wireless Internet service at speeds up to 153 Kbps. 1X was the first step in the CDMA2000 evolution after IS-95. 1X provides enhanced voice network capacity as well as high-speed packet data mobile wireless Internet access. 1X was previously known as 1XRTT.
1XEV-DO: The second step in the CDMA2000 evolution includes the 1XEV family of technologies. 1XEV-DO focuses on data only, delivering download peak data rates of up to 2.4 Mbps to the end user. It is suitable for high bandwidth download applications such as enterprise VPN computing, MP3 transfers and video streaming.
1XEV-DV: The second member of the 1XEV family. 1XEV-DV integrates both voice and data, providing integrated voice with simultaneous high-speed packet data services, such as video, video-conferencing and other multimedia services at speeds of up to 3.09 Mbps.
3G (3rd Generation): 3G networks enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency. Services include wide-area wireless voice telephony, video calls, and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile environment. Additional features also include HSPA data transmission capabilities able to deliver speeds up to 14.4 Mbit/s on the downlink and 5.8 Mbit/s on the uplink.
ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line): A technology for transmitting digital information at a high bandwidth on existing phone lines. Unlike dial-up Internet service, ADSL provides continuously available connectivity. It is asymmetric in that it uses most of the channel to transmit downstream to the user and only a small part to receive information from the user.
Aggregator: A company that simplifies connections to mobile carriers by giving content providers and ASPs a single interface to use for connecting to dozens or even hundreds of carriers on the aggregator’s back end. Conversely the aggregator is also valuable to the carriers who used the aggregator as a single point of contact to transfer data and pass commercial information to the content providers and ASPs.
Alternative Forms of Billing: Billing method other than premium SMS. This would typically be a credit card or PayPal.
Analog: A transmission method employing a continuous (rather than pulsed or digital) electrical signal.
ARPU (Average Revenue Per Unit): Average revenue per unit, or wireless subscriber, expressed as a rate per month for a given measurement period.
ASP (Application Service Provider): An ASP is a company that offers content providers access over the internet to applications and related services that would otherwise have to be located in the content provider’s own servers.
ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode): A high-speed switching technology that routes voice, data and video at high speeds over the same network.
Bandwidth: The difference between the top and bottom limiting frequencies of a continuous frequency band or indicator of the information-carrying capacity of a channel. The greater the bandwidth, the greater the information-carrying capacity.
Banking Campaigns: Programs which involve transferring money via SMS.
BPS (Bits Per Second): A measurement of data transmission speed used for measuring the amount of data that is transferred in a second between two telecommunication points or within network devices. Kbps (kilobits per second) is thousands of bits per second; Mbps (megabits per second) is millions; Gbps (gigabits per second) is billions; and Tbps (terabits per second) is trillions.
Bundle: A group of telecommunications services (i.e., Internet, wireless, local exchange service, long distance and calling features) that are sold together, which may offer customer benefits such as a lower price, a single point of contact and convenience. Bundles in Canada that include tariffed services must be approved by the CRTC.
Campaign: A description of the product from an end user perspective, including how the product is marketed to the user, how they opt in, what messages they receive, how they get support and how they opt out.
Carrier Audit: A document detailing areas where the carrier found a campaign to be out of compliance with carrier regulations.
Carrier Blacklist: When a user terminates their contract with a carrier, ports to another number or requests not to receive SMS messages from shortcodes they will be placed on a blacklist. This list is passed from the carrier to the aggregator and on down the chain until it reaches the member of the value chain who maintains the database of active users. Blacklisted users must be unsubscribed from all campaigns.
CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access): This technique spreads a signal over a frequency band that is larger than the signal to enable the use of a common band by many users and to achieve signal security and privacy. See also IS-95 and CDMA2000.
CDMA2000: A third generation wireless standard adopted by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that prescribes an evolutionary path to 3G for IS-95 based systems. The first step in the CDMA2000 evolution after IS-95 is called 1X. See also IS-95 and CDMA.
CDNA (Competitor Digital Network Access): Provides access arrangements to competitors for the digital transmission of information between end-customer premises served by an ILEC wire centre and a competitor's switch located in an ILEC's wire centre area or at an ILEC's wire centre, in which case it must terminate on the competitor's co-located equipment.
CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data): A specification for supporting wireless access to the Internet and other public packet-switched networks at speeds up to 19.2 Kbps.
Cell Site: Individual locations of network transmitter, receiver, antenna signaling and related base station equipment. Cell sites may be located on a transmission tower or building rooftop, or consist of an in-building system.
Cellular Network: A radio network made up of a number of radio cells (or just cells) each served by a fixed transmitter, known as a cell site or base station. These cells are used to cover different areas in order to provide radio coverage over a wider area than the area of one cell. Cellular networks are inherently asymmetric with a set of fixed main transceivers each serving a cell and a set of distributed mobile transceivers which provide services to the network's users.
Charity Campaign: SMS programs in which a user opts into a service where proceeds will be donated to a charity program.
Chat Campaign: Casual communication between two users. "Bot Chat" can occur between a user and an automated system that recognizes incoming text and provides an automated reply.
Churn Rate: The number of subscribers terminating a service divided by the average number of subscribers on the network, expressed as a rate per month for a given measurement period.
CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier): A telecommunications provider company (sometimes called a "carrier") that competes with other, already established carriers (generally the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC)). Local exchange carriers (LECs) are divided into incumbent (ILECs) and competitive (CLECs). The ILECs are usually the original, monopoly LEC in a given area, and receive different regulatory treatment from the newer CLECs.
CTR (Click Through Rate): A way of measuring the success of a mobile advertising campaign. A CTR is obtained by dividing the number of users who clicked on a WAP link by the number of times the ad was delivered (impressions). For example, if a banner ad was delivered 100 times (impressions delivered) and one person clicked on it (clicks recorded), then the resulting CTR would be 1 percent.
COA (Cost of Acquisition): consists of the total of handset subsidies, commissions, and advertising and promotion expenses related to the initial customer acquisition during a given period. As defined, COA excludes costs to retain existing customers.
Content: The item that the end user seeks to attain. Content could be a text alert, a ringtone, wallpaper, game, purchase of a movie ticket, etc.
Content Provider: A company who develops, markets and typically hosts the content that the user seeks to attain.
Conversion Rate: The ratio of visitors who convert casual content views or website visits into desired actions (typically purchases) based on a call to action from marketers, advertisers, and content creators.
Core Network: The ultra high-speed national backbone carrying the aggregated traffic from all services from city to city, and within cities, to the edge of the network where individual access connections then carry the customer-specific traffic to the customer residence or premises.
CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission): The federal regulator for radio and television broadcasters, and cable-TV and telecommunications companies in Canada.
CSCA (Common Short Code Administration): All new short codes must be purchased through the CSCA (http://www.usshortcodes.com).
CTA (Call To Action): The portion of an advertisement or marketing effort that requests that a consumer perform a specific action, typically relating to the purchase of content or enrollment in a program.
Dedicated Short Code: Dedicated short codes are dedicated for only one customer. In the U.S. you can choose between vanity (hand-picked) and random codes, similar to picking a license plate. Vanity codes cost $1,000 per month to register and random short codes cost half that. (These amounts are billed quarterly)
Deep Links: User clicks WAP link or WAP push which brings them directly to WAP page. Deep links are often used to connect off portal advertisements to an on portal offering.
Digital: A transmission method employing a sequence of discrete, distinct pulses that represent the binary digits 0 and 1 to indicate specific information, in contrast to the continuous signal of analog. Digital networks provide improved clarity, capacity, features and privacy compared to analog systems.
Double Opt in: Where a user initiates opt into a service (ex- sends MO or clicks button on website) and then confirms a second time that they would like to participate in the program.
eCommerce: Refers to the buying and selling of goods and services electronically, usually via the Internet. Wireless e-commerce generally refers to m-commerce. See m-commerce.
End User: The consumer of the product
ESMR (Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio): A network is designed not only for the dispatch service associated with SMR, but also for mobile telephony, short messaging services as well as circuit-switched and packet data services. See also iDEN.
ETL (Extract, Transform, and Load): A process in data warehousing that involves extracting data from outside sources, transforming it to fit business needs (which can include quality levels), and ultimately loading it into the end target, i.e. the data warehouse.
Femtocell: A small cellular base station, typically designed for use in a home or small business. It connects to the service provider’s network via broadband (such as DSL or cable); current designs support up to 10 active mobile phones in a residential setting. A femtocell allows service providers to extend service coverage indoors, especially where access would otherwise be limited or unavailable.
Frame Relay: A high-speed packet switching technology that has evolved to meet the LAN-to-LAN interconnection market. Frame relay is designed to provide high-speed packet transmission, very low network delay and efficient use of network bandwidth.
FTEU (Free to End User): This implies that and End User will not incur a standard rate charge for the traffic. Since the End User doesn't pay for the messages, content providers will be billed at higher rates for delivering FTEU messages.
GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles): The term used to refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting used in any given jurisdiction. GAAP includes the standards, conventions, and rules accountants follow in recording and summarizing transactions, and in the preparation of financial statements.
Gifting Campaigns: SMS program where users purchases content and sends to a friend as a “gift.”
GPRS (General Packet Radio Services): A packet-based wireless communication service that provides data rates up to 114 Kbps and continuous connection to the Internet for mobile phone and computer users. GPRS is based on GSM communication and complements existing services such as circuit-switched cellular phone connections and SMS.
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication): The most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. Its promoter, the GSM Association, estimates that 80% of the global mobile market uses the standard. GSM is used by over 3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories. Its ubiquity makes international roaming very common between mobile phone operators, enabling subscribers to use their phones in many parts of the world. GSM differs from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are digital, and thus is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This has also meant that data communication was easy to build into the system.
Handset: A user's mobile device
Hertz: The dimensional unit for measuring the frequency with which an electromagnetic signal cycles through the zero-value state between lowest and highest states. One hertz (Hz) equals one cycle per second. KHz (kilohertz) equals one thousand hertz. MHz (megahertz) equals one million hertz. GHz (gigahertz) equals one billion hertz.
Hosting: Provided by an ASP, hosting is the business of housing, serving and maintaining files, databases and software for one or more applications.
iDEN (Integrated Digital Enhanced Network): A mobile telecommunications technology, developed by Motorola, which provides its users the benefits of a trunked radio and a cellular telephone. iDEN places more users in a given spectral space, compared to analog cellular and two-way radio systems, by using speech compression and time division multiple access (TDMA). Sprint Nextel and SouthernLINC Wireless are the only US carriers to use this technology.
ILEC (Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier): With respect to an area in the United States, and ILEC is the local exchange carrier (LEC) that: -On the date of enactment of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, provided telephone exchange service in such area -And on such date of enactment, was deemed to be a member of the exchange carrier association pursuant to the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R) Title 47, section 69.601(b).[1] -Or is a person or entity that, on or after such date of enactment, became a successor or assignee of a member described in the previous bullet.
IM Campaigns: Instant Messaging Programs
Impressions: The number of times that an advertisement was presented to an audience.
Industry Canada: The Canadian Federal Department of Industry, on behalf of the Canadian Minister of Industry. Among other mandates, Industry Canada has responsibility for national telecom policy and for the regulation, management and allocation of radio spectrum in Canada and for establishing technical requirements for various wireless systems.
Internet: The global Web of networks that connects computers around the world, providing rapid access to information from multiple sources.
IP (Internet Protocol): A protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite, also referred to as TCP/IP.
IS-95 (Interim Standard 95): A 2G Mobile Telecommunications Standard that uses CDMA, a multiple access scheme for digital radio, to send voice, data and signaling data (such as a dialed telephone number) between mobile telephones and cell sites.
ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network): A circuit-switched telephone network system, that also provides access to packet switched networks, designed to allow digital transmission of voice and data over ordinary telephone copper wires, resulting in better voice quality than an analog phone.
ISP (Internet Service Provider): A company that provides Internet access service to residences and/or businesses.
IT (Information Technology): A term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange and use information in its various forms (data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia and other forms, including those not yet conceived).
J2EE (Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition): A Java-based, runtime platform for developing distributed multi-tier architecture applications, using modular components.
J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition): A highly optimized version of the Java runtime environment containing a group of specifications and technologies that pertain to Java on small devices such as mobile handsets, pagers and car navigation systems.
Java: A Sun Microsystems general purpose programming language with a number of features that make the language well suited for and nearly ubiquitously used in mobile devices. Small Java applications are called Java applets and can be downloaded from a Web server to run on a computer or wireless phone with a Java-compatible Web browser.
JMS (Java Messaging Service ): Allows applications built on the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE) to send messages without having the sender or receiver connected to the network. In order to transmit the messages, sent messages are placed in a queue and once the recipient is connected to the network, they can retrieve the messages from this queue. It essentially allows reliable and asynchronous messaging between J2EE applications.
Keyword: A mobile originated command that triggers a particular response from an application receiving the message (ex- HELP or STOP). Keywords can also be used to distinguish users on a shared shortcode.
LAN (Local Area Network): A way of connecting several computers, typically in the same room or building, so they can share files and devices like printers and copiers.
Local Loop: The transmission path between the telecommunications network and a customer's terminal equipment.
mCommerce (Mobile Commerce or M-Commerce): The buying and selling of goods and services through wireless handheld devices.
MDN (Mobile Directory Number): The unique phone number used to identify the user on a network. MDN may also be referred to as an MSISDN.
Micro-Payment: The purchase of goods or services (content) via premium SMS which are not consumed over the handset. This could be payment for access to a website or purchase of time on a parking meter.
MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service): An extension of the of SMS text messaging standard which allows users to add multimedia (such as sound, pictures, video or graphics) to their text message. MMS also allows for longer message lengths.
MO (Mobile Originated): This is a message that was sent from a mobile phone.
Mobile Advertising: 90% of mobile advertising constitutes of SMS advertising, but mobile ads can also be in the form of WAP Banner ads, WAP poster ads and mobile video bumpers which are used for branding purposes or to redirect the user to another site where they can purchase content or learn more about a product. The effectiveness of a mobile ad campaign can be measured in a variety of ways. The main measurements are impressions (views), click-through rates and conversion rates.
Mobile Coupons: Mobile campaign where users opt in to receive coupons for a specific brand. For Example, user texts Macy’s to shortcode and receives MT back with 10% of next purchase. Present to cashier. Mobile coupons may also be delivered in the form of barcodes downloaded to the handset and scanned at the register.
Mobile Direct Marketing: Sales and promotion technique in which the promotional materials are delivered individually to potential customers via the potential customer's mobile phone or other mobile device. Examples of mobile direct marketing include the sending of SMS, MMS or WAP push messages, Bluetooth messaging and other interrupt based marketing to mobile phones or other mobile devices.
Mobile Marketing: The utilization of one or more mobile channels (ex. WAP, SMS or MMS) for the purpose of promoting products and services.
MSISDN (Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network Number): The unique phone number used to identify the user on a network. MSISDN may also be referred to as an MDN.
MT (Mobile Terminated): This is a message that was sent to a mobile phone.
Multimedia: The combination of various forms of media (text, graphics, animation, audio, etc.) to communicate information. The term also refers to information products that include text, audio and visual content.
Multiplexing: Sending multiple signals or streams of information on a carrier at the same time in the form of a single, complex signal and then recovering the separate signals at the receiving end.
MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator): A Mobile service operator without licensed spectrum or network that leases wireless capacity from other carriers.
Network Edge: The point in the network where customer access traffic enters or exits the service provider's shared core network. Functionality at the network edge ensures traffic streams are handled appropriately within the core network to allow privacy, security, reliability and service quality to the level appropriate for that traffic type or service.
Next Generation Network ("IP-based Network"): A network designed using IP and QoS (Quality of Service) technology to reliably and efficiently support all types of customer traffic including voice, data and video. This network enables a variety of IP-based customer devices and next generation and advanced applications to communicate over a single common network.
Off Portal: Refers to the promotion of mobile products which do not reside on and are not accessed through proprietary carrier networks (See "On Portal"). Content providers typically are responsible for all advertisement of off portal products.
On Portal: Mobile products which are accessed by the user from within a carriers proprietary network. Verizon's "Get It Now" platform and T-mobiles "T-Zones" are examples of On Portal product offerings. Typically carriers control advertising for On Portal products but content providers may, in some circumstances be able to advertise content off portal and "deep link" to the On Portal content.
Opt in: The process by which a user agrees to the terms of the campaign and initiates entry into the campaign or purchase of the product.
PCS (Personal Communications Services): Digital wireless voice, data and text messaging services. In Canada and the United States, PCS spectrum has been allocated for use by public systems at the 1.9 GHz frequency range.
Peering: A relationship established between two or more connectivity providers for the purpose of directly exchanging messaging traffic.
POP: One person living in a population area that, in whole or in substantial part, is included in a network's coverage area.
Postpaid: A conventional method of payment for wireless service where a subscriber pays for a significant portion of services and usage in arrears, subsequent to consuming the services.
Premium SMS: See PSMS
Prepaid: A method of payment for wireless service that allows a subscriber to prepay for a set amount of airtime in advance of actual usage. Generally, a subscriber's prepaid account is debited at the time of usage so that actual usage cannot exceed the prepaid amount until an additional prepayment is made.
Price Point Cap: Maximum allowed price point for a single purchase
PSMS (Premium Short Message Service): A mobile phone protocol that allows you to attach a fee to the sending of the text message. The wireless carrier charges the fee to the consumer and then shares that income with the contracted parties (i.e. Aggregators, ASPs and Brands/Agencies).
Reverse Auctions: SMS program where users texts in a bid to win a prize. Lowest unique bid wins.
Roaming: A service offered by wireless network operators that allows subscribers to use their mobile phones while in the service area of another operator; this requires a roaming agreement between the operators.
Shared Short Code: Shared short codes are shared among customers and use keywords to identify their traffic which help to reduce to the cost and speed up the setup process.
Shortcode: Essentially abbreviated phone numbers, shortcodes contain a set of digits, usually less than 10 digits used as the destination address for text messaging. Short codes in the U.S. are 5 or 6 digits, but may be 4 or more digits in other countries. Short codes allow 2-way interaction, as well as Premium SMS.
SMS: Short Message Service (SMS) is a telecommunications protocol that allows the sending of "short" (160 characters or less) text messages. It is available on most digital mobile phones and some personal digital assistants with onboard wireless telecommunications. The individual messages that are sent are called text messages, and more colloquially SMSes, texts, or txts.
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol): An XML based protocol for information exchange in web services and usually relies on other Application Layer protocols, most notably Remote Procedure Call (RPC) and HTTP for message negotiation and transmission. SOAP can form the foundation layer of a web services protocol stack, providing a basic messaging framework upon which web services can be built.
Spam: Unsolicited bulk or junk e-mail.
Spectrum: The range of electromagnetic radio frequencies used in the transmission of sound, data and video. The potential capacity of a wireless network is in part a function of the amount of spectrum licensed to the carrier.
Spending Cap: Maximum allowed spending limit over a given time specified by the carrier on which the program is running.
Standard Rate SMS: Programs or messages that result in only normal text messaging charges being applied to the subscriber's wireless bill, or that result in messages being deducted from a subscriber's messaging plan allowance.
Subscription: A product or service initiated by a user to receive content on an ongoing basis, typically with periodic premium billing events. It is not a one-time usage service.
Sweepstakes: SMS programs which involve users entering into to win a prize. Sweepstakes are governed by a wide array of regulations which are specific to the individual carrier that they are running on.
Switch: In a telecommunications network, a device that channels incoming data from any of multiple input ports to the specific output port that will take the data toward its intended destination.
TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access): Allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using his own time slot. This allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium (e.g. radio frequency channel) while using only a part of its channel capacity. iDEN and GSM are examples of TDMA systems.
Transaction: One-Time usages service where the user will only receive one piece of content for each time they opt into the service.
UGC (User Generated Content): Content which is produced by the user of a service and made available to other users. Facebook and MySpace are examples of services which are composed almost entirely of user generated content.
UML (Unified Modeling Language): A standardized method of blueprinting a system or network through schematics which detail relationships between objects in the system.
User Interaction: The way that a user utilizes or interfaces with a campaign.
Value Chain: The parties necessary to provide a service to an end user. Each member of the value chain provides a distinct service or value which combined fulfills the needs of the end user. Costs and revenues of delivering the service to the user will be shared amongst the members of the value chain but may not necessarily be equal.
Viral Marketing Campaigns: Communication via text message in which consumer A receives the message, identifies consumer B who they believe will be interested in the message, and initiates a process – such as inputting a phone number by which consumer B automatically receives the message.
VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol): The real-time transmission of voice signals over the Internet or IP network.
VPN (Virtual Private Network): A private data network that makes use of a public telecommunication infrastructure, maintaining privacy through the use of a private secure network and security procedures.
WAN (Wide Area Network): A data network extending a LAN (Local Area Network) outside its building, over telecommunication lines or wirelessly, to link to other LANs over great distances.
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol): An open international standard for applications that use wireless communication. Its principal application is to enable access to the Internet from a mobile phone or PDA.
WAP Browser: A WAP browser provides all of the basic services of a computer based web browser but simplified to operate within the restrictions of a mobile phone.
WAP Double Opt-in: Double opting into a program via a WAP site where no other form of communication (ex- SMS or IVR) is used for the opt in portion of the campaign.
WAP Opt-In: Initiating the opt in to a program via a WAP site
WAP Page: A webpage created specifically to be viewed on a cell phone.
WAP Push: A specially encoded SMS message which includes a link to a WAP address. Upon receiving the WAP push the phone's browser can be directed to the address with minimal intervention from the user. WAP push is a commonly used method to direct a user from SMS to a WAP site for the purpose of browsing or delivering content.
WAP Storefronts: WAP site which allows the user to browse content for sale
Web portal: An Internet gateway presenting information from diverse sources in a unified way. Web portals typically provide customers with access to information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
WLANs or Wireless LANs: A type of local area network that uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate between nodes.
XML (Extensible Markup Language): Is classified as an extensible language, because it allows the user to define the mark-up elements. XML's purpose is to aid information systems in sharing structured data, especially via the Internet, to encode documents, and to serialize data.