[asterisk-biz] Asterisk Server + Origination & Termination

[Alex Balashov]

On 10/12/2010 11:05 PM, Peter Beckman wrote:

>    Also note that AT&T and Verizon _OWN_ the network.  SMS is a function, a
>    side benefit, of the existing voice network.  Because it costs them
>    nothing extra to maintain SMS capability, $5/month for unlimited SMS
>    equals $5 of net revenue.

Very literally true.  They cannot even make the argument that there is 
a marginal bandwidth cost because SMSs are padded into existing frames 
in control channels -- frames that get sent anyway.  Hence the 
otherwise curious 160 character limitation.

It's the high-gross margin item of the century.

A lot of smartphones have IP-based text messaging apps these days;  at 
least, the iPhone app store certainly has innumerable ones on offer. 
The problem is that the handset makers actively collude with the 
carriers to sabotage the interface mechanics that would make these 
work well, like good push notifications or fast app load times to pull 
up a message.  No surprise there.

-- 
Alex Balashov - Principal
Evariste Systems LLC
1170 Peachtree Street
12th Floor, Suite 1200
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel: +1-678-954-0670
Fax: +1-404-961-1892
Web: http://www.evaristesys.com/