Sending text messages to mobiles

[Richard Jones]

On Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:28 am, Byron Morgan wrote:
> I am a Python newbie, building a Python app that monitors live data,
> sending event-driven notifications to cellphones, pagers, email,
> instant message clients. I have found and used Py-TOC, a clean
> implementation of AOL's AIM services.
>
> My Question:
> Has anyone done an interface to Yahoo! Messenger? I am particularly
> interested because Yahoo! provides an easy cellular text messaging
> gateway.

There are plenty of sms gateways out there other than yahoo messenger. Most 
(if not all) support a simple HTTPS system where you make a single HTTPS GET 
request like:

    data = urllib.urlencode({'userid': 'blah', 'password': 'sekrit',
        'phone': mobile, 'message': message})
    response = urllib2.urlopen('https://provider.com/send.cgi', data)

Yes, that's all there is to it (assuming you've signed up with the provider 
and bought some credits ;)

A google search for "sms messaging gateway" will provide plenty of providers 
to choose from. Things to look for are the cost per message and how they 
handle (and inform you of) error responses. You may also be interested in 
whether they provide a callback system from handset delivery confirmation. Up 
to you.


    Richard