Business SMS for notifications, alerts and campaigns
Reach any mobile phone with delivery alerts, one-time passwords and opted-in offers, sent from your registered sender ID over BroadNet's operator connectivity and tracked message by message.
SMS from an alphanumeric sender ID on a phone lock screen. Sender name and messages are sample data.
Short answer
Updated
OmniChannels.ai sends business SMS through BroadNet Technologies, which has direct connections to more than 1,000 operators and aggregators. You upload an opted-in list, preview the message, filter duplicates and send now or on a schedule from a registered sender ID, or connect through the REST API or SMPP 3.4. Two-way SMS replies reach the shared inbox. Arabic uses Unicode, which fits fewer characters per segment.
What business SMS covers in OmniChannels.ai
Delivered over BroadNet's operator connectivity
SMS traffic runs through BroadNet Technologies, which has direct connections to more than 1,000 operators and aggregators, so routing questions go to the team that runs the network side.
Send from a registered sender ID
Messages show your brand name or number in the From field. We help you prepare the registration documents that operators and regulators ask for in each market.
Upload opted-in lists from Excel or CSV
Import recipients from a spreadsheet, map columns to message variables and let duplicate filtering remove repeated numbers before anything is sent.
Preview the message before it goes out
Check the final text with variables filled in, so you catch a broken name field or an unexpected switch to Unicode before the campaign starts.
Send now or on a schedule
Launch immediately or pick a date and time that respects the sending hours your destination markets allow for promotional traffic.
Arabic and English messages
Write in Arabic, English or both. Arabic uses Unicode encoding, which fits 70 characters in a single SMS instead of 160.
Delivery reports (DLR) per message
Summary and advanced reports show submitted, delivered and failed status from operator delivery receipts, with filters by date and campaign and CSV export.
REST API and SMPP 3.4
Send from your own systems through the REST API, or bind over SMPP 3.4 with TLS for high volume, with delivery webhooks and HLR number lookup.
Two-way SMS in the inbox
Replies to numbers set up for two-way SMS arrive in the shared inbox, in the same thread as the customer's other channels.
Prepaid wallet billing
SMS usage draws from a prepaid wallet, so spend stays within the balance your finance team has approved.
How long can an SMS be?
One non-GSM character, such as an Arabic letter or an emoji, switches the whole message to Unicode. Each segment is usually billed separately.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| GSM-7, single message | Up to 160 characters of basic Latin text, digits and common punctuation. |
| GSM-7, long message | 153 characters per segment, because each part carries a header that lets the phone reassemble it. |
| Unicode, single message | Up to 70 characters. Needed for Arabic, emoji and many accented letters. |
| Unicode, long message | 67 characters per segment. A 200-character Arabic message usually needs three segments. |
| Extension characters | Symbols such as €, [, ], { and } count as two GSM-7 characters each. |
How to start sending business SMS
Sender ID approval is usually the longest step, so we start it with you during discovery.
- 1
Agree markets and traffic types
List the countries you send to and separate transactional traffic, such as OTPs and alerts, from promotional campaigns.
- 2
Register your sender IDs
Submit your trade license or commercial registration, an authorization letter and brand proof. Rules and timelines vary by country and operator.
- 3
Fund your wallet
Top up the prepaid wallet that SMS usage is charged against.
- 4
Upload an opted-in list and preview
Import recipients from Excel or CSV, filter duplicates and check the rendered message and its segment count.
- 5
Test, then send or schedule
Send to internal numbers on each operator first, read the delivery report, then launch or schedule the campaign.
Is SMS the right channel for this message?
A good fit when
- You need to reach customers who may not have WhatsApp, Telegram or a data connection.
- You send OTPs, payment alerts, appointment reminders or delivery updates.
- You want delivery confirmation per message from the operator.
- You send in Arabic and English across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other markets.
Good to know before you start
- Replies need a number set up for two-way SMS; customers cannot reply to an alphanumeric sender ID.
- Alphanumeric sender IDs usually need registration before use, and some countries do not support them at all.
- Promotional SMS often has restricted sending hours and opt-out rules set by each market's regulator or operators.
- SMS shows plain text only: no images, buttons or read receipts. Use RCS with SMS fallback for rich messages.
- SMPP binds are provisioned per account, and API test access sends only to your own verified numbers.
Channel fallback, step by step
Send once through the platform or the API. If a step isn't delivered in time, the next channel takes over automatically, and every status comes back in one webhook format.
- 01
WhatsApp
Rich template with buttons, read receipts and replies in the inbox
- 02
RCS
Branded rich card where the handset and operator support RCS
- 03
SMS
Reaches every mobile phone over direct operator routes
- 04
Voice
A spoken code or message when text isn't getting through
Business SMS questions
Do I need to register a sender ID in the UAE or Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes. Alphanumeric sender IDs for business traffic are registered through a licensed provider under rules set by TDRA in the UAE and CST in Saudi Arabia. Requirements, formats and timelines change, so confirm the current rules with the regulator and operators before you plan a launch date.
Can I use the same sender ID for OTPs and promotions?
Usually not. Most markets expect separate transactional and promotional sender IDs, and promotional content sent on a transactional ID can be blocked. Keep OTPs and alerts on a transactional ID.
Why does my Arabic SMS cost more than the English version?
Arabic needs Unicode encoding, which fits 70 characters in one SMS and 67 per segment in longer messages, against 160 and 153 for basic Latin text. The same idea in Arabic often needs more segments. Tight editing keeps the segment count down.
What does a delivery report tell me?
A delivery report, or DLR, is the operator's confirmation of what happened to each message: delivered, failed or still pending. It does not show whether the customer read the SMS. Reports can be filtered by date and campaign and exported as CSV.
Can customers reply to my SMS?
Yes, with two-way SMS on a number that can receive messages. Replies arrive in the shared inbox, where agents or a chatbot answer. Customers cannot reply to an alphanumeric sender ID, so use a number when you expect answers.
Can I send SMS from my own system?
Yes. Use the REST API with a bearer token, or SMPP 3.4 over TLS for high volume, with binds provisioned for your account. Delivery statuses come back by webhook, and HLR lookup can check numbers before you send.
Guides on this topic
- UAE & Saudi ArabiaSMS Sender ID Registration in the UAE and Saudi Arabia Explained8 min read
- SMS & OTPSMS Character Limits: GSM-7, Unicode, Arabic and Emoji Explained8 min read
- SMS & OTPBulk SMS Best Practices: How to Plan Campaigns That Deliver8 min read
- SMS & OTPWhat Is A2P SMS? How Business Messages Reach the Handset8 min read
- SMS & OTPSMS Pumping Fraud: How AIT Works and How to Stop It9 min read
- MarketingSent vs Delivered vs Read vs Failed: Message Status Explained8 min read
Explore more of the platform
Plan your SMS traffic with us
Tell us your destination countries, sender IDs and expected volumes. We'll walk you through registration, routing and delivery reporting for your case.