SMS Gateway follow up

I've had a lot of interest in my SMS Gateway app since this post. SMS gateway consist of two components :

SMS Gateway Addin
This is an Outlook addin that adds a new toolbar to your Outlook instance. The toolbar allow the user to choose a mobile / cellphone number (from their contacts) and enter a message. When they hit the enter key after the message (or click 'Send') a new Task is created when has a subject of 'SECRETCODE' and the mobile / cellphone number and the details being the text of the message.

At some stage this Outlook Task is synchronized (over ActiveSync / Direct Push) to a Windows mobile device...

SMSGateway
This is a small app running on a Windows Mobile device that every 15 seconds checks through the tasks. If it finds any tasks that have a subject beginning with SECRETCODE then it parses out the mobile / cellphone number and sends the message text (from the Task details) to that mobile / cellphone number via SMS. Note: the SECRETCODE word is configurable.

Why develop this ?
The purpose of this app was really to allow me to send SMS messages easily from Outlook without having to sign up for (and pay for) a web to SMS service (I already get 100's of free SMS messages with my mobile / cellphone package).

The application is free for anyone to use (drop me a line - in the comments - if you do use it...)

Windows Mobile CAB file (copy the file to your Windows Mobile device and click on it) : SMSGatewayMobile.CAB
Setup file for the Outlook 2003 Add-in (Outlook 2007 coming soon) : SMSGatewayAddin2003.msi
Source for both the applications : SMSGateway.zip (includes test Outlook 2007 addin code)

I'd be really interested to hear from anyone using this.... post in the comments...

GEO 51.4043197631836:-1.28760504722595

Posted: Friday, January 09, 2009 10:29:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Sunday, March 15, 2009 11:41:23 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Hi!

I think that idea is great.
It's stupid to have two very capable and flexible machines (notebook and cellphone) and not to be able to use their general functions in most effective way.

I'm using outlook 2007, is it compatible with currently offered add-ins?

Branimir Lozo

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 5:50:47 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Branimir,

I should have had this published some time ago, but I struggled for ages with trying to get it published as a ClickOnce app. After many problems with certificates, I just deployed it to a file system and zipped up the resulting files.
You can download it from here : http://www.kapie.com/projects/smsgateway/smsgateway2007.zip

Let me know how you get on with it...

.. Ken

Ken Hughes

Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:25:50 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

Hi Ken,

I would like to try your app, but I use Outlook 2007.
Is this possible?

Regrards,
Bob

Bob Ferguson

Friday, May 08, 2009 12:25:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

@Bob - See the comment above yours - there is a link to a zip file containing the installer for Outlook 2007.

Ken Hughes

Monday, December 07, 2009 12:50:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

There are solutions around that allow you to send a SMS from a form on a web page, but these are generally paid for services or limited to XX messages per day - I have a mobile contract with unlimited texting

Free SMS

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