SMSpohjainen

SMSpohjainen is a Finnish term that refers to systems, services, or applications that are based on or rely primarily on SMS messaging as their mode of communication. The concept emphasizes the use of standard mobile messaging rather than mobile internet services, making it accessible to users with basic mobile phones and limited data connectivity.

Technical characteristics: operation through short codes or long numbers; use of keywords; message length restrictions; use of carrier SMS centers; can be implemented through gateways; support for GSM 7-bit and Unicode; typical response times and delivery receipts; scalability considerations.

Common applications: transactional messages (one-time passwords, alerts), informational alerts (weather or public notices), polls and voting, subscription content, customer support queues, marketing campaigns (with opt-in).

Limitations and considerations: costs for recipients; opt-in regulatory compliance; privacy; opt-out; reliability versus internet-based channels; latency; potential for spam; security concerns, such as SMS-based OTP vulnerabilities (e.g., SIM swap, SIM cloning).

History and status: SMS has been a widespread mobile communication method since the 1990s; in Finland, many services historically used SMSpohjainen; with growing smartphone penetration some services move to app-based channels, but SMS remains important for reach and legacy systems.