Glossary
A quick reference guide to common terms used throughout the PowerSMPP documentation.
Messaging Terms
| Term |
Full Form |
Description |
| SMS |
Short Message Service |
Standard text messaging protocol for mobile devices |
| MT |
Mobile Terminated |
A message sent to a mobile handset (outbound) |
| MO |
Mobile Originated |
A message sent from a mobile handset (inbound) |
| DLR |
Delivery Report |
Status notification confirming whether an MT message was delivered |
| A2P |
Application-to-Person |
Automated messages sent from an application to end users |
| P2P |
Person-to-Person |
Messages exchanged between individual users |
SMPP Protocol
| Term |
Full Form |
Description |
| SMPP |
Short Message Peer-to-Peer |
Industry-standard protocol for exchanging SMS between systems |
| SMSC |
Short Message Service Centre |
Central system that stores, routes, and delivers SMS messages |
| ESME |
External Short Messaging Entity |
An external application that connects to the SMSC via SMPP |
| PDU |
Protocol Data Unit |
A single SMPP data packet exchanged between ESME and SMSC |
| Bind |
— |
The process of establishing an SMPP session between ESME and SMSC |
| Tx |
Transmitter |
An SMPP session that can only send messages |
| Rx |
Receiver |
An SMPP session that can only receive messages |
| TRx |
Transceiver |
An SMPP session that can both send and receive messages |
| TPS |
Transactions Per Second |
The throughput capacity of an SMPP connection |
Addressing
| Term |
Full Form |
Description |
| TON |
Type of Number |
Defines the format of the address (e.g., International, Alphanumeric) |
| NPI |
Numbering Plan Indicator |
Identifies the numbering standard (e.g., E.164, ISDN) |
| OA |
Originating Address |
The sender address (source) of a message |
| DA |
Destination Address |
The recipient address (destination) of a message |
| MCC |
Mobile Country Code |
A 3-digit code identifying a mobile subscriber's country |
| MNC |
Mobile Network Code |
A 2-3 digit code identifying a mobile network operator |
| MSISDN |
Mobile Station International Subscriber Directory Number |
The full international phone number of a mobile subscriber |
| Term |
Description |
| Rate Plan |
A pricing template that defines per-message costs for different destinations |
| Routing Rule |
A rule that determines which gateway handles a message based on criteria like destination, sender, or content |
| Gateway |
An external SMSC or aggregator connection configured in iTextPRO |
| Interface |
An SMPP or HTTP connector that allows partners to connect to iTextPRO |
| Blind Routing |
Allows message submission to destinations without pre-defined cost prices |
| Stop Loss |
A maximum gateway cost threshold to prevent losses on blind-routed messages |
| HLR Lookup |
Home Location Register query to validate a mobile number before sending |
| DLT |
Distributed Ledger Technology — India's regulatory framework for A2P SMS requiring pre-registration of senders and templates |
Billing & Business
| Term |
Description |
| Prepaid |
Billing mode where users must have sufficient credit balance before sending |
| Postpaid |
Billing mode where users are billed after consumption |
| Base Currency |
The primary currency used for all internal billing calculations |
| Recurring Invoice |
Automated invoice generated at regular intervals (weekly, monthly, etc.) |
System & Monitoring
| Term |
Description |
| Event Viewer |
A log viewer for monitoring system events, errors, and warnings |
| Audit Log |
A chronological record of all user and system actions for compliance |
| PDU Logger |
A tool to capture and inspect raw SMPP protocol data packets |
| Enquire Link |
An SMPP keep-alive packet sent periodically to maintain active sessions |
| QoS |
Quality of Service — metrics used to evaluate gateway delivery performance |