Esendex has its origin in UK but now a global bulk SMS provider with offices in Spain and Australia.
This review focuses on this bulk SMS UK service focusing on their price, features, reliability and customer service levels.
Our March 2019 Esendex review found their bulk SMS features included:
Since starting in Nottingham in 2001, the company now employed over 140 people.
This bulk SMS provider has established and developed a technological sophisticated SMS API infrastructure that is able to effectively distribute text messages from an email of a business to a format that can be translated into SMS to mobile users nominated by the business. The whole system uses the standard web platform that everyone is accustomed to. By sending and receiving SMS online, businesses can see and measure the effectiveness of communicating a message in a simple form that every computer and mobile user will understand and can also interact.
Esendex has the capacity to integrate SMS into apps and software, as well as the opportunity to do SMS chat using real-time SMS conversation.
This bulk SMS provider can distribute small, medium and large volumes of text messages at any one time in an efficient way. Having developed a sophisticated SMS platform known as REST API, this means that message dispatcher system is able to distribute one or more text messages when required, whether it is at a scheduled time or required to be sent immediately.
Once distribution of the text message is done, every SMS can be tracked and a status report be provided on delivery of the message. This way the business can analyse the responses received and work out the effectiveness of the message and determine any more appropriates ways to get better feedback. This way businesses can clarify and acknowledge the success of the text message. It can also provide real time updates via push notifications.
Another feature that Esendex provides is its capabilities of combining its Voice SMS, Email, Mobile and Web products in a way that will suit the business requirements for sending out a message that every computer and mobile user will know about. For examples, Esendex Voice API is able to have a company or organisation automate voice broadcasts. This is good when one needs to notify, alert or remind people about a matter promptly through broadcasting via their text to speech technology.
The schedule of charges per text message by the bulk SMS distributor is rather vague. It shows three levels of charges but does not elaborate on the difference in charges between low volumes of SMS to a high volume of SMS. It does state that there is a scaling system but does not elaborate other than to indicate ‘from just 2.5p’ Is this charge on a monthly basis and what volumes is the provider referring to?
There is no contract but not mention of a set up costs, monthly fees, price guarantee, or other charges such a keywords on shared short code, virtual mobile numbers and dedicated short code.
As shown above it mentions the automated Voice services from ‘3.5p per minute’ but no other details and the ability to take online payments via ones business website from major car providers but no details are specified. To view providers that do provide their prices online you can view the UK Bulk SMS provider comparison table.
Esendex offers a customer care centre but it is in the form of a response to an email and provides a commitment that a reply will be received within 4 hours within business hours. If a 24/7 service is required than a charge will be imposed. There is a telephone number and appears to be for sales and marketing purposes. It states that they have received a 9.1 TrustScore for their excellent customer service.
One service they do offer is a free trial of 25 SMS which will show the value of SMS distribution works.
They have built strong relationships with UK’s leading mobile networks. These direct connections mean your messages will not be routed anywhere else.
Esendex is a registered firm with ISO 27001 and Payment Card Industry (PCI) security compliant which means that they ensure security measures are in place to protect information provided by the client from being used by unauthorized people and have measures in place against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage. This means that most of the resources in the REST API are protected by security privileges granted to an s specific user.
There is no detail about being SPAM complaint by Esendex.
Both up-time guarantee and latency of SMS distribution is not detailed in Esendex website. Uptime measures the performance of Esendex API in ensuring the SMS are effectively distributed as required. It shows the percentage of times the service is operational. Latency is the time taken to distribute the text message.
In the case of Esendex, it states that its SMS gateway is directly connected to all the UK mobile networks and that is very good if these carriers are premium ones rather than hybrids that use other international less reliable telecommunication carriers. Their commitment to ‘90% of SMS being processed within 5 seconds and 95% within 20m seconds’ is good. The detail on how long (latency) does it take for SMS to reach the mobile user is not detailed.
There is no mention of Esendex offering a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which guarantees a level of availability to the client when a message is required to be sent out.
SMS Comparison is an independent comparison sites that offer people an opportunity to compare different reputable SMS providers in UK with features, pricing, reliability and customer services.
These sites and associated SMS comparison tables are prepared by a team of experts in the SMS field who found that so many businesses required information that would make it easier to compare, select and engage a reliable and reputable SMS bulk provider. The authors do not work in the SMS area now and so felt that they are able to provide a fair, reasonable and independent review of a number of providers who have credibility within the SMS business.
Since the SMS providers can change their information on their sites anytime, should you find on the comparison site or table details to be different from the providers’ information, please let the authors know and changes will be made.
It is hoped that the SMS Comparison Table and associated site will assist you in being able to easily compare and make a sound a decision should that be your requirement.
Last updated on 9 March 2019