Editing External Short Messaging Entity (section)

{{Refimprove|date=February 2013}}
{{abbreviations|article|date=December 2010}}

'''External Short Messaging Entity''' ('''ESME''') is an external application that connects to a [[Short message service center|Short Message Service Center (SMSC)]] to engage in the sending or receiving of [[Short message service|SMS]] messages. The term was coined by [[Aldiscon]].

SME is a term used in many cellular circles to describe a network entity (mobile/cell phone) that can send/receive messages.  ESME (pronounced EZ-mee) is essentially one of these but without all the wireless aspects; i.e. it is connected via [[TCP/IP]], [[X.25]] or similar. On SMPP 3.4 protocol specifications ESME refers only to external sources and sinks of short messages as Voice Processing Systems, WAP Proxy Servers or Message Handling computers, and it specifically excludes SMEs which are located within the Mobile Network, i.e., a mobile station (MS).<ref>SMPP Developers ''Short Message Peer to Peer Protocol Specifications v3.4''. SMPP Developers Forum, 1999, p. 10.</ref>

Typical examples of ESMEs are systems that send automated marketing messages to mobile users and [[voting system]]s that process SMS votes (''[[Pop Idol]]'', ''[[Big Brother (TV series)|Big Brother]]'').

SMSC uses protocols such as [[Short Message Peer-to-Peer|SMPP]], [[Universal Computer Protocol|UCP]], [[Object Oriented Input System|OIS]], [[CIMD]], SMCI all of which denote the concept of an ESME connecting to an SMSC.
<ref>[https://www.octopush.com/en/sms-marketing-for-ecommerce-guide/ SMS Marketing for eCommerce]</ref>