hootSMS is a plug-in SMS service for twitter users that are no longer supported by the once free SMS feature. This service was discontinued for users outside of India, Canada and the US on the 14th August 2008. We aim to fill that void in your life with a service that improves upon the original by notifying you - via SMS - of new followers and tweets along with the more popular direct messages.
hootSMS uses twitter-provided methods to hook into the twitter API and fetch your data. This data is then relayed via the hootSMS globe-spanning network to your mobile phone device.
Well, from the feedback we're getting from our members, we seem to be the only reliable service that delivers the correct messages, from the right people at the proper time. We only use the very best carrier-grade network routes and hootSMS is powered by a redundant server at the back-end. This means your SMS will arrive seconds after being dispatched. Many SMS providers use cheaper offshore network routes in an attempt to cut costs by avoiding termination fees.
With hootSMS, if a message is being sent to the UK then it is sent direct through the UK Networks and not via foreign networks. You may find cheaper providers for SMS, but they are highly likely to be using foreign networks, which are cheaper because they avoid termination charges from UK Networks. These foreign messages are less reliable and so less likely to be received by the recipients. Many SMS providers do not make you aware of where their messages are terminated so you may need to ask.
If you find us too expensive in your country, let us know and we'll see what we can do!
We've also designed our system to be twitter downtime-proof from the ground up. We frequently cache your data so if twitter falls over (as it often does through sheer volume), hootSMS patiently waits and continues when twitter picks itself up again.
In a nutshell, we'd rather have happy customers and a reliable and responsive system than try to cut corners and save a few pennies.
