Dedicated to You

You have been sharing a code and are contemplating getting your own dedicated short code. I have compiled some things to consider when you are thinking about going the extra mile and having your own short code.

Dedicated short codes can be beneficial for you if you don’t want to share a short code with other companies, possibly even competitors, they will literally be “dedicated to you”. With a shared short code there are several business that are using the same short code. If a business is not complying with the rules and regulations of  the CTIA on a shared short code that could cause problems for the other businesses; however, compliance is monitored very closely on shared short codes.

Another factor to consider when thinking about purchasing your own dedicated short code is the price. Dedicated short codes can be very expensive, because you are reserving a number to be solely for you or your company. Not the same concept of getting a local telephone number. Depending on how you go about obtaining your dedicated short code it can be anywhere from $500 a month to over a $1,000 a month. Just like a personalized license plate you can pick your own vanity short code or you can just get the random short code given to you. Like almost anything personalized it is going to cost more money to choose the short code that you want for you or your business.

Dedicated short codes have to be  provisioned, which means working with aggregators and working with carriers, etc. This can be a lengthy process that takes some time, so make sure you are not doing this last minute should you decide to go with your own dedicated short code. Dedicated short codes can take a couple months to setup due to all the briefs you have to fill out and submitted to each carrier. Once the carriers give the a okay the short code will need to be tested to ensure it is working properly.

If you have the time and resources to have your own dedicated short code than that is best way to 100% white label your business. If you do not have a lot of time or money to put into a dedicated short code a shared short code can be a great way to resolve your problems. Moral of the story there is nothing wrong with either option, dedicated short code or shared short code. Both options are great depending on your situation.