One of Australia’s first business-grade SMS gateway providers, SMSGlobal is this year celebrating its 15th anniversary since release into the Australian market.
With over half a million users globally, the company is now responsible for sending more than 1.2 billion SMS messages each year.
Founded in 2007 by CEO and 2013 Ernst & Young its Entrepreneur of The Year nominee Carl Krumins, SMSGlobal quickly grew into an international operation, providing mobile messaging, platform development solutions and API for businesses, now in every country around the world.
Krumins, who conceived the company as a start-up from his garage, remembers the early days when the bulk SMS messaging industry was dominated by just a few big players.
“There were a few companies dominating the whole space back then, and charging a pretty significant amount per SMS message,” Krumins said.
“I saw a gap and wanted to create a better platform that focused on tailored customer service to differentiate my business from the competition.”
“I always had the mindset of shifting from an Australian company, to a global company,” he said.
After starting the company in his garage at home, Krumins’ vision of making it on the international stage manifested quickly.
2009 was a defining year for SMSGlobal. Krumins opened the company’s first international office in Dubai. As a meeting point for business in the East and West, this move enabled SMSGlobal to establish a new customer base in Europe and the UK.
Industry recognition occurred in 2010 when SMSGlobal was announced as winner of Mobile Company of the Year at Australia’s Mobile Industry Awards. This was further enhanced with the procurement of contracts with some of the world’s most reputable organisations – including Microsoft, Etihad, Samsung and IBM.
In 2012, the company’s philosophy was to continue reinvesting into people and technology. During this period, SMSGlobal introduced an API suite, which enabled the streamlining of communication processes for customers to integrate core functionality into any application environment they wish.
In 2013, they underwent a significant brand transformation. This involved the launch of a new website, the reputable MXT platform, and continuous advancements in API functionality.
The following years saw vast international expansion across the world, with a focus on the North American market; with technology improvements for their SMS services platform.
SMSGlobal’s services were essential during the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic, helping businesses and government remain connected during this time of significant social isolation across the globe.
Krumins believes the next 15 years will hold as much success for the company and has hinted at new
product releases.
“Because of the way businesses operate in the current landscape, SMS will continue to remain
relevant. It’s still the most effective way for businesses to communicate with their audience,”
Krumins said.
“In terms of what the future holds – we’re looking forward to further developing our voice
communications offering and soon-to-be-released email platform,” he said.
SMSGlobal currently has three core offices; in Melbourne (AU), San Diego (USA) and Dubai (UAE).