Alerts (Email, IM, etc....)

See this document http://www.textworks.net/http-request.pdf, on the right is an example of sending a text message via your ASP page. Its really simple.

These services will be at a cost, some SMS gateways will cost you between £0.05 and £0.10 per tet message. These have to be pre-purchased.

I have never found a free one.

There is a lot of suppliers, check out google results:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=send+sms+via+http&meta=

Good luck,

Dave

you have another option for text messaging people.  it depends on if the mobile phone provider allows it, but you can use their mobile number including area code @ a certain domain for texting.  for instance, verizon has vtext.com for their mobile phones.  send an email to 1234567890@vtext.com will get the message to the phone with a phone number (123) 456-7890.  there are several services that offer a service like this for free to all carriers as well.  you can find the list of carriers and other services on this wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_gateways

i'm in total aggreement with WMIF

my boss and I have alerts sent to my cell phone, and his beeper by shooting it out as an email to our number@ourprovider

in our case it's vtext.com

most mobile sevices now have some sort of texting plan

I know that from a service like AIM I can text message +19995551212 and get a message through to a phone but not sure how to do that from ASP

you send an email to an address in the format i gave you above.  1234567890@vtext.com will go to a phone on the verizon network with the number (123) 456-7890.  this is much easier than worrying about sms because its just a simple email.

But that is just for verizon folks

There has to be a unversal way to send text msgs

read through the first comment that i made and you will see a link that lists all the carriers and several free services that relay to the carriers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_gateways

the carriers:
Alltel Wireless number@message.alltel.com http://www.alltel.com/text_messaging/ 
AT&T Wireless number@mmode.com http://www.mymmode.com/messagecenter/ 
Cellular One (Dobson) number@mobile.celloneusa.com http://www.celloneusa.com/ (the "Send a text message to any other wireless phone" link)
Cingular number@cingularme.com http://www.cingular.com/sendamessage 
Nextel number@page.nextel.com (SMS)
number@messaging.nextel.com (Rich Messaging)
 http://messaging.nextel.com/
Qwest number@qwestmp.com http://www.qwestmp.com/ 
Sprint PCS number@messaging.sprintpcs.com http://messaging.sprintpcs.com/ 
Suncom number@tms.suncom.com http://www.suncom.com/messaging/message.shtml 
T-Mobile number@tmomail.net http://www.t-mobile.com/messaging/ 
Verizon number@vtext.com http://www.vtext.com/ 
Virgin Mobile Canada number@vmobile.ca
Virgin Mobile U.S.A. number@vmobl.com
Vodacom South Africa number@voda.co.za http://www.vodacom4me.co.za/ (registration required)
Rogers (Canada) 10digitnumber@pcs.rogers.com http://www.rogers.com/english/wireless/sendpcs.html 
Bell (Canada) 10digitnumber@txt.bell.ca http://www.txt.bellmobility.ca/bmc/en/ 

Free third-party Email to SMS gateways:

FREE SMS (Free WorldWide SMS) http://www.matezap.com/
Teleflip (North American carriers) http://www.teleflip.com/
Free Text Message (Free SMS to UK and Worldwide) http://www.swagsms.com/

I absolutely agree with WMIF too!

I have this implemented on our website so that I know anytime that a person wants to make a reservation at our ranch.  There isn't any cost to me for "incoming" text messages.  only outgoing.


excellant list of links WMIF!

SO my last question is do you have to do it for each carrier? or is there an option to handle all carriers?

I have yet to find a reliable free service... hence why i use pay-as-you-go HTTP services, i hope you manage to find one.