What 25 years of A2P SMS have taught us about reliable communication – the experience behind Target365

Espen Fosse-Storaas, CCO Target365

A2P SMS (SMS Gateway services) is often referred to as a mature technology. To some it may sound like something fully developed – almost outdated. In practice, the opposite is true. A2P SMS is today one of the most stable and socially critical digital channels that exist.

Target365 is built by people who have been around since the early commercial years of A2P SMS. This experience shapes how the company works, how the platform is built – and why stability and predictability always come before hype. A2P SMS as a digital infrastructure

Long before concepts like CPaaS, omnichannel, and conversational messaging were established, SMS was already a critical communication channel. Notifications, logins, payments, and confirmations were delivered via SMS – and still are.

Today, A2P SMS is used in:

• healthcare and public notifications

• authentication and security flows (OTP, 2FA)

• commercial promotions, orders and payment

• crisis and emergency communication

Common to these applications is one requirement: it must work – every time.

Experience from the industry's early stages

Target365 was founded by individuals with backgrounds from key players in the Nordic SMS industry, including Link Mobility and PSWinCom. The experience goes back to a time when A2P SMS was still in the process of being commercialized, and much of the infrastructure had to be built from scratch.

This period provided insights that are still relevant today:

• how traffic is actually routed in mobile networks

• why delivery quality varies between operators

• how regulatory requirements affect message flow

• What happens when messages don't arrive?

Such experiences are difficult to learn from – they must be built over time.

When mature technology is underestimated

As new channels and formats have emerged, SMS has often been referred to as “old technology.” At the same time, volumes have increased, and the demands for quality and security have become stricter.

A2P SMS is today:

• globally available

• independent of apps and operating systems

• extremely robust

• still the first choice in critical situations

Delivering SMS reliably still requires a thorough understanding of carrier structure, routing, sender protection, and local regulation.

A platform built for change - not for trends

The Target365 platform is designed with a modular and channel-agnostic architecture, meaning that new communication channels can be deployed when the market is ready – without compromising stability or quality.

The platform is already rigged to open up to multiple channels, such as WhatsApp and email. At the same time, this is a conscious choice: WhatsApp currently has a limited foothold in Norway and the Nordics within A2P use, and email is already well covered by established players.

This does not mean that Target365 will not offer these channels. It means that new channels will be launched when:

• the market actually demands them

• customers have specific needs

• time-to-market is right – both for customers and for the supplier

This approach is a direct result of experience: technology should be introduced when it creates value, not just because it is available.

Why experience still matters Messaging at scale isn't just about APIs and documentation. It's about understanding the entire value chain—from the sender's application to the recipient's mobile.

Target365 is built with a long-term perspective:

• close cooperation with mobile operators

• focus on quality rather than short-term volume

• flexibility to adapt to market and customer needs over time

This makes the platform well suited for businesses that depend on stable, predictable and future-oriented communication.

A foundation for next-generation messaging

While SMS remains the backbone, the messaging landscape is evolving. RCS, interactive message flows, and in-dialog payments are opening up new possibilities – but still building on the same foundation: reliable delivery.

Target365 combines solid experience from A2P SMS with modern messaging and payment solutions, while the platform is rigged to adopt new channels when the market is mature.

A conscious, long-term choice

Target365 is not built for quick wins or short-term trends. The company is established to be a stable, long-term player in the messaging market – for businesses that need solutions they can rely on over time.

In an industry in constant change, experience is not a limitation. It is a competitive advantage.