Pager, SMS, and Other Mobile Notification Tools

Last reviewed on December 8, 2011

Many services allow you to send messages to your pager or SMS device using a special e-mail address.

Other issues to consider when you are evaluating pager software is whether your paging service can strip off the headers of forwarded e-mail messages or send notifications of reminders.

If you are looking for two-way access to mail and other Exchange or Outlook data, see Tools for Mobile Access to Microsoft Exchange Server.

Pages and SMS tools for Microsoft Exchange are now at Pager, SMS, and Other Mobile Notification Tools for Microsoft Exchange

SMS to Cell phones

The major US cellular carriers use the 10_digit_number@cell.carrier_domain.com format for SMS to text capable cell phones, with a limit of 160 characters in the subject and message body (total).

See Send SMS or Text Messages to Cellular Phones for more information.

Tools in the Spotlight

E-mail Reminders

Forwards reminders to your mobile phone, pager or PDA. Please enter code WD9BHK53 during checkout.

Tools

BitWare Plus

Includes pager notification of new voice messages.

FAB SMS Addin for Microsoft Outlook

Send Short Message Service (SMS) messages to virtually any SMS wireless device from Outlook, using any Outlook address list. Can also send vCard contacts and vCal appointments via SMS to compatible devices.

Headwind SMS Outlook Add-In

This add-in enables sending and receiving SMS from the Outlook application using the mobile phone or GSM modem. The short messages may be sent to any number, Outlook contact or distribution list. The received SMS are delivered to the Inbox folder. The add-in supports long SMS, non-Latin encodings and WAP Push messages.

Important Dates+

Important Dates+ is a reminder system enhancement to Microsoft Outlook. It allows you to place reminders on any item in any private folder in Outlook or public folder in Exchange. For example, you can put a reminder on a contact and set daily, weekly, monthly or custom date patterns of your choosing. Reminders are sent as e-mail messages to all recipients noted on the Reminder. Important Dates+ works well as a "Bring Forward" or "Tickler" system and as a basic project and task manager. MS Exchange server is required.

MailFiler Pro

Utility to organize mail by adding a unique reference to each conversation thread, tracking all messages related to that thread in an indexed database, and filing them to specific location. It "remembers" where you filed mail from specific senders and uses the same folder for new mail from that sender. You can also designate mail from certain senders as bulk mail. Cleans out junk mail on demand. Identifies suspected spam or viruses. Provides reminders for tasks linked to conversations, and sends notifications to SMS, pager, or other mail account.

Microsoft Outlook SMS Add-in (MOSA)

Use this add-in to send SMS text messages through most GSM mobile phones connected to your PC using Outlook 2003. You can enter your SMS text within a Outlook-type entry form and have it sent to your mobile phone for delivery through your mobile phone network service. There is no requirement to install third-party software or to subscribe to additional mobile network services if your mobile phone can be connected to your PC. This is typically via an infrared connection, Bluetooth technology, or a USB/serial cable. The SMS messages can be saved as a draft, grouped, and forwarded like standard Outlook 2003 e-mail.

mobile4you

Windows system tray application to forward messages and reminders to a pager, mobile phone, or any email address. Includes simple keyword-based spam filter. Provides 4 levels of text compression for messages.

My Schedule

Outlook utility to send e-mail reminders from Calendar appointments. Requires e-mail access to your pager

Outlook Mobile Manager

Microsoft Outlook Mobile Manager (OMM) can prioritize your messages and makes smart decisions about when to send email. OMM also sends calendar reminders, task reminders, and an Outlook Today style daily summary all to your wireless device. Requires Exchange server and Outlook 2003. Version 2.

OutlookSMS

Enables any version of Outlook to send SMS messages to mobile phone numbers listed in Outlook contacts and generate SMS appointment reminders automatically. Can also handle SMS replies back to your Inbox. Product consists of an Outlook add-in plus a service to generate the SMS messages. Does not trigger Outlook security prompts. A Lotus Notes version, NotesSMS, is also available.

PagER

Sends appointment reminder notices to your pager. Requires Microsoft Exchange Server.

Reminder Manager

Reminder Manager provides reminders from any email, calendar, tasks or contacts folder in any open mail store. This allows you to set reminders on items in any folder in your mailbox or PST file, secondary PST files or public folders. Reminders can be emailed to any pager or email enabled communications device.

Simply Messenger PRO

Integrates voice mail and fax with either Exchange and Outlook. Also notifies your pager of incoming messages and allows you to compose pager messages. Logs incoming and outgoing calls and supports Caller ID.

SMSalias

Use SMSalias to send SMS messages as email from Outlook, providing the user a real 2-way SMS communication. The user receives SMS replies from messages sent from any mobile phone as emails in the inbox. Compatible with contacts stored within your Outlook/Exchange address books and supports multiple recipients.

SwiftSMS Outlook

Service and software that allows you to send SMS messages from within Outlook, use rules to forward incoming email messages to SMS with optional text compression, and send reminders to SMS. Tracks sent SMS messages in the Journal folder. Also available in a 2-way version that allows you to read SMS replies from your desktop.

TeleMessage MS Outlook Plugin

Use the global TeleMessage messaging service to send messages from within Outlook to telephones (using a text-to-speech engine), fax machines, pagers, SMS devices, email addresses, and instant messaging applications.

Written by

Diane Poremsky
A Microsoft Outlook Most Valuable Professional (MVP) since 1999 and involved in IT support since 1985, Diane is the author of several books and video training CDs and online training classes for Microsoft Outlook. You can find her helping people online in Outlook Forums as well as in the Microsoft Answers and TechNet forums.