Patent ID: 8005493

Claim:
A method of managing SMS messages in a first mobile operator network, said network comprising a plurality of subscribers and a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC), the method comprising the steps of: starting a delivery attempt of the SMS message from a first subscriber to a second subscriber via said SMSC; intercepting transparently to the SMSC said SMS message delivery attempt from the first subscriber in the network before delivery of said SMS message, by intercepting an inbound HLR query associated with said message delivery attempt, by examining said intercepted HLR query for possible invocation of a smart service to said SMS message, including the steps of: routing the HLR query onward to a HLR generating a response to the HLR query in the HLR, the HLR query response including a mobile network location address of said second subscriber; replacing, in a smart services control node, the mobile network location address of said second subscriber in an HLR query response with the network location address of the smart services control node; routing said intercepted SMS message delivery attempt via the smart services control node in the network; and invoking said smart services for said SMS message destined to said subscriber in response to said examination.