Send out Bulk SMS messages on my own?

Hello everyone!

Trying something out and initially I wanted to do e-mail marketing, but I figured that text messaging a code to a number for a SMS list would be simpler for customers, rather than entering email and name. Problem is, all the sms services I can find charge about the same than I plan on charging my clients. The best I can find is http://www.txt180.com and even that is pushing it. I did some quick research and heard people mention using "gateways" to accomplish this.

Anyone have any input before I go back to using e-mail marketing.

There's SMS gateway services, which generally use an http-based API, are generally app-terminated, and start around 1 cent a message. There's SMS gateway hardware, the simplest of which generally involves inserting one or more sim cards, provisioning service, and plugging it into your network or usb port and using supplied software or an API to send and receive messages, decent equipment starts around $500.