Communicating to Windows Mobile using C#.net over TCP/IP or HTTP?

We are building an application which is suppose to connect to the Support Engineer's Mobile phone and will alert him about any job to be done.

This application will be based on 2 parts. one is Cont开发者_C百科rol Centre part where the interface will be built using Silverlight 4.0 and ppl from Control Centre will be using it using normal pc over internet. The 2nd part is based on the Mobile Part where the support Engineer will be sent a communication via some magic that there is a job. And if the support Engineer will accept the job then the job will assigned to his tasks list...

Now the only issue is that how we communicate to the support Engineer on his mobile. We have couple of options...like SMS, Email over SMS etc...

SMS option is costly, so due to the cost management has refused the option, but actually SMS is fine as far as it is sent from the control Centre, but how we get the reply back from the support engineer. Coz we dont want the support engineer send us reply VIA sms coz this will cost him(thats why management refused this option). We have decided a solution that built a custom application for windows mobile which will intercept the coming SMS on the Support Engineer's mobile and will rasie a poupup detailing the job specs and on the same popup there will be couple of buttons like Accept, Reject. what ever the action will be taken it will update the control room via internet/WCF/HTTP. I have no idea how? and thats why I am here.

I am posting all this LOVE STORY so that any body senior can guide me abut the architect if it is ok or not...or any other options we can dig down further.

I appreciate your participation in this regard.

Thanks

Communication to the device is typically the hard part because the device rarely will have a routable network address. Sending an SMS is a reasonable way - so is sending an email (that's how the Microsoft email transport for WCF works). Another option is to have the device periodically "check in" to a server to see if it has any messages waiting.

Communication back is pretty simple. Build up a public web/WCF service that the devices communicate back to. Personally I'd probably lean toward a REST service to keep your mobile connection point a bit more open in the event you want to connect via something that maybe doesn't support WCF.

@Shax I've not done any mobile development but I think you need a WP7 app that will poll control center server over HTTP etc. if there is any job for the engineer. Another option will be to push any job notification from server to mobile. But I am not sure if this (push notification) is easier and/or cost effective.

Another option will be of setting up a website with details of jobs, then you can alert engineer with an SMS. Upon receiving SMS engineer can log into website and get details of the job.