Abstract: Short messages sent by a mobile terminal from a foreign network are routed to an external short-message entity. An external short-message entity, which runs on a computer in a data network, is reached from a mobile telephone from any desired foreign network. The inquiry of the short-message service center of the foreign network to the home network occurs at a virtual home location register of the home network, based on the receiver number of the external short-message entity. The virtual home location register replies to the inquiry with an acknowledgement containing information on a virtual mobile switching center of the home network, via which the short message (SMS) which is to be transmitted to the external short-message entity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for routing short messages sent by a mobile terminal from a foreign network to an external short-message entity, and a device for carrying out the method. It is the object of the invention to reach an external short-message entity (8), for instance a software application, which runs on a computer in a data network (9), from a mobile telephone (1) from any desired foreign network (10). This object according to the invention is solved in that the inquiry of the of the short-message service center (12) of the foreign network (10) to the home network (7) occurs at a virtual home location register (14) of the home network (7), based on the receiver number of the external short-message entity (8), which virtual home location register replies to the inquiry with an acknowledgment containing information on a virtual mobile switching center (15) of the home network (7), via which the short message (SMS) is to be transmitted to the external short-message entity (8).