Abstract: A message transmission system in a GPRS environment provides an intelligent messaging server and mobile client that communicate using SMS and GPRS services. The mobile client allows the user and the messaging provider to set preferences on the mobile client. It allows a service coverage estimation to be set that balances the SMS and GPRS coverage estimations for the mobile client which can be dependent upon the its location and expected coverage for each service within the its operational area. The mobile client also allows the setting of service selection preferences that are expressed using a balance of cost of service and reliability of service. Depending on the preferences set by the user and/or provider and the mobile client's evaluation of its SMS and GPRS signal conditions, the mobile client will respond to the server using the protocol that it prefers. The server then switches from SMS to GPRS or vice versa, depending on the service that the mobile client uses.