Messaging services in a wireless communications network

A wireless device capable of sending messages, in a first mode, via a packet switched wireless local area network (WLAN) base station or, alternatively, in a second mode, via a short message service (SMS) base station that is independent of the packet switched WLAN base station, the wireless device comprising:

• a message client configured to receive information associated with a destination address of a wireless device of a recipient, the message client capable of determining a delivery mode for sending an outgoing message to the destination address;
• a WLAN transceiver configured to:
• send a request, via the packet switched WLAN base station, to a server to determine whether the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of a service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer;
• and
• to receive a response from the server via the packet switched WLAN base station,
• wherein the server is not a component of a cellular core network;
• the message client further configured to determine whether the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer;
• if the wireless device of the recipient corresponds to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, the WLAN transceiver further configured to send in the first mode the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient via the packet switched WLAN base station;
• and
• a cellular transmitter configured, if the wireless device of the recipient does not correspond to a subscriber of the service for receiving the outgoing message via a packet switched bearer, to send in the second mode, the outgoing message to the wireless device of the recipient using the destination address via the SMS base station;
• wherein the WLAN transceiver is further configured to send the request to the server without the request passing through the SMS base station, and the WLAN transceiver is further configured to receive the response from the server without the response passing through the SMS base station.