The recipient does not need to be local, they can be connected to any repeater on the BrandMeister network.
Most of the radios allow you to create a set of messages using CPS. You will need to go into Self Care and make sure your ID is set for the correct radio brand. Create some messages and send them to others.
There are also some issues you should be aware of. Motorola and Hytera use slightly different protocols for messaging. This causes problems with confirmations. For example, when I send a message from my Hytera portable through a Motorola repeater. The message is delivered, but I get an error back saying “Send Failed”. The same will happen when a message is sent from a Motorola radio through a Hytera repeater.
Both radios seem to work better through my MMDVM-based hotspot.