Possibility of replying to text messages sent from mobile using the portal

[zacheri]

Hi gurus, I need your help on this... This is still in connection with our consumer portal. After having a meeting with our managing director, he would like us to look into the possibility of connecting the mobile text message to our consumer portal.. Here is the dream scenario, for example, I am a complainant and I have texted my complaint using my mobile to a certain number (because at that time I dont have any internet access). This number is connected to our consumer portal... Then it generates a standard reply for the complainant to assure her that is being addressed. The reply may also have a reference number for the texter in case she will do her follow-up...

This is sort of a yahoo mobile thing... where in I can send messages from my mobile to a person who has signed-in on her yahoo messenger account. Is our plan grand? or it's possible? :dunno: Thanks very much!

 

[crisp]

There's a number of ways to do this, the easiest of which is to sign up with an SMS gateway provider such as http://www.tm4b.com/ (not a recommendation, just an example).

Most providers have API's which allow you to send and/or receive messages from/to your site via SMS using standard http requests. There's a tutorial here specifically dealing with TM4B's API's http://www.codewalkers.com/c/a/Miscellaneous/Sending-SMS-Thru-HTTP/ (again, not a recommendation, just happened to be the first I came across, google [http sms] for more solutions)

One last consideration, this isn't usually a very cheap option, indeed Twitter recently stopped their service in the UK due to the costs involved, so you really need to weigh up the perceived benefits of its implementation for your business.

It's also possible, if you happen to be administering the server locally, to hook up a standard handset, and use that to send and receive SMS, although this would probably require a handset/manufacturer specific application to interact with your set up.

 

[sunils]

I would like to add up on the message that crisp gave you about hooking up a standard handset to you server.

You can use dotnet or any other language to code using the api's to connect to the handset. but you must be careful in the number of characters you send using an sms. it all depends upon the mobile phone.

 

[zacheri]

Our managing director did mention about hooking up a handset. Do you have like a recommended handset most suited for this kind of set up?

Thank you so much for your inputs!

 

[sunils]

Any handset with datacable can be used. But i recomend to use any nokia handset.

 

[zacheri]

Thanks!

 

[zacheri]

Can anyone help in the detailed steps to follow in doing this? thanks guys!