email2sms v4

Aerialink’s email2sms interface allows you to send and receive emails which will be received as SMS. This interface is typically implemented when customers are unable to adopt the standard HTTP or SMPP protocol.

Aerialink’s email2sms service allows a user to communicate from their email client to a mobile user over SMS. This service can be used in place of implementing the Aerialink API or other Aerialink products.

An email2sms user is configured with a registered SMS Long Code/Number along with their associated email address.

Steps for Setup

In order to make all of this possible, there are a few things required for set-up:

1. Users must be pre-registered with their email address and assigned SMS Long Code/Number prior to using the service.
2. All users must have an email account configured with email2sms v4. This is the email address from which they will be sending their SMS.
3. Corporate mail servers use strict spam-control policies which may block incoming mail. To avoid blocking, whitelist our domain: sms.aerialink.net

Mobile End-User Pre-registration

Optionally, you can choose to require mobile end-users to be pre-registered prior to receiving SMS from you. This requirement is not default. Please contact your Aerialink account manager to discuss this option.

Why is pre-registration important?

Opt-in processes protect mobile end-users from receiving unwanted content on their phones, but email2sms pre-registration also protects you. Were someone to get ahold of your email address, they could use it to send as many SMS as they wanted to whomever they pleased. Aerialink protects against this by processing only destination numbers who have opted in and are therefore white-listed in our records. This means that only those numbers you have selected to receive emails will be able to do so.

If you have elected to require pre-registration, it is a simple process to complete.*

1. Provide your mobile end-user with the registered long-code number associated with this service.
2. Instruct the mobile end-user to send a text to your number with the keyword “REGISTER” in the text body.

The system will white-list their number, enabling the mobile end-user to receive SMS from your email account in the future.

*Alternately, end users can be manually preregistered. Simply contact Aerialink with your full end user mobile device number list.

Sender Address

You will provide us with an email address which we will configure for your use with email2sms. If you need to change this address retroactively, follow the steps below:

1. Go to your Aerialink Platform account
2. Go to email2sms service options
3. Add or Edit the user you wish to modify

Outbound Email Configuration

If all aspects of your service are not formatted correctly, your email will not send and your mobile end-user will not receive your SMS.

1. Enter the number of your mobile end-user.
2. Add the address domain, “@sms.aerialink.net”
3. The finished product should look like this: **1xxxyyyzzzz@sms.aerialink.net** (AKA Destination#@sms.aerialink.net)

Custom Domain

To set up and use a custom domain:

1. Create a TXT record in your DNS (otherwise, the email echo system will not let the emails through). See the TXT Record Setup section below.
2. Request that Aerialink configure your custom domain in the Platform.

To view your custom domain(s):

1. Go to Codes & Numbers
2. Choose “Current Codes”
3. Select the applicable code to which that custom domain has been applied. The information will be within that code’s detail page.

Configure a “Catch-all” email address for your custom domain and set it to forward the full intact email received by it to companyname@sms.aerialink.net. Replace company name with a name that closely resembles your company name for reference.

TXT Record Setup

Remove Email Signature from Message

To ensure that only the intended message content is sent in your SMS, you may use the following method to remove your email signature or additional conversation history.

• Include the operation phrase, “Original Message,” to remove content following that phrase. Do not include the quotation marks or comma. The operation phrase must be title case.
• IF your email signature is set for auto-insert, you may edit your email signature to include the operation phrase at the top of your email signature. This will ensure your signature will be removed from every outbound Email2SMS. Otherwise, simply include the operation phrase in the body of the email to remove the content following that phrase.

Mobile-to-Landline

About Mobile-to-Landline

Mobile-to-Landline is one of three means by which registered users Aerialink or BYON numbers can send/receive texts. The Mobile-to-Landline service allows you to use your mobile device to communicate by text without sharing your personal mobile number. Instead, those you text with will only see your Aerialink code/number, and all of this is done without the need for any special mobile apps.

How It Works

First, your mobile number must be configured to receive messages forwarded by Mobile-to-Landline which will arrive in your mobile device’s native messaging app.

Mobile user initiates text conversation:

1. A mobile user sends a text to your Aerialink number.
2. You receive the text in the native messaging app on your mobile device.
3. You reply to the text as you would any other.

Behind the scenes:
Aerialink’s Message Proxy Service forwards the message to your mobile phone. The sender ID (phone number or friendly name depending upon configuration) will appear in the first line of the message body. The “from number” displayed in your messaging app will be a 10-digit number randomly selected by the Proxy Service, which will remain consistent throughout your text conversation with the mobile user.

You initiate text conversation:

1. Include the mobile user’s phone number at the beginning of the text in the message body
2. Compose the rest of your message and send it.
3. The recipient will receive the message addressed from your Aerialink number.

How It Looks

This is what the Mobile-to-Landline process looks like:

As you can see, the usage process is quite simple.

• Jane sends an SMS to Joe’s landline.
• The message forwards from the landline to the native messaging application on Joe’s cellphone.
• Joe uses that application to respond to the SMS as he would any other.
• Jane receives the response in their inbox from the number they texted initially–Joe’s landline.

In execution, the Mobile-to-Landline process looks the same as any standard SMS interaction.

Costs & Send Times

Mobile-to-Landline requires two messages for each delivery from sender to recipient. The impact to delivery time with two messages is insignificant, but bear in mind that it will be charged as two messages rather than one.

Setup

1. Contact the Aerialink team to have your account and connection enabled for Mobile-to-Landline.
2. Once setup is complete, the friendly name associated with the number will show up embedded in that user’s text message.

Outlook OMS 2010

Note: Outlook 2010 does not provide the capability to display the associated contact name of the mobile end user in the “from” field of the incoming email. The “from” field will display the mobile number of the sender, but will not display the contact name. Outlook 2007 will display the associated contact name. Outlook 2013 requires a special plug-in for SMS delivery.

Note2: This is a deprecated service in its end-of-life phase.

Before You Begin

Provide Aerialink with the following information:

• User’s Name
• User Phone Number (for support purposes)
• User Email Address

Once we have these, we will send you your OMS username and password, which you will use to set up your account. We will also send you your assigned long-code number. While no action is required on your part with this number, please note that this is the number that your recipients will see as the sender phone number to the texts.

Step 1

1. Click “File” in the main menu (top left).
2. Then click the “Add Account” button with the green plus sign.

Step 2

1. Select “Text Messaging (SMS),” then hit “Next.”

Step 3

1. In the Service Provider URL field, enter the following URL: https://aerialink-oms.azurewebsites.net/omsservice.asmx
2. In the User ID field, enter your Aerialink-provided username.
3. In the password field, enter your Aerialink-provided password.
4. Before you hit OK, click “More Settings”

Step 4

1. Under Account Name, type the name by which you want to refer to the account. For example, “Aerialink OMS.”
2. In the “Your Phone Number” field, enter your Aerialink registered long-code number.
3. Click “OK.”

We recommend you try “Test Account Settings” at this time.

Step 5

1. To send an SMS, select the “Home” tab, select “New Items,” then select “Text Message (SMS).”
2. Select a contact from your address book (make sure they have their mobile number in their contact information)
3. Type your message into the body of the email
4. Hit Send!

Outlook OMS 2007

Before You Begin

Provide Aerialink with the following information:

• User’s Name
• User Phone Number (for support purposes)
• User Email Address

Once we have these, we will send you your OMS username and password, which you will use to set up your account.

We will also send you your assigned long-code number. While no action is required on your part with this number, please note that this is the number that your mobile end-users will see as the sender phone number to the texts.

Step 1

1. From the “Tools” menu, click “Account Settings.”

Step 2

1. From the “E-mail” tab, click “New.”
2. Then click “Other.”
3. From the list of server types select “Outlook Mobile Service (Text Messaging).”

Step 3

1. In the Service Provider URL field, enter the following URL: https://aerialink-oms.azurewebsites.net/omsservice.asmx
2. In the User ID field, enter your Aerialink-provided username.
3. In the password field, enter your Aerialink-provided password.
4. Before you hit OK, click “More Settings”

Step 4

1. Under Account Name, type the name by which you want to refer to the account. For example, “Aerialink OMS.”
2. In the “Your Phone Number” field, enter your Aerialink registered long-code number.
3. Click “OK.”

We recommend you try “Test Account Settings” at this time.

Step 5

1. To send an SMS, click “File,” then “New,” then “Text Message.”
2. Select a contact from your address book (make sure the contact’s mobile number is included in his or her contact information)
3. Type your message into the body of the email
4. Hit Send!

Step 6

In order to view the mobile end-user name associated with incoming messages as opposed to the mobile end-user mobile number follow this friendly name step:

• In the body of the message, type, SETNAME with a space and then the recipient’s name (Ex: SETNAME Jane Smith)

All future incoming messages from that mobile number will show the name instead of the mobile number.