Getting Started

About this guide

Who Should Read this Guide

  • This Developer's Guide describes the Webservices Application Programming Interface (API). The purpose of this guide is to provide the details you will need in order to successfully manage account details and send SMS messages using the webservices API.
  • This guide is for developers who are integrating an existing application with this platform.
  • In order to create this integration you should know a little about XML and how to assemble and post XML documents to a web URL and handle responses in your programming language of choice.

Before You Begin

  • Be sure to familiarize yourself with the communication protocols available with XML. The webservice API supports Soap requests.

Technical Requirements

  • Users of the Webservice API must have an active account and have valid webservice credentials. See Credentials section for additional information.
  • The Webservice API supports Soap XML requests. The WSDL can be viewed at SSL//HOST_URL/webservices/?wsdl&version=2.0.0

Introduction

The Platform

The Webservice API platform allows you to create an organization with branches (divisions) and groups (subscription groups). Each branch can have 1 or many groups. Each group will have a default keyword which uniquely identifies that group in the system. The keyword can also be used to access your group from an SMS message. Additional custom keywords can also be added. (Speak to your account representative to determine your specific needs and any cost associated with those additional keywords.) Each group can then be populated with users (subscribers). These subscribers are the individuals that will receive the messages that you send out. Subscribers can opt-in to the system by 1 of 4 ways:

  1. SMS originated message using a keyword
  2. Via a widget on a website
  3. From the Webservice API hosted platform
  4. Via the webservice API

Keep in mind that unsolicited message sending (spamming) to subscribers will not be tolerated. If your caught spamming, your account access will be revoked.

The hosted platform also allows scheduling of messages (calendaring) and additional management features that are not supported via the API.

Determine Requirements

In order to use this API you need to have a system that can make http requests to our server. The system has been tested with PHP, ColdFusion, and .Net applications. Most API users are looking to integrate an existing system with an SMS delivery application. If you do not need to do this, using the existing web based application may be the right solution for you. If you have additional questions regarding what technology or platform you should use please contact your account representative.

Using The Platform

Using the API first requires that some elements of the system be configured. You must first have an active, valid account. With this account you will have a user name (phone number) and password. These credentials will allow you to gain access to the hosted platform. Once there you can manage all aspects of your account. You will need to know the default keyword for your company. You can get this from the Manage screen on the dashboard. This keyword will allow you to start adding divisions, groups, keywords, and subscribers. Once you have created at least one group, you can then send messages to subscribers in that group by using the default keyword assigned to that group.

Soap / WSDL

SOAP is just another XML markup language accompanied by rules that dictate its use. SOAP has a clear purpose: exchanging data over networks. Specifically, it concerns itself with encapsulating and encoding XML data and defining the rules for transmitting and receiving that data. In a nutshell, SOAP is a network application protocol.

WSDL is an XML format for describing network services as a set of endpoints operating on messages containing either document-oriented or procedure-oriented information. The operations and messages are described abstractly, and then bound to a concrete network protocol and message format to define an endpoint. Related concrete endpoints are combined into abstract endpoints (services). WSDL is extensible to allow description of endpoints and their messages regardless of what message formats or network protocols are used to communicate, however, the only bindings described in this document describe how to use WSDL in conjunction with SOAP 1.1, HTTP GET/POST, and MIME.

Source: http://www.w3.org/TR/wsdl