METHOD TO PROVIDE AN OPTION TO THE CUSTOMER RELATION MANAGEMENT (CRM) USER TO SELECT FROM A LIST OF SHORT MESSAGE SERVICE (SMS) GATEWAYS FROM THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI) BEFORE SENDING OUT AN SMS MESSAGE

• US 20110223945A1
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talisma Corporation Private Limited
• Original Assignee: Talisma Corporation Private Limited
• Inventors: Bhatnagar, Aneesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method and system to transmit SMS message to an SMS Gateway (belonging to selected Service Provider) selected from a list on the GUI component of the CRM application, depending upon the geographical location of the Customer is disclosed. The GUI component provides a list of configured Service Providers that may be selected before sending outbound SMS message to a recipient. A unique Service Provider identifier is assigned to each of the configured Service Provider belonging to Customer'"'"'s network/country. Depending upon the geographical location of the Customer, the Service Provider is selected from the list on the GUI component and the SMS message is transmitted to the customer wherein the method identifies the SMS Gateway to which it has to connect, and transmits the SMS message. The method internally fetches the details of SMS Gateway based on Service Provider ID and uses it to communicate with the appropriate SMS Gateway.

Claims

1. A method to transmit SMS message to a service provider selected from a list on the GUI component of a CRM application, comprising the steps of:

a. selecting SMS service provider from a list on the GUI component of the CRM application whereby choosing to transmit the SMS message to selected service provider;

b. converting SMS message to XML (Extensible Markup Language) format;

c. retrieving web service details from the application configuration file stored in the application database;

d. identifying the service provider configured to said web service;

e. retrieving said service provider details from the configuration file stored in the application database;

f. checking priority of the outbound SMS message;

g. retrieving SMS message based on priority by calling different predefined methods for each priority;

h. loading service provider specific XML structure that defines rules accepted by said service provider;

i. converting said SMS message to said service provider specific XML format by using XSLT transformations;

j. transmitting XML format of said SMS message to said service provider;

k. fetching time stamped status report from said service provider;

l. updating the application database with latest status report.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

a. a plurality of service providers from various geographical location of the world may be configured to said web service;

b. each of said service providers, is automatically assigned a unique service provider ID (identifier) whereby identifying said service provider belonging to a particular location;

c. said web service is assigned a unique web service ID that identifies said web service.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said web service details further comprise:

a. details of application database in communication with said CRM application;

b. said service provider ID configured with said web service;

c. said web service ID;

d. login information associated with the user to enable access to web service wherein login information further comprises a username and a password assigned to a CRM user.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of identifying the service provider further comprises matching the selected service provider ID with the service provider ID stored in said application configuration file.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein service provider details further comprise:

a. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of SMS gateway provided by said service provider;

b. login information associated with the user to enable access to SMS gateway wherein login information comprises a username and a password assigned to a CRM user;

c. time interval at which the web service is configured to run.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of service providers, belonging to a plurality of recipients in the world, are configured to the CRM application.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said priorities of said outbound SMS messages further comprise:

a. normal priority to send SMS messages to outbound queue;

b. high priority to send SMS messages before all said normal priority SMS messages in said outbound queue.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of transmitting the SMS message, a short code is included in said SMS message.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of transmitting the SMS message, said SMS message is delivered by said service provider to the recipient.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

a. at least one web service is coupled, over the network, to the SMS service provider;

b. at least one SMS gateway is associated with said service provider;

c. at least one SMS gateway is configured to transmit message to a plurality of recipients.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein Service provider receives time stamped status report from the short message service centre (SMSC) in communication with said SMS gateway.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said status report further comprises:

a. delivery time at which said SMS message is actually delivered to the recipient; and

b. the status of said SMS message.

13. A system for transmitting SMS message to the Service Provider selected from a list on the GUI component in a CRM application, depending upon the geographical location of the recipient comprises:

a. at least one computing device running a CRM application;

b. at least one messaging device;

c. a web service;

d. an application server;

e. at least one SMS service provider supported by said CRM application;

f. an SMSC (Short Service Messaging Center) for storing, sending and receiving SMS messages to and from the messaging device;

g. said computing device being connected to the interne and being configured to send and receive SMS messages through CRM application running on said computing device;

h. said application server further comprising a computer having a machine readable storage, having stored there on one or more computer programs comprising a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for maintaining a plurality of identification and authentication information about the configured SMS service providers in application database, for routing SMS messages to the identified SMS service provider;

i. said application server being configured to transmit SMS message from said CRM application to said SMS service provider;

j. said messaging device comprising a messaging device registered to said SMS service provider whereby an SMS message transmitted by the user through said computing device, may be sent to said SMS service provider, and said SMS service provider may forward said SMS message to said messaging device through SMS service provider;

k. said SMS service provider receives SMS messages from said computing device and further transmits SMS message to said SMSC;

l. said web service being configured to said service provider.