Hi Group,
now that I've resolved my previous issue with clickatell:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2195200/impementing-clickatell-callback-in-asp-net-using-c-net
I have signed up for clickatell Two-way Messaging and I'm waiting for clickatell to assign a Virtual Mobile Number (VMN).
Unfortunately, I have just read on a clickatell forum post:
http://forums.clickatell.com/index.php?topic=8192.msg9880#msg9880
that:
"Unfortunately you cannot match up incoming and outgoing messages with the Clickatell API. Only the message ID's are passed back from the operator."
Houston, we have a problem!
The main reason I was signing up to clickatell Two-Way Messaging and VMNs was to receive responses to outbound SMS messages and associate a response with an outbound message. Now clickatell are saying I can't do that.
As I understand it, when clickatell receive a SMS message to my VMN they send my application a callback with the following details in the query string:
· Api_id (api_id=)
· MO message ID (moMsgId)
· Originating ISDN (from=)
· Destination ISDN (to=)
· Date and Time [MySQL format, GMT + 0200] (timestamp=)
· DCS Character Coding (charset=) [when applicable]
· Header Data [e.g. UDH etc.] (udh=) [when applicable]
· Message Data (text=)
I was hoping to use moMsgId to match the response with the outbound message, but that won't work as it's just the ID associated with the mobile originated (MO) message, i.e., a message sent (originating) from a mobile handset to an application via Clickatell.
The Originating ISDN (which I understand to be the mobile number of the mobile handset which sent the message) won't help me to uniquley match the response with the outbound message, since over a period of time, I could have sent multiple messages to a mobile handset, so I will have multiple rows in my outbound message table containing the same Originating ISDN.
I hope this makes sense. Basically, what I'm trying to achieve is: match a response (incoming) message with an outbound message. I thought I could achieve this using the clickatell API, but apparently not.
Unless I'm missing something or I'm confused or just plain stupid then can anyone help me match a response (incoming) message with an outbound message using the clickatell API?
Alternatively, does anyone know of a reliable SMS Gateway that will allow me to do this? By 'reliable', I mean a service that just works with minimum or zero input from me (once it's configured). It could be free but I'm willing to pay.
My application will initially need to work with mobile phone network providers in the United Kingdom and Ireland, extending to continental Europe and the rest of the World in the short term.
Can anyone help me please. This is going to be a really easy / cheap sell for anyone who works for or is a representative of a SMS Gateway company.
Thanks.
Kind Regards
Walter