FOOD FOR THOUGHT VoIP.ms New Feature - SMS through SIP!

MGD4me

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I received an email earlier from Voip.ms, with the following announcement. The feature makes a stonger case for wanting to move to pjsip:


Today we officially launched our SMS through SIP feature. You can now send and receive SMS directly from your SIP softphone, device or PBX.

Sending
  • DID must have the "Short Message Service (SMS)" service option enabled. This option can be enabled from the Manage DIDs > Edit DID page.
  • To send an SMS from your SIP account, it is required that you set your Caller ID number to one of your SMS enabled DIDs. This will be the number you will be sending the message from. You can configure the Caller ID number from your customer portal for the specific subaccount if you are using a softphone or directly from your extension or trunk if you are using an Asterisk or PBX server.
  • It's important to note that if you configure your caller ID name in your SIP client to be a 10 digits number, this will override your caller ID number. If the caller ID name is anything different than a 10 digits number this will be discarded and the Caller ID number will be used.
  • If you are an asterisk or PBX user, please make sure to use the latest version of Asterisk (v12 or higher) and use chan_pjsip for the trunk. This is an asterisk limitation.
  • The Desktop version of Zoiper requires the user to have the PRO version activated to be able to send SMS messages as well as to enable SIP Presence. Please contact Technical Support to request SIP presence to be enabled for your account for the VoIP.ms POP you are using. While normally not required, there may be other cases not documented of softphones or apps requiring SIP Presence to be enabled. Please contact technical support if you encounter any issue with your specific software.
  • The free Desktop version of Zoiper cannot send SMS messages and is only capable of receiving SMS.
  • The mobile version of Zoiper is completely free of these limitations. Free version already works for sending and receiving without the need of SIP presence.
Receiving
  • DID must have the "Short Message Service (SMS)" service option enabled. This option can be enabled from the Manage DIDs > Edit DID page.
  • Enable the option "SMS SIP Account" and select the account destination for your SMS messages to this number.
  • The account receiving SMS must be registered successfully in any of our POPs.
  • For SIP devices that require this information, such as a trunk or PBX, we encode the original destination number in a custom SIP header field named "X-SMS-To".
 

phinphan

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I followed a thread on dslreports regarding this feature and was able to make it work using the free windows sip client microsip. I did not need to do anything special that I recall. Just created a subaccount in voipms and assigned the did to that number and enabled sms and assigned it to that account. There are a number of sms settings in the DID configuration menu, including forward to another number or email account.
 

Jake

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Good to know. Thanks for trying that. I was wondering what SIP clients would work with this.

I followed a thread on dslreports regarding this feature and was able to make it work using the free windows sip client microsip. I did not need to do anything special that I recall. Just created a subaccount in voipms and assigned the did to that number and enabled sms and assigned it to that account. There are a number of sms settings in the DID configuration menu, including forward to another number or email account.
 

HermanMiller

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Interesting that you can do this through PBX; getting closer to replacing a GV trunk but I wonder

1) how would you route the messages to/from the right user/extension?
2) MMS support?
 

Jake

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I would guess it would be just using call routing to the extension? I wonder about ring groups? I'm not sure on MMS, that has seemed to be the bain of most VoIP SMS providers. I guess, I should test it out :)
 

phinphan

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I have not been able to get mms to work. I read somewhere that it is a function of carrier acceptance and that is extremely difficult.
 

HermanMiller

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So now that GV has pretty much fallen apart completely, anyone have any suggestion for a provider that supports sms and mms?
I don't need the sms/mms in the pbx, can be a windows app or webpage and android app. or even just android app.
 

kenn10

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Vitelity supports SMS redirection to an email address and has an app called sm.s for browser support of SMS/MMS. Anveo Direct does SMS/MMS over SIP or to a URL if you have a program to accept it. A lot of SIP phones can accept SMS messages over SIP but I haven't seen an Asterisk app to handle this. VoiceTel allows you to send the SMS to an email, URL or IP address.

So now that GV has pretty much fallen apart completely, anyone have any suggestion for a provider that supports sms and mms?
I don't need the sms/mms in the pbx, can be a windows app or webpage and android app. or even just android app.
 

HermanMiller

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Vitelity supports SMS redirection to an email address and has an app called sm.s for browser support of SMS/MMS. Anveo Direct does SMS/MMS over SIP or to a URL if you have a program to accept it. A lot of SIP phones can accept SMS messages over SIP but I haven't seen an Asterisk app to handle this. VoiceTel allows you to send the SMS to an email, URL or IP address.

So if I'm understanding you right -
Vitelity - I can get sms and mms on my computer through a web browser.
Any kind of app for Android?

Anveo - when you say "have a program to accept it" does this mean has to be custom or is there anything I can use out of the box?
Like a windows app and an Android app?
 

kenn10

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Based on the Vitelity website, it looks like there is both a Windows and OS-X client in addition to the browser client. Nothing listed for Android or IOS. I forward my SMS messages to my smartphone text email address. ([email protected]).

Vitelity will pass international text messages but many other companies do not. I'm not sure about Anveo. I found out that VoiceTel only supports USA text messages. Unfortunately, Amazon, Google, many financial institutions, etc., send SMS from an international location which some providers will not process and send to you.

Anveo sends the SMS message down the SIP trunk to your PBX or to a URL of your choice. I have found no app for Asterisk to handle accepting the message and delivering it to a SIP phone on the PBX. Haven't seen a program for use out of the box. They offer this info and formats below:

upload_2019-3-12_20-21-45.png


If anyone feels adventurous, here is an article on building a PHP program to accept SMS via http:


So if I'm understanding you right -
Vitelity - I can get sms and mms on my computer through a web browser.
Any kind of app for Android?

Anveo - when you say "have a program to accept it" does this mean has to be custom or is there anything I can use out of the box?
Like a windows app and an Android app?
 
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HermanMiller

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Thanks kenn10.
I do not care really about processing sms/mms in Asterisk - just voice.
I DO care about sms/mms on computer and smartphone.
I understand you forward messages to your phone's gateway number. But then you cannot SEND using your trunk number - you can only SEND as your CELL number, correct?
Unfortunately that wouldn't work for me.

I have added Twilio and Flowroute to my list. In case anyone else comes through here looking.
Both support sms and mms (though I don't yet know about the apps they will use). They are also PAYG instead of flatrate "unlimited" trunks but pricing could be competitive. I have to make some inquiries to nail down details.
 

krzykat

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I've been researching this subject quite a bit also and am very interested in it and willing to do some joint efforts. VoIP Innovations also offers full SMS / MMS including international. The real issue I've always found is that I want a nice clean portal (similar to ZipWhip) that I can just send a user to in order to allow them to send/receive SMS/MMS.

Twilio seems like the best mechanism I've found for this. We'd just need to get someone to program it (or pay someone - fine by me) - to get the proper front end portal.
Ultimately, I'd love to see the FreePBX UCP tweaked to include this SMS/MMS portion, and probably Faxes as well.
 

atsak

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There's also an app available for Android for voip.ms that can send and receive SMS using any of their SMS enabled DID's. I've used it for a couple years now since I switch SIM cards when travelling to various countries and give out only a single DID that voip.ms has for me which rings whatever numbers I enable for it. They have a web site for SMS too. I think you pay 1 c a message but that doesn't concern me.
 

HermanMiller

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I've been researching this subject quite a bit also and am very interested in it and willing to do some joint efforts. VoIP Innovations also offers full SMS / MMS including international. The real issue I've always found is that I want a nice clean portal (similar to ZipWhip) that I can just send a user to in order to allow them to send/receive SMS/MMS.

Twilio seems like the best mechanism I've found for this. We'd just need to get someone to program it (or pay someone - fine by me) - to get the proper front end portal.
Ultimately, I'd love to see the FreePBX UCP tweaked to include this SMS/MMS portion, and probably Faxes as well.

I think our objectives are different, but I encourage the efforts just the same.
You seem to want a solution that works for a business that wants to engage customers by sms.
For me, all I really want is to have an app on my desktop and phone to use sms/mms as a single user.
Basically exactly the way I had it with GV. I'm a hobbyist user with IPBX and used GV even before I had a pbx. I just liked the idea of having hard phones in the house.
But now that the GV train has fully crashed (as of yesterday), I need a replacement. I use mms (pictures and group texts) with my family almost daily.

I've done some research that may point others in directions -
  • Twilio - there is an app out there called 'textable' (textable.co ?) that claims to work with twiliio, voip.ms and a few others. Smartphone app and web portal
  • Flowroute - like twilio but cheaper mms. Appears to be an app called FlowSMS (SMSFlow?) for them. I saw smartphone app. Not sure about web/desktop.
  • Signalwire.com - cheaper still than all 3 above. Newish, has the apis but I don't think there's any apps (that I could find)
  • bandwidth.com - this is a long time player, surprised I dont' hear them brough up. Cheaper than both Twilio and Flowroute, maybe signalwire too. Not sure about apps and stuff but support by phone (I got an answer at 3am EST so I think it's 24/7). I'll look into this more if there are apps I can use I'm kinda leaning this way.
@ward - Is skyetel an Atlassian property? It could be interesting but I've read reports (including here on the PIAF forums) of messages not delivered and slow support. Have you personally used it?
 

wardmundy

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@HermanMiller: No affiliation between Skyetel and Atlassian that I'm aware of. Haven't heard of undelivered messages or slow support. Where did you see this?? Do I use Skyetel? Absolutely. Every day on numerous servers. What have you got to lose when they're offering a $50 service credit? Better hurry. Offer ends this month!
 

HermanMiller

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@HermanMiller: No affiliation between Skyetel and Atlassian that I'm aware of. Haven't heard of undelivered messages or slow support. Where did you see this?? Do I use Skyetel? Absolutely. Every day on numerous servers. What have you got to lose when they're offering a $50 service credit? Better hurry. Offer ends this month!

Skyetel looks interesting. The problem for my usage is that the sms/mms seems to be API only.

How are you using these features? Any ready to go / out of the box sms apps for an Android phone that it works with?
Anything on the windows side? (app, web page, etc.)?

For me it's more an 'end user' setup - I don't need to be able to build a platform, and don't necessarily have the ability to. So I kinda want/need something ready to go.

Flowroute and/or Twilio so far make the most sense due to their being an app already that works for them.
Bandwidth.com doesn't pan out as they are basically wholesalers and have a minimum monthly of (I think) $250/mo.

Maybe skytel is announcing Windows and Android apps? :D:D:D
 

Anthony Parks

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@HermanMiller: No affiliation between Skyetel and Atlassian that I'm aware of. Haven't heard of undelivered messages or slow support. Where did you see this?? Do I use Skyetel? Absolutely. Every day on numerous servers. What have you got to lose when they're offering a $50 service credit? Better hurry. Offer ends this month!

Ward, I followed the instructions in the article and I am getting:
./sms-skyetel: line 29: syntax error near unexpected token `('
./sms-skyetel: line 29: ` --data @< (cat <<EOF'

can you advice?
 

Anthony Parks

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http://nerdvittles.com/?p=27123

Sending SMS Messages Through Skyetel





We’ve created a simple script that will let you send SMS messages from the Linux CLI using your Skyetel DIDs. In order to send SMS messages, you first will need to create a SID key and password in the Skyetel portal. From the Settings icon, choose API Keys -> Create. Once the credentials appear, copy both your SID and Password. Then click SAVE.

Next, from the Linux CLI, issue the following commands to download the sms-skyetel script into in your /root folder. Then edit the file and insert your SID, secret, and DID credentials in the fields at the top of the script. Save the file, and you’re all set.

cd /root
wget http://incrediblepbx.com/sms-skyetel
chmod +x sms-skyetel
nano -w sms-skyetel

To send an SMS message, use the following syntax where 18005551212 is the 11-digit SMS destination: sms-skyetel 18005551212 "Some message"


When I enter ./sms-skyetel 1NPAXXXXXXX "Test Message" I get:
./sms-skyetel: line 29: syntax error near unexpected token `('
./sms-skyetel: line 29: ` --data @< (cat <<EOF'
 
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