As more consumers are using instant communication applications/tools such as text messaging (SMS) for their day to day activities, businesses are looking to use those same forms of technology to improve the communication experience with their customers.
Fortunately, the concept of merging business communications with popular consumer applications like texting isn’t limited to enterprises with large budgets. Small and medium businesses are likewise being forced to rethink their communications strategies with their own customers.
Savvy SMS Applications Are an Open Opportunity for Mobile Marketing
According to pewinternet.org, 95% of Americans own a cellphone and smartphone ownership has increased from 35% in 2011 to 77% today. Here's a graph illustrating the rise in ownership.
If businesses aren’t using text messaging as a way to communicate with customers, it’s not unreasonable to state they should start doing so sooner rather than later.
However, to provide text messaging services that deliver appropriate communications to customers, businesses are asking how to make this happen without unreasonable budget-crushing financial investments.
Fortunately, there are services available through CPaaS (Communications as a Service) providers that are able to help businesses create advanced integrated text messaging applications for strategic consumer interactions and communications.
Creating SMS Applications in Summit CPaaS an alternative to Twilio SMS
If you’ve heard of communications platforms like Twilio, then introducing you to Summit a Twilio alternative should be easy for you to understand.
However, if you’re not up to speed we’ll explain CPaaS real simple for you. CPaaS is the solution that will enable your business to provide those methods of communication services your customers are asking for.
A true CPaaS such as Summit makes it possible for your business to build custom voice and text messaging (SMS) apps without the headaches of purchasing your own hardware, programming licenses, telecom provider contracts, and all the behind the scenes infrastructure required to make the app actually work.
We’ll take a simple example to break it down for you to get a broader understanding of how it all works together. Once you understand the concept, you’ll be able to apply the purpose of CPaaS to many aspects of your own business.
But don’t say we didn’t warn you, because the possibilities are endless. Once you start brainstorming ideas, it’s hard to stop! : )
Using CPaaS for Text Messaging Customers
Think of all the times a company has texted your cell phone as a way to send confirmations, appointment reminders, surveys, or even for security verification purposes. You provide a mobile number and the company sends relevant messages to you when appropriate.
Here’s an example of a text message from Verizon confirming an upcoming payment:
Every month on the same day, a message is sent reminding the subscriber of the payment due. A link is conveniently provided to log into the account to view details or make any changes.
Here’s another one from Microsoft for two factor authentication to verify a Microsoft Azure account:
In this second example, we were on the Microsoft website and in order to log in we had to verify our account. We enter our mobile number so they know where to send the code, then we click a button or link on the website that reads, Send Verification Code.
Once the code is received we enter the code on the site as part of the two-factor authentication process. If the code is verified, we are granted access.
That’s CPaaS in action. It’s just that your customers don’t call it that.
They just explain it as, “Verizon just texted me a bill payment reminder”, or “Microsoft sent me a code to verify my identity so I can log in from an unrecognized computer.”
With Summit, you can provide the same type of interactivity for your customers, and you don’t have to be a Microsoft or a Verizon to do it!
Paying attention? You don’t have to be a Microsoft or Verizon to do it!
What Components are Required to Develop an App Yourself?
From the customer’s perspective, the process may seem very simplistic since a text message is one of the most uncomplicated and easy forms of communication between two parties.
However what it takes to make it all work on the backend isn’t as simplistic.
Here is a list of the various components for what is required to develop an app to notify customers of something as routine as sending monthly invoice reminders:
- Pay for Hardware and Maintenance Items. ie: servers, hard drives, peripheral equipment, etc.
- Spend Time Finding Developers. Time is money after all.
- Pay for Developer Labor Costs. In-house or out-sourced for creating the actual program plus any integrations with systems such as billing and payment systems used.
- Pay for Software Licenses and Installations. ie: SQL, Visual Studio, C#, .NET, VMs, etc.
- Spend Time Finding a Hosting platform. This is where the app will run whether on your servers or hosted elsewhere like Amazon Web Services
- Deal with Security. ie: firewalls, gateways, anti-virus, etc.
- Pay for Backup Services. ie: redundancy, data backup & recovery services.
- Spend Time Securing Telecom Provider(s). They are the ones that provide the actual transfer of voice or text signaling through your app.
That’s a lot to consider!
However, when you use Summit, most of the above is already handled for you, and suddenly your list of responsibilities now look like this:
- Pay for Developer Programming Costs
Everything else in the list is handled by Summit because the entire architecture and service resides on Summit servers. Summit even has a marketplace to help you find the right labor thus saving you more time and energy!
You Incur Less Usage than an API Driven Integration Due to Summit’s Architecture with ShoreTel SIP
In regards to #8 Securing Telecom Provider(s) in the first list, Summit is built directly on top of ShoreTel’s SIP telecom infrastructure. This means your app which is hosted on Summit servers is by default tied into a telecommunications provider’s infrastructure for transferring in/outbound voice or text.
This close relationship between Summit and ShoreTel telecom SIP reduces the number of call legs for each inbound and outbound transfer. This is a big differentiator between Summit and other platforms such as Twilio which incur additional call legs and potential latency issues due to the use of APIs for call transfers rather than a directly built in approach.
This is why Summit is considered a true CPaaS.
By reducing the number of call legs and latency for each inbound and outbound voice or text transfer, less billable usage is used. Since Summit (and most other similar platforms) bill based on usage, you save money - especially for large scale applications with heavy volume.
Converged Technology Professionals is a Certified Summit Developer
If the light bulb inside your creative mind is getting brighter and you’re getting the picture for how this can help your business, your next question is undoubtedly, “Who is going to make this happen?” and “How fast can we get it done?”
That’s where we come in as Summit developers. We are experts in the VoIP and telecommunications field, from networking, unified communications, to being certified Summit CPaaS developers. We consult with businesses from large enterprises to local law offices on ways to improve communications that service their customers better. We understand that CPaaS is a rapidly growing part of those efforts.
Our process is simple, first we listen to what your goals are. We then help you craft the perfect solution with your budget and time-frame requirements taken into account. We then develop and provide support for your application based on those requirements.
When you need changes made, we take care of it for you.
If you need custom reporting, we can provide those as well.
Can a Business Create Their Own App on Summit Without Our Help?
Sure, if they have the expertise, the time, and the resources as illustrated above with our list of responsibilities. We don’t hold a monopoly on Summit developers, but many companies find it beneficial and more practical from a resources and time viewpoint to outsource the programming to us to get the job done faster and at less cost than sourcing it in-house.
But like we just said, if you already have the talent, skills, and manpower to do it yourself, then by all means go ahead! Summit is a great platform and we are happy to promote it.
However, if that’s not the case for you, you don’t have to feel like you’re last in line stuck in a holding position while everyone else passes by. When you enlist our help we provide consultation and exploration to find the best methods to make your ideas a reality.
We provide the development and deployment to transform your idea from an “idea” into a real-life working application.
How to Get Started
If you’d like to talk with someone about your plans and ideas for tapping into the potential that Summit can offer, please give us a call or contact us online.
If you’re not exactly sure what questions to ask, don’t worry, we’ll help you think through all the different aspects. We’re telecom and VoIP consultants – this is what we love to do!
Once everything is squared away and details are finalized, we’ll get to programming. Soon you’ll be on your way to gaining an impressive lead over your competitors by providing greater service and communications clients are looking for!
Other Useful Links for Reading:
Learn More about Summit
Examples of CPaaS and How Enterprises Can Benefit From it
Customer IVR Development Designed to Expand Your Customer Service Options
Understanding What 'as-a-Service' Acronyms Mean in Business