Within OpenCRM you can send an outbound SMS. By default, this SMS shows a 'sender name' that is not a mobile number and therefore does not allow for a reply. This works well for alerting and knowledge transfer messages but on occasions, you want to receive replies to the messages you send.
There are two ways to accomplish this, the first is to replace the 'sender name' on your outbound SMS account with a mobile number that you already own - any replies will be received on this device.
The second option which we will focus on in more detail here is to set up an SMS to Email account and use this SMS number as your 'sender name' for outbound messages enabling any replies to be received by this inbound number and have the replies converted to an email and delivered to the designated email account.
Note : Remember, with most email providers, you can generally set up a distribution list to deliver these emails to a group of people if this is required, therefore these inbound SMS messages can be received by a wider audience.
You can use any inbound SMS service, the one that we use ourselves and therefore have some knowledge of is Bulksms.co.uk.
Setting this up - Timescales
It usually takes 48 hours to have the new number setup, however, you should allow up to 14 days for Bulksms.co.uk to get the number in place, on occasions and because of the regulation around new numbers being allocated, delays can occur whilst checks are completed.
Costs & Charges
Number rental: This is a monthly amount charged either 6 months or annually in advance.
For more details of pricing please refer to the following page: http://www.bulksms.com/pricing/.
Process
1. Complete the Application form online (http://www.bulksms.co.uk/w/solutions_incoming.htm) - you will need to sign up for a Bulksms.co.uk account prior to completing this application - this application includes online payment for the 6 or 12-month period.
2. Wait for allocation of number and confirmation.
3. Set this number as the 'Sender Name' on the outbound SMS account.
4. Set the Receiving email for inbound SMS's.
5. Test that inbound SMS to the number receives message and converts/delivers a message to a designated email account.
Importing SMS to OpenCRM
When an inbound SMS comes in, it gets sent to a designated email address (see step 5 above).
What you then do with those emails is up to you. If you want to import these emails to OpenCRM, you can do so using Pop2OpenCRM. These emails have the following format:
From = the mobile number the message was sent from.
Subject = SMS to Email.
Body = the text message itself.
When the SMS/ email has been imported, you will need to manually link the SMS to any relevant entities.
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