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Introduction: functional overview
CONTACT™ is an enterprise grade service-oriented web application that enables two-way, non-voice communications across SMS, email, webchat and fax channels.
This PDF document incorporates all sections of the CONTACT technical overview.
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Application components, technologies and architecture
CONTACT™ has been developed using the Microsoft® technology stack, specifically C#/ASP.NET and Microsoft® SQL Server, and designed using a service oriented architecture (SOA). Much of its functionality is delivered through server-side application services such as the message pipeline service, messaging gateway and integration services.
This PDF document provides more detail on CONTACT's:
- Technologies and architecture
- Application module and services
- The CONTACT data store
- Message pipeline service
- Presentation layer
- Messaging services and gateway.
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SMS connectivity
CONTACT™ provides all necessary functionality to connect to SMS aggregators in most countries for both sending and receiving of messages. Inbound SMS messages are received through the CONTACT message gateway which acts as a proxy to translate the message passed from the aggregator or carrier into a format to be processed by CONTACT. Outbound messages are sent using the messaging service which is configured to deliver the message using the appropriate aggregator or carrier, based on sender/receiver number and geography.
This PDF provides more detail on CONTACT's SMS features and capabilities, including:
- Connecting to SMS partners
- MT/MO
- Carrier connectivity
- Shortcodes
- Long numbers (MSISDNs)
- Message length
- Standard messages and long messages
- Message throughput and delivery timeframes
- Delivery guarantees
- Message receipts
- Non-premium
- SMS territorial coverage matrix.
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Email connectivity
CONTACT™ uses standard internet protocols to send and receive email and supports all typical email functionality found in a standard email application. Inbound email messages are received through clearing POP boxes that are periodically polled. Outbound messages are sent via our SMTP servers.
This PDF file provides further detail on:
- Inbound email - forwarding or POP3 mailbox
- Outbound - SMTP connectivity
- Throughputs and delivery guarantees
- SPF – sender policy framework
- Grey-listing
- Support for HTML/Plain Text and attachments
- Extended character sets
- Avoiding message loops
- Spam detection
- Virus detection.
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Fax connectivity
Fax to email: Inbound fax is supported through a fax to email service; this infrastructure is provided by an external service such as eFax or MyFax. Fax numbers are concatenated or hot-linked to the eFax service; received faxes are converted to PDF format and emailed to the CONTACT™ email server.
This PDF file contains additional details on email to fax and limitations for email to fax.
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Application integration
Deployment: hosted or non-hosted: CONTACT™ is licensed as either an on-demand hosted or on-premise self-hosted application. Hosted licenses are delivered as a managed service from an in-country data centre. All infrastructure, gateway connectivity and service management costs are incorporated into the licence. On-premise installations are delivered from within the customer’s own data centre or server environment.
This PDF file contains details of CONTACT's:
- Deployment requirements
- Hosted server data centre configuration
- Data centre capabilities
- Server configuration
- Database backups
- Database security
- Monitoring
- On-premise recommended configuration
- Hardware requirements
- Agent desktop deployment requirements
- Firewalling/network security.
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Security
Authentication and authorisation: CONTACT™ users and user rights assignment. By default users are managed within the CONTACT user interface.
This PDF document contains further details of:
- Active directory integration
- SSL
- SMS and email security
- Logging and auditing.
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