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SMS transport integration

WebSphere Commerce provides a Java 2 Enterprise Edition Connector Architecture (JCA) adapter in the WebSphere Commerce messaging subsystem for Short Message Service (SMS) enablement and functionality. Providing an SMS transport extends cross-channel access by offering mobile device capabilities in WebSphere Commerce. Mobile messaging enhances the shopper's access to information by providing access through their mobile device.

The SMS JCA connector

The SMS JCA connector implements a messaging interface to communicate with third party telecommunication gateways. This interface provides customizable flexibility, as external interfaces can vary depending on the vendor. The connector bridges the link between the WebSphere Commerce messaging framework and the telecommunication gateway, and is similarly configured as other existing connectors. It acts as an alternative transport mechanism in the messaging subsystem for message delivery. Configurable JSP pages allow for greater message customization, as SMS messages are limited to 160 characters.

There are two implementations available to provide higher integration flexibility:

1. The integration of SMS text messaging capabilities using the HTTP API provided by various telecommunication service provider gateways. This implementation is labeled as SMS-HTTP in the configuration attributes table described in Configuration of transport services used for a message.

2. The integration of SMS text messaging capabilities using the standardized Parlay X 3.0 Web Services interface designed and maintained by the Parlay Group. This implementation is labeled as SMS-WS in the configuration attributes table described in Configuration of transport services used for a message.

The HTTP API is a vendor specific API.

To satisfy vendor implementation variances, the connector is configurable to accommodate an ease of integration with parameter passing to this interface with name-value pairs.

The Parlay X Web Services interface, however, is a well-defined standardized interface available in a WSDL format that can be obtained from the Parlay Group specifications. The SMS Web Services adapter implements a client proxy to send messages defined by this interface.

The SMS connector similarly integrates with WebSphere Commerce as existing adapters. However, the SMS connector only supports outbound functionality.

Account profile changes

The shopper's mobile number is added to their account profile on an opt-in basis. Five membership fields are relied upon during registration or account profile updates. These fields include:

1. Country: The mobile device's country is used to map the selected country to its corresponding country calling code. These calling codes are used when dialing internationally to uniquely identify a destination phone number. These same calling rules are applicable when sending an SMS message to a mobile device. The field is in drop-down format.

2. Mobile number: Along with the country code, this number uniquely identifies the shopper's mobile device address. The format of the number should be entered without any additional characters, such as brackets or dashes. The prefix International Direct Dialing (IDD) and National Direct Dialing (NDD) codes such as 00, 011, 001, are not required, as the gateway routes the SMS message to the correct carrier for message delivery. Additionally, the + character should not be specified. The transport adapter removes any invalid characters prior to sending the message to the SMS gateway. IBM recommends, however, that storefront pages also implement validation on the mobile device address before storing the value in the database. The field is in text box format.

3. Mobile order notifications opt-in: The shopper can choose to opt-in for mobile order notifications. It is possible for the shopper to associate their mobile device's number to their account, without opting in to receive any mobile notifications. For more information about mobile order notifications, see Features of SMS transport enablement below. The field is in check box format.

4. Mobile marketing notifications opt-in: The shopper can choose to opt-in for mobile marketing notifications. It is possible for the shopper to associate their mobile device's number to their account, without opting in to receive any mobile notifications. For more information on mobile marketing notifications, see Features of SMS transport enablement below. The field is in check box format.

5. Date of birth: When shoppers opt-in for mobile marketing notifications, promotional messages are sent on the date or month of their birthday. The year is optional. When a year is not provided, 1896 is applied as the default value. The field is in Date format.

Features of SMS transport enablement

Enable an SMS transport provides an additional line of communication between WebSphere Commerce and shoppers. Features of this communication include:

The shopper can opt-in for mobile order notifications:

• Order notifications are sent to the shopper by SMS upon submitting an order. The shopper is immediately kept informed of their newly placed order, regardless of their location.

• Order status notifications are sent to the shopper by SMS upon order status changes during order processing. The shopper is immediately kept informed of their order status, such as their order being processed, cancelled, or changed, regardless of their location.

The Marketing tool can be used to setup SMS activities:

• The activity can contain marketing content in an SMS message. See Create marketing content for text (SMS) messages for more information.

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