SMS Billboard

SMS Billboard is an information dissemination system that makes use of SMS Technology. Registered users of the system can receive messages, alerts, and other important information through their cellular phones.

How It Works

The SMS Billboard can be used to compose and send SMS text messages. The message can include announcements, news, reports, advertisements and other information. The program can also be used to save messages and send them on a particular date and time in the future. For example, a message can be sent on November 13, 2014 at exactly 9:00 AM.

Other people can join the network and subscribe to these important messages. They can register to the system using their cellular phones.

To register, a person sends an SMS text message to the system. The message should be in the following format:

reg <space> group <space> firstName <space> lastName
Example:
reg alerts Juan Cruz

When the person managing the SMS Billboard is away, he can still send messages to a group of registered users.

He can do this by sending an SMS message in the following format:

sendn <space> systemPassword <space> group <space> message
Example:
sendn 1234 alerts We are offering big discounts on selected items starting today until the end of the month. Hurry and visit our stores now!

A scheduled message can also be saved remotely.
To save messages and send them on a particular date and time, the SMS message should follow the format:

sendl <space> systemPassword <space> group <space> mm/dd/yyyy <space> hour:minute <space> amOrPm <space> message
Example:
sendl 1234 alerts 08/01/2008 8:00 am Today we celebrate our third anniversary. Visit our stores and get a chance to receive special gifts and souvenirs from us.

System Features

Registration

  • Registration is fast and easy. People can register to the SMS Billboard using their cellular phones.
  • Registration is not limited to one group or category only. People can register to several groups to receive alerts on different topics.

Sending Messages

  • The person managing the SMS Billboard can choose to send messages immediately (Instant Messages) or save and schedule them for sending on a particular date and time (Scheduled Messages).
  • Messages can be sent to the network by using the SMS Billboard program or by a remote person using his cellular phone.

Monitoring and Management

  • The program provides a simple and straightforward interface for sending SMS messages.
  • The program provides an easy way of adding, modifying, and deleting groups or categories.
  • The program provides a complete log of all scheduled and sent messages.

Technical Details

The SMS Billboard was developed using Microsoft Visual Basic.NET and uses a Microsoft Access Database. To send and receive SMS messages, the system uses a cellular phone interfaced to the serial port of the personal computer. Oxygen Software’s Mobile ActiveX Control was used to read data from the cellular phone.