KEY DIFFERENTIATOR: Is how a company delivers text messages important? Absolutely. Some companies send text message alerts via an email based technology called SMTP. While sometimes more affordable, this method comes with the following problems: Messages can be blocked by carriers without warning Relies on the public Internet mail servers to route and deliver your messages No way to confirm delivery to the mobile device Cannot always provide a true 2-way communication Fortunately, Catchwind Critical has direct connections to each carrier, using an SMPP (Short Message Peer-to-Peer) gateway. This allows us to accurately report the delivery of your message and receive replies from potentially endangered students or citizens. This also allows the student or citizen to manage their own subscription since a simple reply can remove them from the list when they've moved on.

Fequently Asked Questions Can the database be sorted into groups, e.g. all the registered students who live in a particular residence hall? Yes - multiple groups can be established at the time of opting-in.   What is a text message? A text message is a way to communicate with cellular phones without talking.  “Text message” and “SMS” are often used synonymously.   What is SMS? SMS stands for Short Message Service and is the standard by which all phones send and receive text messages. Is text messaging the same as e-mail? Text messaging and e-mail share many similarities, but are not the same.  Many phones have the ability to send and receive both e-mail and text messages.   Who can receive text messages? Nearly every cell phone in service today can send and receive text messages.  Many wireless providers include text messaging with their service plans and offer text messaging plans to suit any user.   Do my customers get charged to receive text messages? Whether or not a customer gets charged to send or receive a text message is completely dependent on the person's carrier and plan.  Prices range from free to 10 cents.   What are the size limitations of a text message? Standard text messages are limited in size to 160 characters.  This includes all letters, numbers, symbols, spaces, and punctuation. What is a Short Code? Think of a 5-Digit Short Code as a URL for a Web site. It tells the wireless carriers where to send the message. Similar to an abbreviation, the 5 digit code is easy for your customers to remember. Keywords and Short Codes work together to form an address. Example: Text [KEYWORD] to [SHORT CODE] to receive a particular offer or to sign up for a particular alert.   What is a Keyword? The name of the alert that your users text to join.  Keywords and Short Codes work together to form an address. Example: Text [KEYWORD] to [SHORT CODE] to receive a particular offer or to sign up for a particular alert.   What does it mean to Opt-in? What is a double opt-in? Opt-in means to join an alert. The customer gives you permission to send SMS messages to their phone.  Users send a text message to a keyword to “opt-in” to the database of mobile alerts.  A double Opt-in is a confirmation of a subscription by requiring users to respond a second time to confirm their subscription.  This response insures spam law compliancy.   What does it mean to Opt-out? Opt-out means to quit a SMS alert.  Users send a text message to a keyword to “opt-out” of the database of mobile alerts.  The operators/keywords for this are usually “stop” or “quit.”