USSD Support

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Anonymous
 
Posted on Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 10:07 am:   

Does NowSMS supports USSD. Any other info related to USSD would be helpful.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 4955
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Monday, September 19, 2005 - 09:56 pm:   

Sorry, I don't have any good pointers to info on USSD for you.

If a service provider provided an SMPP interface into their USSD network, then NowSMS would probably work. But to be honest, I'm not aware of anyone using (or attempting to use) NowSMS with USSD.

In case you're not familiar with USSD at all, it is a protocol that allows for a query/response type of application. From the phone, you can send a message to a USSD number (like a short code), and get a response back. It's similar in concept to 2-way SMS.

But USSD doesn't have inter-operator connections like with SMS. And, from what I've seen, it is far more difficult to get a USSD short code from an operator than it is to get an SMS short code.

And you have to have a USSD short code in order to receive USSD queries, it doesn't work like SMS where you can use a GSM modem.

A lot of operators have simple USSD based services where you can check the number of minutes you've used this month, or similar types of services.

-bn
Anonymous
 
Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 09:45 am:   

Yes you are right, it should work for USSD as it connects over SMPP, but it requires to support an optional parameter ( ussd_service_op ) in submit_sm PDU, specified in SMPP 3.4 specification.
Does NowSMS supports that optional parameter.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 4991
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2005 - 11:22 pm:   

You should be able to support this in recent updates (v5.51b+ @ http://www.nowsms.com/download/latestpatch.zip) by editing SMSGW.INI, and adding the following section to that file:

[SMPPOptions]
ussd_service_op=0501,Integer,1

Then, when you submit a message, include the parameter "&SMPPOption_ussd_service_op=x" to specify the value that you want to set.

(I'm a bit confused by the definition of this parameter in the spec, as it is defined as a 1 byte octet string. But some defined values would require more than 1 byte as an octet string, so I think it's actually a byte value field, in which case it would work best to define it to NowSMS as a 1 byte integer.)

In v5.51g+, you can also specify a default value for this setting. Under the [SMPP - address:port] section of SMSGW.INI, add DefaultSMPPOptions=ussd_service_op=x

See more info on the [SMPPOptions] section here:

http://support.nowsms.com/discus/messages/1/5972.html
Anonymous
 
Posted on Wednesday, September 21, 2005 - 08:59 pm:   

Will it work for deliver_sm PDU as well... as I didn't find the ussd_service_op parameter in the specification of SMPP 3.4
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 5002
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Thursday, September 22, 2005 - 08:16 pm:   

If it comes in via the deliver_sm PDU, then we would preserve it, and pass it to a 2-way command.

When this SMSGW.INI file setting is present, and a message is received which contains a value for for the setting, NowSMS will automatically append "&SMPPOption_ussd_service_op=value" to the 2-way URL. It is not necessary to add any variables to the 2-way command template, as these values will be appended automatically if present in a received message.

If it's not present, then we wouldn't add it.

I'd suggest trying it, and enabling the SMSDEBUG.LOG (which will also enable SMPPDEBUG.LOG), and we can take a look to see what values are present in the deliver_sm that might be needed.

-bn
Anonymous
 
Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 11:34 am:   

1. I think its working fine as the parameter is TLV and got an additional parameter extraParms=SMPPOption_ussd_service_op and ServiceType

2. I forwarded the data using 2-way sms and the webserver got the response

cgi-bin/index.cgi?sender=xxxxxxxxxxxx&message=1&smsprefix=1&sms=&recip=&servicet ype=1&SMPPOption_ussd_service_op=1

3. How do I pass ServiceType and custom ussd_service_op value back to the gateway. for the time being I have used DefaultSMPPOptions=ussd_service_op=2 and none for the ServiceType

4. Can we change the value for while submitting the data and what are the parameters that can be sent and with or without using a redirection.

Any further info related to it would be helpful.
Anonymous
 
Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 04:33 pm:   

1. How to send a Default Service Type for a particular connection
2. How to send a user specific Service Type and ussd_service_op via http connection.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 5325
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, December 02, 2005 - 08:34 pm:   

This reply is for the posting two messages above this one (i.e., "Posted on Saturday, November 12, 2005 - 11:34 am").

1 & 2.) That's good.

3.) Use the same format as what you received ... "&ServiceType=xxxx" "&SMPPOption_ussd_service_op=x"

4.) I'm not sure I understand the question. But I suspect that you will not be able to reply to these messages without using the redirection technique.
Bryce Norwood - NowSMS Support
Board Administrator
Username: Bryce

Post Number: 5326
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Friday, December 02, 2005 - 08:37 pm:   

This reply is for the posting two messages above this one (i.e., "Posted on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - 04:33 pm:")

1.) You should be ale to put ServiceType=xxx under [SMPP - server:port] section of SMSGW.INI. (Similar to how you use DefaultSMPPOptions= in this section.)

2.) In the HTTP request, include the following parameters as appropriate: "&ServiceType=xxxx" "&SMPPOption_ussd_service_op=x"

(The SMPPOption_ussd_service_op= parameter is only supported if you have it defined in the [SMPPOptions] section of SMSGW.INI, as described earlier in this thread.)

-bn