Welcome to Net S.A. BULK SMS Portal service!

Bulk SMS

Communicate to multiple contacts with the same message easily through our safe, easy to use, streamlined, high capacity, online SMS platform. We have a dedicated direct link to all 4 major Cellular Network providers through which Net S.A. offers you an interactive service.

Net S.A.’s Bulk SMS product can help you:

• Import or create contacts and conveniently manage them into groups;
• Personalize your messages, run history reports, analyze and monitor your messaging campaigns;
• Interact with your customers as replies are sent directly to your “Replies” inbox;
• Instantly alert your customers or group members of special offers, deals, meetings or changes with arrangements.

• Merge it with your address book;
• Run history reports, bulk import additional contacts;
• Send SMS messages to individual contacts or contact groups and access many advanced sending features.

Bulk SMS from your desktop

Net S.A. uses an innovative product called Message Companion which allows you to effectively manage all your messaging needs from the comfort of your desktop. Message Companion does not use your web browser and is a stand-alone application with all you need! You can use Message companion to send the same bulk message to multiple contacts through our safe, easy to use, streamlined, high capacity SMS platform. You can:

• Merge it with your address book;
• Run history reports, bulk import additional contacts;
• Send SMS messages to individual contacts or contact groups from your home, office or laptop within seconds at any time, to anywhere on the planet!

• Quick and easy installation;
• Quick bulk messaging to up to 30 000 groups and individuals;
• Import or create contacts and conveniently manage them into groups;
• Personalize your messages, run history reports, analyze and monitor your messaging campaigns;
• Interact with your customers as replies are sent directly to your “Replies” inbox;
• Instantly alert your customers or group members of special offers, deals, meetings or changes with arrangements.
• Easily integrate with your Outlook address book and import contacts and numbers via spreadsheets.

API / Integration

You will be able to SMS-enable any application, website or system via a range of Application Programming Interface (API) connections or API’s. These API’s ensure you can connect easily to our SMS Gateway. Net S.A. gives you the immediate capability to deliver and receive messages to-and-from any application via our gateway. You have a choice of 6 connection options (HTTP Post, Web services, SQL (windows service), SMPP, Outlook SMS and FTP Upload). They are quick and easy to implement and are suited to a wide spectrum of uses. If you require assistance please feel free to contact Net S.A. Support.

Learn more about each of our API connectivity options below:

HTTP Post/Get

With HTTP Post you can perform credit lookups, send single or multiple sms's, retrieve replies, retrieve history etc. Net S.A.'s service also supports pushing data to your server via HTTP Post. You provide SMSPortal with a URL and we post to the URL specified when replies are received.

Web services

Net S.A. provides various functions to send/receive sms's.

FTP Upload

Suitable for high volume messaging. The FTP upload facility allows customers to upload text files to an FTP server, and have the files automatically dispatched to message recipients.

SQL (Windows service)

The windows service has been written to facilitate all the communication between a locally installed application and the SMS Gateway. The windows service allows you to write complex messaging tools without the need to understand/learn/integrate with the existing API. The platform runs on a Windows Server with the DotNet 2 framework installed. Access to a SQL server 2000/2005/Express database is also required. Two versions have been written, a windows service and a console version. Source code is supplied for both so it can be modified to meet the clients’ requirements. Due to the architecture of the service, it provides the user with flexibility to allow it to integrate with external applications through the use of stored procedures.

SMPP

Our SMPP connection is ideal if you need to send out a high volume of messages each month, and need to do so at high speed. With an SMPP connection, you're continuously connected to our gateway, and the standard protocol requires no programming if you have SMPP software installed.

Outlook SMS

Send SMS’s using Outlook 2010. This is best suited to low volume SMS sending.

Short Codes (competition lines)

When Premium Rated SMS’s are sent from a cellular subscriber’s handset to a specific 5-digit MSISDN number (short code), they are billed at a pre-determined, advertised, higher than normal rate. Mobile Operators in South Africa have specially introduced a series of short codes and price ranges for this purpose. Mobile Originated Messaging refers to when the mobile user is billed at a Standard or Premium rate every time they send a message to a Short Code. This is available on Vodacom, MTN, Cell-C and Virgin Mobile. The revenue generated by such a Premium Rated SMS line - hosted on our platform - is shared between the client, the Mobile Operator, and ourselves. The SMS revenue share depends on the price band and the network. Custom campaigns can be developed to cater for your specific requirements.

Each network pays out varied amounts - according to their own revenue share models - as detailed below.

A minimum monthly volume of 500 messages per network will be required before Net S.A. will pass on revenue to it's clients. Revenues will be paid to you within 90 days or earlier. Please note that this is dependant on when the operator pays Net S.A.. Please note that this is only a guideline of the network payments.

Below is a list of rules that you need to adhere to when setting up and SMS competition. PLEASE NOTE: This is merely an overview of some of the more common questions asked when creating a SMS campaign or SMS competition. This information does not constitute as legal advice, nor is it warranted as legal advice. The various authors, contributors and editors of the above, shall not be held liable for any consequences that may arise from implementation of these guidelines, or from failure to implement them.

Provision of Information

• Any promotional material for a competition service must clearly display the full cost to enter the competition and any cost to the user to obtain the prize.
• Any promotional material for a competition service must include details of how the competition operates.
• Interactive competition services with an ongoing incremental cost must, at reasonable intervals, inform the customer of any additional costs, and must require the customer to actively confirm their continued participation.
• Promotional material must clearly state any information which is likely to affect a decision to participate, including:
  • The closing date;
  • Any significant terms and conditions, including any restriction on the number of entries or prizes which may be won;
  • An adequate description of prizes, and other items offered to all or a substantial majority of participants, including the number of major prizes;
  • Any significant age, geographic or other eligibility restrictions;
  • Any significant costs which a reasonable consumer might not expect to pay in connection with collection, delivery or use of the prize or item.
• The following additional information must also be made readily available on request, if not contained in the original promotional material:
  • how and when prize-winners will be informed;
  • the manner in which the prizes will be awarded;
  • when the prizes will be awarded;
  • how prize-winner information may be obtained;
  • any criteria for judging entries;
  • any alternative prize that is available;
  • the details of any intended post-event publicity;
  • any supplementary rules which may apply;
  • the identity of the party running the competition and responsible for the prizes.
• Competition services and promotional material must not:
  • use words such as ‘win’ or ‘prize’ to describe items intended to be offered to all or a substantial majority of the participants;
  • exaggerate the chance of winning a prize;
  • suggest that winning a prize is a certainty;
  • suggest that the party has already won a prize and that by contacting the promoter of the competition, that the entrant will have definitely secured that prize.
• Competition services that are aimed at, or would reasonably be expected to be particularly attractive to children must not offer cash prizes or feature long or complex rules.
• Competition services must have a specific closing date, except where there are instant prize-winners. An insufficient number of entries or entries of inadequate quality are not acceptable reasons for changing the closing date of a competition or withholding prizes. Once the closing date for a competition is reached, the advertised prizes must be awarded, notwithstanding the number of entries. Prizes must be awarded within 28 days of the closing date, unless a longer period is clearly stated in the promotional material.
• All correct entries must have the same chance of winning.

• Respond to a promotion or offer;
• Request information to be sent instantly to their mobile phone 24/7;
• Ask for a brochure to be sent to them;
• Request a call back;
• Receive a promotional mobile SMS coupon / voucher;
• Vote for a competition.

• The response sent to the client;
• If the incoming SMS should be forwarded to email;
• If the incoming SMS should be forwarded to a mobile number;
• If the incoming SMS should be forwarded to a URL for external use;

• More memorable than long phone numbers and web site names.
• Provide great brand experience.
• Raise or maintain brand awareness.

• Short codes are only available on South African Networks;
• Setup fees are paid in advance;
• Keyword is purchased for 12 months in advance;
• Credits are purchased in advance by Bank Transfer;
• All prices are Including VAT