Contacts

Introduction to Contacts

A Contact is a stored SMS-capable phone number or email address. Contacts exist primarily to support the functionality of other portal features, first by streamlining the processes and activity of portal operators, and also by giving Asset Managers control over communications within and outside the portal.

Contacts in the portal do not have multiple email addresses or phone numbers tied to them as users would find in other types of software that manages people and their contact information. Each Contact in the portal should instead be considered a single delivery destination (SMS or email) for messages from the portal.

Contact Types

  • Email
    Standard email address. the portal will send messages to this type of contact in the form of a standard email message.

  • Free SMS
    SMS text message with no fees associated with the receiving number. The portal will send messages to this type of contact as plain text with no additional characteristics.

  • Paid SMS
    SMS text message with fees associated with the receiving number. The portal will require users to accept all charges before it will send messages to this number, and will send messages to this type of contact as plain text with no additional characteristics.

  • Emergency Contact
    Can be either SMS or email destination; if indicated as an Emergency Contact, the destination address will be automatically sent notifications from the Portal whenever the Emergency protocols are triggered.

Contact Fields

  • Rate Limits
    Minimum number of minutes between notification messages from the portal. Rate options for standard notifications and emergency notifications.
  • Notification Language
    Recipient’s language preference.
  • Notification Speed Display
    Speed units to be displayed in notification information.
  • Lat/Lng Format
    Coordinate format to be displayed in notification information.
  • Fuel Units
    Fuel units (litre, gallon, miles, kilometres) to be displayed in notification information.
  • Timezone
    Timezone to be displayed in notification information.
  • OpenPGP Public Key
    Allows encryption of messages. Must be configured- see OpenPGP Article here.

Contacts in the Manage Module

Once created, users can find a list of all Contacts in the Manage Module under Contacts. The page has a number of options for users to interact with their Contact list.

Manage Contacts - Buttons

Add Contact allows users to open the Add Item page with the Add Contact form open.

Import Contacts opens the Bulk Uploads tool and allows users to import files with Contacts in bulk instead of loading them one by one.

Edit next to each Contact allows users to open that Contact and modify the information in its fields

Delete next to each contact allows users to delete the Contact (this cannot be undone)

Send Test Message automatically generates a message from the portal and sends it to the destination listed. If it is a phone number, the message will be sent as SMS, and if it is an email Contact, the message will be sent as a standard text email.

Contacts with other features

A number of features use the Contacts list to perform actions or to set up communications and alert systems related to device activity.

Contacts and Alerts

When setting up an Alert, users can configure that Alert to send notifications to any email address or phone number that has been saved as a Contact in the portal. For more information, see the Alerts article.

Contacts and Reports

Users have the option to Schedule certain types of Reports so that they will run automatically and be sent to the Contact of choice when they are complete. In order to take advantage of this feature, Users must create a Contact for the email address to which they wish to export the Scheduled Report, and then it will be an option on the Schedule Report form.

Contacts and Users

Contacts exist in the portal as Objects that can be assigned to Users. The primary User on the account is the only one with create/delete access for Contacts, and non-administrators only have access to utilize the Contacts assigned to them.