User Guide

Table Of Contents
About SMS and ColdFusion 1067
Because the SMSC is a store-and-forward server, it can hold messages that cannot be immediately
delivered and try to deliver them when the receiving device is available. The time that a message is
held on the server for delivery is configured by the SMSC provider. For example, AT&T Wireless
saves messages for 72 hours; after that time, any undelivered messages are deleted. Your messages
can request a different timeout (by specifying a
ValidityPeriod field). The message can also use
a
registeredDelivery field to tell the SMSC to inform the you about whether and when the
message is delivered.
SMS communication can be secure. Voice and data communications, including SMS message
traffic between the SMSC and the mobile device is encrypted as part of the GSM standard. The
mobile user's identity is also authenticated by the SMSC before the encrypted communication
session begins. You must secure the communications between ColdFusion and the SMSC.
Typically, you do this by using a secure hardware or software VPN connection around the SMPP
connection.
The following figure shows the SMS path between mobile devices and ColdFusion gateways:
Using the SMS event gateway, ColdFusion establishes a two-way (transceiver) connection to the
SMSC of the telecommunications carrier or other SMPP account provider. The SMPP provider
assigns an address for your account, and you associate an event gateway instance with the address.
Addresses are normally telephone numbers, but carriers often support “short code” addresses that
do not require a full 10-digit number. You also configure the gateway instance to communicate
with the providers specified TCP/IP address using a system ID and a password.
Note: The ColdFusion MX SMS event gateway conforms to the SMPP 3.4 specification, which you
can download from the SMS Forum at www.smsforum.net/.
A ColdFusion application can initiate and send messages to SMS-enabled devices by specifying
the destination mobile device telephone number, or mobile devices can send messages to a
ColdFusion listener CFC by using the gateway instances telephone number. Incoming messages
include the sender’s number, so listener CFCs can respond to messages sent by mobile devices.
Wireless Network
SMS Gateway
Instance
SMS Gateway
Instance
SMS Gateway
Instance
ColdFusion
Carrrier SMSC
Carrrier SMSC
Cell Phone
PDA
Telephone