Tools
From TTC: Mobile Advocacy Toolkit Working Meeting wiki
This is a review of the tools recommended for inclusion in the toolkit by the Editorial Team. Each of the tools is linked to one of the scenarios describing how it could be used and what for.
[edit] Review of Tools
Set up an office phone system, make free or very cheap phone calls over the internet and create your own interactive voice response systems
Asterisk is an open source/free software system which allows you to set up a telephone private branch exchange (PBX) and connect to other telephone services including the public telephone network. You can set up features such as voice mail, conference calling, interactive voice response (phone menus), and automatic call forwarding.
Resources required:
Cost: Free
Collect data on your mobile phone and send it back to a laptop or other computer
EpiSurveyor is a free, open source tool which runs on a PDA (or Personal Digital Assistant) and will soon run on mobile phones. It allows you to design a form for a survey on your computer, send it to your mobile device, gather the data on the device and then send the information back to your computer. You can then collect data from several devices and combine it into one table and export it out to be analysed.
Cost: Free
A Set up and manage an office phone system - a simpler version of Asterisk
FreePBX is a free software application which has some pre-programmed functions that aren't available in Asterisk. It allows you to create and manage extensions. voicemail, IVR (Interactive Voice Response), and some other features. This functionality is accessible via a user-friendly web interface.
Cost: Free
Use Skype, or your favourite instant messaging application on your mobile, similar to Gizmo below
Fring is a mobile application which uses VOIP (the technology that enables voice to be transmitted over the internet) to allow instant messaging to other users of the application and users of other PC-based services including Skype, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN Messenger and Twitter. It uses 3G or GPRS internet connection from your phone or Wi-Fi if your phone has this functionality.
Cost: Free software, mobile data costs charged by your operator
Send and receive large amounts of SMS messages from your computer
FrontlineSMS is a Software application for desktops and laptops, FrontlineSMS Does not require Internet connection and it works with any Globals System for Mobile (GSM) Communication networks.
Cost: Free software, cost of sending SMS messages
Gizmo is a free phone for your computer.Use the computer version of Gizmo to make free or cheap phone calls and login to your favourite instant messaging software. It can also be installed on your phone - similar to Fring above
The version which you install on your computer uses your internet connection (broadband or dial-up) to make calls to other computers, otherwise you can install it on your phone and use the 3G or GPRS internet connection from your phone or Wi-Fi if your phone has this functionality.
Cost: Free software, mobile data costs charged by your operator for calling other Gizmo users. You can also purchase credit so you can communicate with regular landlines and mobiles.
Use the toolkit to ensure your website is viewable on a mobile phone
Nokia Mobile Internet Toolkit allows you to create content for mobile phones such as web pages which are viewable on a phone and multimedia messages (or MMS). The toolkit will allow you to to preview what the site or message will look on a mobile phone on a computer screen
Publish your multimedia content on the internet from your mobile
Shozu is a software application which you can install on your phone to allow you to upload videos and photos from your mobile phone to your online sharing sites, blogs (such as your Wordpress blog), email address and newsrooms.
Send and receive large amounts of text messages from your computer.
SMS Server tools provide a system for sending and retrieving SMSs and also allows you to manage the hardware of your GSM phone or modem.
A more user-friendly version of Asterisk which incorporates FreePBX
Trixbox is a telephone system based on Asterisk (see above).
[edit] Review of Services
Bulksms is a commericial SMS service which allows you to send SMS messages via a web site or through desktop software. It offers SMS coverage to over 500 networks globally.
