What types of tool are available?
From TTC: Mobile Advocacy Toolkit Working Meeting wiki
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
This section of the toolkit will present a few tools and services that can be useful in mobile advocacy. They were chosen by the editorial team to give you an idea of what is possible in this field. The tools that are suggested are not all directly for use on a mobile phone but include systems such as interactive voice response tools that people can dial into with mobile phones.
The tools are software applications that are installed on a phone or on a computer and the services are commercial services available through the internet - such as systems for sending bulk SMS messages. We have tried as much as possible to include tools that are Open Source and therefore free to the user.
We've divided the tools and services according to the equipment and services that you need to have in order to use them, either:
- Just a mobile phone, or
- A mobile phone and a personal computer, or
- A computer connected to the internet or a server, or
- A mobile phone and a credit card
If you click on the link to an individual tool you will learn more about the tool and the skills you'll need in order to use it, and you'll find links to further documentation.
We have also provided links to tools that aren't included in the box but which may be useful, including tools that you can use to access the internet and email on your mobile phone.
The mobile telephony landscape is changing rapidly. Operating systems and mobile handsets are evolving to incorporate new functions, such as GPRS systems for tracking your geographical location. Mobile advocacy tools designed to be installed on a server or a desktop computer are currently fairly challenging to use and often require Linux administration skills.
Because this is a fast-developing field it's likely that in a few years more accessible tools will have been developed, including some designed specifically for use by NGOs, such as the Freedom Fone which will provide a voice database, allowing users to access news and public-interest information via land, mobile or Internet phones.
[edit] Factors to consider
In the field of mobile telephony, applications can be installed in a number of places depending on what they are designed to do. For example applications such as Fring which allow you to access your instant messaging or Skype account on the move are installed on a phone, whereas FrontlineSMS, which is used for sending and receiving large amounts of SMS messages is installed on a computer.
Before you can use a tool you need to find out whether it will work on your computer or mobile phone.
Computers run using three main operating systems: Windows, Mac or Linux. Many tools will work only on one or two of these systems, so you should check that your version of the application, and any additional software you want to use, is compatible with the system that runs your computer.
Because applications for mobile phones also run on different operating systems (the main ones are Symbian or Windows Mobile), the same problems of application compatibility may arise as with computers. Make sure that the application you want to use will run on your phone's operating system.
Not all of the mobile tools we describe will run on all types of mobile phone. For example, to use Episurveyor you will need a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
To use the tools which work to connect your phone to your computer you will need a special cable to connect your mobile with your computer. Some of them might also need access to the internet, phone line or spare USB port.
[edit] Tools on a mobile phone
You can install applications on your mobile phone to help you conduct surveys. Other applications such as Shozu will allow you to publish and share multimedia content, such as photos, from your phone onto websites such as blogs, social networking or photo sharing sites. Some applications are used for communications: Gizmo or Fring, allow you to access your instant messaging or Skype account to send text or voice messages. If you are using tools such as Gizmo, Fring or Shozu you should bear in mind that they use mobile data connections which can be very expensive.
[edit] Installing applications on your phone
There are two ways of installing applications on your phone: directly from the internet via a browser on your mobile phone (which can expensive and relies on you having a reliable data connection), or from your computer.
To install applications from your computer you first download the application to your hard drive and then move it to your mobile phone. There are two main ways of doing this;
- Using a wireless Bluetooth or infra-red connection; this requires that both your mobile phone and your computer support this connection
- Using a data cable to connect the USB port of your computer to your moible phone
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 Personal Digital Assistants and will soon be available for other types of mobile phone. It allows you to design a form for a survey on your computer and send it to your PDA. Then you conduct the survey using your PDA and send the information that you've gathered back to your computer. You can collect data from several Personal Digital Assistant devices and combine it into a single table, which can be exported to be analysed.
Cost: Free
Factors to consider: Currently Episurveyor only runs on a PDA (or Personal Digital Assistant) but it is currently being adapted for other mobile phone platforms. Other data-collection tools are available for mobile phones but they are not generally open source.
Use Skype, or your favourite instant messaging application, on your mobile phone.
Fring is a mobile application which uses VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol - the technology that makes the transmission of voice calls over the internet possible) to allow instant voice and text messaging to other users of the application and to users of other similar PC-based services including Skype, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN Messenger and Twitter. It uses a 3G or GPRS internet connection from your phone, or Wi-Fi if your phone has this function.
Cost: Free software, mobile data costs charged by your operator
Make reduced-cost phone calls and log in to your favourite instant messaging application on your mobile phone
Gizmo is a communications application which is installed on your phone. You can also use it to send voicemail messages via email. Gizmo requires a data connection to work so you need either a 3G or GPRS data connection from your phone or Wi-Fi if your phone has this functionality. A version is also available for your computer.
Cost: Free software, mobile data costs charged by your operator for calling other Gizmo users. You can also purchase credit from the company so you can communicate with regular landlines and mobiles. There are two ways to purchase credit - either on your phone via the online Gizmo Account Manager or from your PC.
Publish multimedia content on the internet from your mobile phone
Shozu is an 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.
[edit] Tools for mobile phone and connected computer
These computer applications run 'locally' on a computer and can be used without being connected to the internet or to any other computer network. The mobile phone applications discussed here, such as FrontlineSMS, can be installed on a PC or laptop and accessed without using the internet.
[edit] SMS hubs
An SMS hub - or text messaging hub - is a stand-alone system which allows you to send and receive messages via the mobile phone network, without needing to be connected to the internet or to any other computer. You need a laptop or desktop computer with a number of mobile phones or GSM modems attached. A GSM modem is a small device without a keypad or screen that you connect to your computer. It works like a mobile phone, but is controlled through the computer. Messages are sent and received using software installed on the computer which transmits them through the attached phone or modem to the available mobile phone network. Because SMS hubs do not need to be connected to the internet, they are very useful for NGOs working in areas where access to the internet is not possible or is unreliable.
[edit] What are the advantages of using an SMS hub?
It is quick, cheap and fairly easy to set up an SMS hub, which makes them ideal for organisations that have few resources and low budgets or for those that work in sensitive areas or in countries with repressive dictatorial regimes. One user of FrontlineSMS comments:
“FrontlineSMS has opened up the seemingly complex world of automated SMS message handling to a novice SMS user like myself. Based in Africa in a country where broadcast technology is controlled by a dictatorial government, this software has enabled me to embrace SMS messaging as a means to communicate with the public at large. Since the software does not require me to set up any special relationships with carriers or internet service providers I am able to run my project without drawing unnecessary attention to myself - a good thing in this neck of the woods”
One of the advantages of SMS hubs is that since messages are sent using a local mobile phone and SIM card, users are able to reply through their phones, something which is not always possible if you use web-based messaging tools. (SIM cards are small plastic chips which your network operator sells to you and which allow you to access the mobile network). Other types of group messaging services (such as Clickatell or BulkSMS) are web-based and are not appropriate for organisations working in places with unreliable telecommunications infrastructure or no internet connectivity at all. They also require a credit card. SMS hubs get around this by using the mobile phone network to send and receive their messages; so the messages are paid for through your SIM card
[edit] Issues to consider when using SMS hubs
[edit] Cost implications
Systems which send messages via an attached GSM phone or modem generally cost more to run than their web-based alternatives. You pay for each message that you send according to the network price plan and SIM card you're using. In addition, because messages are being sent out one at a time the process is generally slower, with an average of 8 to 10 Italic text messages per minute. Online (or web-based) SMS aggregators, providing services which enable the sending of large numbers of messages more quickly, are generally cheaper.
[edit] Network and SMS constraints
Some networks limit the number of times you can send the same text message, to prevent illegal spamming. Text messages cannot be more than 160 characters long, which limits the amount of information you can transmit.
[edit] Security
In addition, very high levels of mobile phone activity could attract the attention of the authorities, which could prove dangerous in countries with dictatorial regimes where people are often required to register their phone numbers. For further details of the security implications of using text messaging, see the section on security.
[edit] SMS hubs included in the box
FrontlineSMS is a software application for desktop and laptop computers which does not an require an internet connection and which works with any Global System for Mobile (GSM) network.
Cost: Free software, plus the cost of sending the SMS.
SMS Server Tools 3 Send and receive large numbers 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.
[edit] Tools for mobile phone and a computer connected to the internet or a server
A server is usually a dedicated computer which runs one or a number of applications. Servers run special 'server applications' or programmes, often unattended, are left running for extended periods of time, and are usually built around the larger desk-based machines. Examples of server applications are Apache (a web server) and Asterisk (described later in this section).
[edit] Interactive voice response systems
Interactive Voice Response, or IVR systems, run on computers, handle incoming calls and provide callers with a range of automated options, allowing them to report specific events or get specific information. You can use FreePBX, Asterisk or TrixBox to do this. The tools described below are powerful and have great potential for advocacy yet are currently very challenging to install and require Linux administration skills.
For example: A user calls your number and is greeted by a recorded voice message - "Welcome to the election monitoring action line". The caller is then presented with a range of options: to register as an election monitor, press 1; to make a positive comment on the election, press 2; to report a violation, press 3; to hear a news update on how the elections are going, press 4; to repeat these options, press 5 and so on. Depending on what the caller would like to do, they either speak the appropriate number or press it on their telephone key pad. They are then either taken to a new set of menus, or asked to record a message. The whole process is automated
These systems are useful for guiding callers to specific information, perhaps a news broadcast or update or to a menu where they can leave a message. Although IVR systems are more traditionally used in high-volume call centres which receive large numbers of calls (such as with telephone banking or customer services), they are also useful in the NGO world to help gather and distribute information, via voice, to and from end users.
[edit] What are the advantages in using an IVR system?
Once an IVR system has been set-up and configured, information is automatically distributed and collected from incoming callers, requiring little further intervention from the NGO (except for updating any news or information broadcasts and the monitoring of system use and reliability). IVR systems can therefore be left to run without further manual intervention.
For organisations tackling issues of end-user literacy, IVR systems are also advantageous in that they use voice as their primary communications method, not text. Furthermore using voice, information can be gathered and distributed in greater volume, more cheaply and generally faster than using SMS. Finally, since the call originates from the end user, the cost of otherwise running and maintaining the system are distributed among the users, with the NGO operating the service avoiding associated costs of making calls or sending texts.
[edit] What skills do I need to set up an IVR system
If you are looking to set up an IVR system for your organisation or if you are looking for someone to help you out with doing this you need to check they have a knowledge of systems, network administration and basic telephony; these are a must to make sense of all of this.
When you install an IVR system such as Asterisk it will be bundled with the following applications so a working familiarity with all of these applications is a requirement.The knowledge required is for the administration and maintenance of the systems rather than for installing the systems.
- CentOS Linux operating system
- Asterisk
- Apache web server
- PHP
- MySQL database server
- SendMail server
- IPtables firewall
- WebMin
- phpMyAdmin
We have included links to documentation for each of the IVR systems in the toolkit on the specific tool pages but further guidance can be found in the 'Building Voice Infrastructure in Developing Regions' guide which is available online. This guide targets both technical and non-technical readers. The first part presents the essentials of telephony over the Internet. For those interested in the more technical details, hands-on guidelines and configuration files are included in the second part. The examples provide essential background to build your own low-cost telephony system. The last part demonstrates three realistic scenarios of how Voice over IP can be deployed in rural communities in developing regions. The scenarios cover how to build a local telephony system and how to connect it to other voice networks.
[edit] What IVR tools are available
For more information on tools for creating an IVR system check out TrixBox, Asterisk and FreePBX. These three tools have different functionality;
- TrixBox is the easiest to use as it will install Asterisk for you on a server. However be warned that it requires a dedicated server and will wipe any existing data off a server when it is installed.
- FreePBX gives you a more user friendly interface to Asterisk.
- Asterisk is very challenging to use but is very configurable.
Asterisk 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.
Cost: Free
FreePBX 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
TrixBox A more user-friendly version of Asterisk which incorporates FreePBX
TrixBox is a telephone system based on Asterisk (see above).
[edit] Online services for creating mobile websites
Mobile websites are versions of regular sites that are built to the .mobi standard which is an industry standard which ensures that sites are designed and built in an agreed, uniform manner, and which are compatible with a wide range of handsets. Having a specially adapted version is a good idea if you want people to be able to access your organisation's website on the move.
[1]: PBX in a flash is similar to TrixBox in that it provides a convenient installer for Asterisk but has fewer features than Trixbox. This is not included in the toolkit.
MobiSiteGalore is an online service which allows the building of mobile internet sites
Wapple is a free service, available through a website, which allows you to quickly and easily create mobile internet sites.
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
Cost: Free software
[edit] Tools and services requiring a mobile phone and a credit card
If an SMS hub is not feasible due to lack of hardware (a laptop or mobile phone, for example), lack of a mobile phone coverage, issues of running cost or your own capacity, SMS aggregators provide a similar service through the internet (SMS aggregators are companies which sell text messages in bulk, and then handle their delivery on your behalf. By logging onto their website, you can add your contact mobile numbers and type in the messages you want to send). In addition to generally being cheaper, SMS aggregators are able to send larger numbers of messages more quickly, useful for organisations with a large target group. We have included details of one of the leading services - BulkSMS in the toolkit.
BulkSMS Bulksms is a commercial 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.
Clickatell Bulksms is a commercial SMS service which allows you to send SMS messages via a web site or through desktop software. It offers coverage for 712 networks in 212 countries for outbound messages and almost 100 countries for inbound messages (two-way SMS). If you are using FrontlineSMS and you have an Internet connection, you can use your Clickatell account to send and receive messages rather than using a GSM modem or a mobile phone
There are many other commercial SMS services available so shop around for lower prices which might be available in your country.
[edit] Other mobile applications
There are others tools and services that weren't chosen for inclusion in the toolkit but are worth investigating.
[edit] Web, email and social networking tools
The tools below can be great for accessing your email or social networking site on your mobile. You should bear in mind that they require a mobile data connection and this can be expensive.
- Opera mini is a web browser designed specifically to make the most of viewing web pages on your mobile phone.
- Facebook mobile
- Gmail mobile
- Hotmail mobile
- Yahoo mobile
- Myspace mobile
- Google maps applications for your phone offering maps, directions and business listings.
[edit] People's media tools and services
- Gabcast Gabcast.com is a podcasting and audioblogging platform that offers an easy way to create and distribute audio content. Most people will use a touch-tone telephone to make their recordings but we also provide worldwide access to the service through VoIP. Once you have made a recording and have published it, a newsfeed is immediately and automatically updated to alert subscribers to your channel.
- Greenpeace UK Moblog: Commercial mobile blogging service that has been used successfully by NGOS such as Greenpeace and Amnestey international to update people about their campaigns, also encouraging them to send photos and videos that will be eventually displayed on the moblog.
- Blasterisk BLASTERISK is a free telephone service for Free Software users, developers, and independent media activists.
- Txtmob TXTmob lets you quickly and easily share txt messages with friends, comrades, and total strangers. You can sign up to send and receive messages from various groups, which are organized around a range of different topics.
[edit] Disaster and quick response tools
- DEWN: Disaster Early Warning Network for Sri Lanka
- Sahana: FOSS Disaster Management system, which includes a Messaging module which is a web-based front-end to Kannel.
- Voxiva: mobile solutions primarily targeted at HealthCare (such as quickly reporting outbreaks of Avian Flu)
[edit] Security tools
- Crypto SMS CryptoSMS is an open-source tool for SMS encryption which is installed on your phone. Unfortunately this software seems only to work on new 3G phones and is challenging to use so you should not install it unless you have very serious security concerns.
- [2] SMS007 is a commercial SMS encryption tool which is installed on your phone.
