iMIS Text Messenger (formerly Text Manager)

iMIS Text Messenger is a cloud-based Twilio integration for iMIS that allows marketing communication texts/SMS messages to be sent to members. The app will allow staff to schedule text campaigns to go out on a schedule, one-time, or recurring.

Basic system requirements

  • iMIS Version: iMIS EMS or iMIS 2017
  • Toll-free numbers: The messaging industry has introduced new limits on the number of messages that can be sent from Restricted (formerly “unverified”) and Pending (submitted but not yet approved) toll-free numbers. In addition to these limits, carriers will apply increased message filtering:
    • If your toll-free numbers are already verified, no action is required.
    • Restricted and Pending numbers are subject to both message volume limits and heightened filtering.
  • Opt-in settings (Required for verification): To be considered for toll-free verification, carriers require that you have clear Opt-in language on your website within your membership profile information, specifically for collecting mobile phone numbers:
    • When submitting your toll-free verification request, include a link to a screenshot of the Opt-in language in the Opt-in workflow image URLs field.
    • During the Pending state (after submission but before approval), your number will remain under the restrictions mentioned above.

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  • Throughput for approved toll-free numbers:
    • Throughput: 3 MPS (messages per second)
    • Maximum segments per campaign: 20,000

Opening iMIS Text Messenger

Do the following to open iMIS Text Messenger:

  1. Open the CSI Cloud Dashboard.
  2. Enter the following:
    • iMIS username
    • iMIS password
    • The Cloud ID, which you received from CSI or from your IT or Network Admin.
    • Click Log In
  3. Click the iMIS Text Messenger app link in the left navigation. A fly out menu will appear with Home, Campaign, or Settings choices.

Tip! If it is hidden, click on the CSI icon in the upper left corner. This menu can be pinned or unpinned for your preference.

Home

The Home page provides the following information:

  1. This identifies the current performance level your organization is on. Currently, there is 1 performance level:
    1. Flex-Pay per text usage
  2. Number of texts sent today.
  3. Number of texts sent this month.
  4. Daily limit count/usage. (3,000 is the current daily limit)
  5. TBD
  6. Number of texts sent/failed lifetime.
  7. Current Campaigns in the Draft stage.
  8. Current Campaigns in the Scheduled stage.
  9. Current Campaigns in process.
  10. Current Campaigns Completed.
  11. Archived Campaigns.

Campaigns

Settings

  • Country Settings: The default country prefix will automatically insert the prefix before the phone number returned from the IQA query. If the IQA query returns a phone number starting with a "+" then the default will be ignored. For example, if your default is set to "United States (+1)". An IQA returns a phone number from the UK, (+44 20 7234 3456)...then iMIS Text Messenger will ignore the "+1" prefix and send the message to the UK phone number.
  • Default E-mail Address: Should have the administrator email. This email (along with the Campaign email) will be used if anything goes wrong in sending the messages. 

Twilio pass-along charges

With Twilio’s latest updates, they are now charging per FAILED text message. This typically is in the form of when sending a campaign to members who have previously unsubscribed (replied “STOP” or “QUIT” to the text), Twilio charges a rate of $0.001 per message (not segment). To help our customers alleviate these costs, we have enabled tracking iMIS users who unsubscribe, so that you may then filter them out of your IQA Target Audience, so as to avoid attempting to message them further. See Tracking unsubscribed and re-subscribed members.

We have also seen an uptick in charges related to SMS Pumping Protection which is designed to help prevent misuse by detecting and blocking suspicious SMS traffic. Pumping Protection for SMS messages that are sent to US and CA regions are free. Outside of US/CAN, there is a possibility (depending on the context of the message) to be charged when using Twilio’s SMS Pumping Protection feature to prevent bad actors from abusing your SMS messaging service. The charged rate varies by international region.

As this is an increasingly fast-changing environment, we will continue to do our best to keep all our charges as transparent as possible. If you have any questions, please contact support@csiinc.com.