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Depending on your preferences, users will need to configure both an SMTP Relay and SMS Provider so that the dropdown menu can send messages to the contacts provided. The dropdown menu does not send the messages but relies on external services to do the actual messaging.


SMTP (Email)

SMTP, or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, is a protocol for sending email messages between servers. Most email systems that send mail over the Internet use SMTP to send messages from one server to another, and to deliver messages to local mail clients like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail.


For SMTP, we have chosen to adopt the route of using a customer’s SMTP relay. Most companies already have an email service and a domain that they prefer communication from their company to be associated with. This allows them to manage their sender scores and ensure emails are sent successfully and received in their customers' inboxes. The end customers will also recognize the sender since they are most likely already receiving emails from that domain.


To configure SMTP and SMS settings, select the gear icon (Configuration) on the left-hand panel of the dropdown menu. Select the Notification section in the middle and complete the following information.


CCM needs the following information to send notifications via email:

  • SMTP Relay URI (Uniform resource identifier): this is the relay URI/URL.

  • SMTP Port: An SMTP port is a network port that is used to send and receive email messages over the Internet. The default SMTP port is port 25, but many ISPs and email hosting providers block or restrict access to this port to reduce spam and prevent abuse. As a result, many organizations use an alternative SMTP port, such as 587 or 465, to send email messages.

  • From Name: this is the name that shows up as the sender of the email in the end receiver’s inbox.

  • From Address: This is the sender’s email address.

  • SMTP User Name: The user name for the dropdown menu to access the SMTP relay to send the message.

  • SMTP Password: The password dropdown menu needs to access the SMTP relay to send the message.

  • Encryption Type: Can be set to None, StartTLS, SSLOnConnect.

Once this information is complete, you must click Update Notification Configuration to save. You can test sending an email through the service by clicking Send Test Email. Fill in a recipient email address, subject, and test message, and click Send.


Encryption

StartTLS and SSLOnConnect are the two methods we support that can be used to encrypt email messages and secure the connection between an email client and an email server.


TLS is a protocol that provides secure communication over the Internet, and it is often used to encrypt email messages and protect them from being intercepted or tampered with during transmission. To use StartTLS, an email client will first establish an unencrypted connection to the email server, and then send the StartTLS command to the server. The server will respond by negotiating the encryption parameters and setting up a secure, encrypted connection using TLS.


SSLOnConnect, on the other hand, is a method that establishes a secure, encrypted connection using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) from the beginning. With SSLOnConnect, an email client will connect to the email server using a secure SSL connection, and all communication between the client and server will be encrypted.


NAT

For all SMTP traffic, we have adopted a NAT to simplify whitelisting of IP addresses for incoming traffic. NAT, or Network Address Translation, is a method of connecting multiple devices on a local network to the Internet using a single public IP address. NAT allows devices on a private network, such as a home or office network, to communicate with the Internet and with each other, while still hiding the internal network structure and addresses from the external network.


To ensure connectivity, your implementation consultant or support team member can provide you with the IP addresses that need to be whitelisted for the service.


Configuring SMS (Text Message) Notification Service

SMS, or Short Message Service, is a text messaging service that allows people to send and receive short text messages, typically using their mobile phones. SMS messages are sent and received using a cellular network, and they can be sent to and from any phone that has SMS capability, regardless of the make or model of the phone.


Trimble has selected Twilio as our provider of SMS services. Twilio is a cloud communications platform that allows developers to build, scale, and operate real-time communication applications using web service APIs. Twilio provides a variety of APIs and tools that enable developers to build applications that can send and receive phone calls, text messages, and other types of communication using a variety of different channels, including voice, SMS, and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.


If you already have a Twilio account, you can use your account. If you don’t, Trimble can create a sub-account, procure a phone number appropriate for your projected volume and provide you with the information required by the service to send SMS messages.


To configure SMTP and SMS settings, select the Configuration icon on the left-hand panel of the dropdown menu. Select the Notification section in the middle and complete the following information:

  • Sender Phone Number

  • SMS Account SID

  • SMS Auth Token

Once this information is complete, click Update Notification Configuration to save.


You can test sending an email through the service by clicking Send Test SMS. Fill in a recipient’s cell phone number and a test message and hit send.


Twilio Credentials

To find the SMS Account SID and SMS Auth Token, visit the Twilio Console, and the credentials should be listed under account information.


The tracking portal allows end recipients of messages to track the most up-to-date ETA and view the truck on a map as the delivery time gets closer. With the DRTrack workflow, this link should always be set to https://customerportal-ccm.trimblemaps.com/id/{orderid}.