Dear all, L2C2 Technologies has released the SMS::Send::IN::eSMS driver [1] required by Koha ILS users using the eSMS Kerala service provided by the Kerala State IT Mission under a Free Software. The development of the driver was made possible by the funding support of the State Librarian, State Central Library, Thiruvananthapurm (Trivandrum), Kerala, with KELTRON (Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd) acting as the facilitator. Any Koha library in the state of Kerala who are eligible to use the eSMS Kerala SMS service (provided by KSITM) can now freely implement SMS support using this driver. With this release, it becomes the second open source regional SMS::Send driver now available to Indian Koha users that can be freely downloaded from the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network or CPAN. Sending SMSes from Koha For a long time now Koha has supported sending of SMS (short message service) text messages [2] to library patrons and users about account creation, issue, return, fines, holds, overdues, purchase suggestions etc. To send out SMSes from Koha, we have to use the SMS service of a bulk transactional SMS service provider who provides that service. What are SMS::Send drivers and why does Koha need them? In order to communicate with the service provider’s messaging sending interface (also called messaging API), Koha uses a type of software called “SMS::Send driver”. The “catch” being that each service provider requires a different SMS Send driver. Sort of like the SIM card in our cellphones e.g. if we wish to use a Vodafone number we must have a Vodafone SIM card. However, unlike a SIM card the SMS::Send driver which is a software module written in the PERL language is not provided by the SMS service provider. Either one has to use a Free & Open Source send driver that already exists OR one has to write one by referring to (usually) the HTTP API of the SMS provider. About eSMS Kerala eSMS is an exclusive SMS Gateway established by the Kerala State IT Mission for use by various government departments for providing departmental services over mobile phones. Downloading the driver The SMS::Send::IN:eSMS driver can directly downloaded from CPAN by visiting http://search.cpan.org/~indradg/SMS-Send-IN-eSMS-0.01/lib/SMS/Send/IN/eSMS.p... or from L2C2 Technologies’s public repository on Github at https://github.com/l2c2technologies/sms-send-in-esms. See also 1. “Koha and key lessons of using transactional SMS in India” – https://www.facebook.com/notes/l2c2-technologies/koha-and-key-lessons-of-usi... References: [1] http://search.cpan.org/~indradg/SMS-Send-IN-eSMS-0.01/lib/SMS/Send/IN/eSMS.p... [2] https://koha-community.org/manual/16.11/html/apos02.html#smsnoticefaq best wishes, Indranil Das Gupta L2C2 Technologies Phone : +91-98300-20971 WWW : http://www.l2c2.co.in Blog : http://blog.l2c2.co.in IRC : indradg on irc://irc.freenode.net Twitter : indradg -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.