Receive SMS Messages Via Email from Flowroute Phone Numbers

General Help
1

Not sure how valuable this is here, but I’ve whipped up a simple app to receive SMS text messages from Flowroute numbers and forward them via email. Assuming you’re using Docker on a public server, the command is:

docker run --name flowroute-proxy -p 3000:3000 \
    -e [email protected] \
    -e SMTP_PASS=robin4ever \
    -e [email protected] \
    -e SMTP_HOST=smtp.batcave.com 
    fredlackey/flowroute-proxy

Full information is on the Docker Hub at: https://hub.docker.com/r/fredlackey/flowroute-proxy/

The source code is on GitHub at: https://github.com/FredLackey/flowroute-sms-email-proxy

And, there’s an even simpler blog entry at: http://www.fredlackey.com/flowroute-proxy/

I hope this helps someone.

– Fred

2 Likes
2

Before you go crazy posting a application like this I would advise you do some basic IP patent searches and make sure you are not violating a patent. I know SMS has a ton of patents as it relates to email and notifications and forwarding.

3

I don’t use flowroute but I do use another carrier that offers SMS and I can forward direct to email from their service.

I’m not sure I see a benefit to this app. Am I missing something?? I guess flowroute must not offer SMS to email services??

4

Flowroute, like other providers, offer SMS as an HTTP API service. It’s up to you, as the user of the Flowroute service, to create your SMS app using the API. Many ITSP’s do this because they generally only offer “Class 4” style services, i.e. they give you a route/connection to the PSTN.

Now VoIP/Voice providers that offer “Class 5” style services, i.e., vertical services such as Feature Codes, VoiceMail, IVRs, etc, etc. those are the ones that will generally take their SMS service and provide an interface for the user because they are handling all the services not the user. The user is limited to what their SMS service offers.

So really the benefit of what Flowroute does is simple, control. I get an SMS from Flowroute, I can now take that SMS, store in my archive, send it to emails, SIP devices/clients, XMPP users, have it available in the SMS web UI,

Personally, I have a mix of the two bases. I have some users that want HTTP API only for their SMS and I have others users that want to handle SMS only through a web portal. Email notifications as part of the service but mainly real time send/receive via the portal.

5

You should look at what voice innavations offers. They offer both the API if you would like to go that direction but they also offer the conduit to email also. I believe they only charge $1 per month unlimited texts

1 Like
6

Thanks but VoIP Innovations (like Vitelity and others like them) use the same PSTN carriers I use. I provide what VoIP Innovations does. For the average user what VoIP Innovations offers is fine but some users like to have more control over their applications and providers like Flowroute meet those needs. That’s all I was pointing out.

7

There’s new activity at VI that may make this discussion moot. They just sent out an email about their new service offerings which may well include most of these services and features. We’ll see how that goes.