What is SMSConnect?
SMSConnect is an Enterprise Business Engine that allows any organization, Institute or agency to harness the power of wireless communication. It provides a SMS communication channel between an organization and its stakeholders like citizens, customers, partners, investors, suppliers, employees.
How SMS as channel will help in improving e-governance services?
Implementations of SMS-based e- governance services are getting popular. Major reasons of the local authorities to setup and to promote SMS-based e-governance projects relates to characteristics of the SMS medium which is easy to use, very cheap in cost, an anywhere anytime communication channel, high penetration, and excessive in infrastructure. By these characteristics, governments expect to improve communication with their citizens, to reach more people in rural area where Internet access is unavailable, to allow easier, greater access, convenient and flexible in time to the government services, to provide cheaper and faster services, to improve effectiveness of the communication by reaching the correct citizen personally, to encourage citizens participation, and to improve the accountability of government.
The government authorities have reported significant benefits of SMS-based e-governance including:
1. Low Implementation cost
2. Reduction in time and cost
3. Ease of operation
4. No need of internet connectivity
5. Cheaper, easier and fast information accessing channel
6. Improving transparency, accountability, communication, and relationship between government and citizens.
7. High level of citizen participation.
8. Ideal for rural areas
How does SMSConnect help in realizing the benefits of SMS as a channel?
SMSConnect is an Enterprise Business Engine that allows any organization, Institute or agency to harness the power of wireless communication. It provides a SMS communication channel between an organization and its stakeholders like citizens, customers, partners, investors, suppliers, employees.
How SMS as channel will help in improving e-governance services?
Implementations of SMS-based e- governance services are getting popular. Major reasons of the local authorities to setup and to promote SMS-based e-governance projects relates to characteristics of the SMS medium which is easy to use, very cheap in cost, an anywhere anytime communication channel, high penetration, and excessive in infrastructure. By these characteristics, governments expect to improve communication with their citizens, to reach more people in rural area where Internet access is unavailable, to allow easier, greater access, convenient and flexible in time to the government services, to provide cheaper and faster services, to improve effectiveness of the communication by reaching the correct citizen personally, to encourage citizens participation, and to improve the accountability of government.
The government authorities have reported significant benefits of SMS-based e-governance including:
1. Low Implementation cost
2. Reduction in time and cost
3. Ease of operation
4. No need of internet connectivity
5. Cheaper, easier and fast information accessing channel
6. Improving transparency, accountability, communication, and relationship between government and citizens.
7. High level of citizen participation.
8. Ideal for rural areas
How does SMSConnect help in realizing the benefits of SMS as a channel?
SMSConnect based e-governance services can be categorized within 5 levels (Refer below figure):
1. Listen
2. Notification
3. Pull-based Information
4. Communication
5. Transaction
How SMSConnect based applications will help government?
As explained above SMSConnect based e-governance services are categorized into 5 different levels. Below sections describes each level in detail and explains how the applications created within these services will help the government in many ways.
These levels are based on the complexity of the system and the benefits received by citizens; the higher the level the more complex the system and the more benefits received by citizens (Refer below figure for).
How SMSConnect based applications will help government?
As explained above SMSConnect based e-governance services are categorized into 5 different levels. Below sections describes each level in detail and explains how the applications created within these services will help the government in many ways.
Listen Level
On the first level, we classify the SMS based e-government applications which can be used by governments to listen to citizens' opinions, reports, and complaints. SMSConnect will enable citizens to send messages directly to mayors, councilors and the local authority. This is a one-way communication mode from citizens to government which is categorized as the Listen level.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Opinions about new policy
2. Enquiries about new programs
3. Reporting about corruption
4. Registering a complaint
5. Requesting for a service
6. Direct communication to higher officials
All of the input-messages are classified and forwarded to the right departments or officials to take action.
The main benefit of this level is accessibility. Citizens have a channel to share or broadcast their views on important issues directly to their government. It contributes to the citizens' empowerment.
Notification Level
In the second level, SMSConnect enables one-way communication from government to citizens. The government is able to notify citizens about their personal information and to broadcast important public information. SMSConnect classifies these applications as Notification level.
Services in this level use Push-based mechanism, which sends the messages to citizens activated by data on the server, not by a user's request. Technically, the services can be of following 5 types:
1. Event based SMS
2. Scheduled SMS
3. Personal Profile based SMS
4. Location based SMS
5. SMS broadcasting
In the Event based SMS, messages are sent to citizens activated by event-based application. The Scheduled SMS sends the messages to people activated by time scheduled-based application. Messages in the Personal Profile based SMS are sent to citizens activated by application based on profile and preference of the user. The Location based SMS system will send a particular message when the user approaches certain locations. Finally, the SMS broadcasting system broadcasts messages to all the citizens from a particular area or certain people registered in the database based on needs.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Send a confirmation message to taxpayers including the amount when their tax payment is received
2. Send a reminder or confirmation of appointment before 24 hours of the event.
3. Send a notification message to the job seeker whenever a matching job is available.
4. SMS services that will send messages to tourists at a location information about the location such as what to see, the artist, or the history of the place as soon as he/she enters the specific location.
5. sends alert messages to citizens in the district regarding meteorological and high rain risks, low temperatures, potential disasters, and emergency locations as well as contact numbers
Delivering notification services to the public in this level makes citizens in the place as customers. SMSConnect enable the citizens to get the information easily, conveniently, on time and cheaply. Other major benefits of this level's services are that citizens are informed about and more involved in the activities of government (the transparency benefit), making the government more accountable to its citizens.
Pull-based Information Level
SMSConnect based e-governance systems also provide two way communication that enables citizens to access public or personal information by sending a request-message. The services use the pull method: citizens send a 'request SMS' to the service and the replied service is sent back to the sender's handset via SMS.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Track the nearest health services by sending a text message with the name of the service required (such as doctor or pharmacy). Sender will receive an instant reply with the details of the requested service, including address, telephone number and distance from the postcode area.
2. Checking the status of a complaint by sending a complaint code.
3. Checking a status of an application (for e.g. Passport, Ration card, PAN card etc.)
4. Citizens can check their tax due amount by sending the request along with the PAN number
The dominant benefits delivered by this level are accessibility, availability, responsiveness, and timeliness. Citizens can access their personal or public information any time anywhere.
Communication Level
At this level SMSConnect allows communication between government and citizens in which the people can inquire, complain or report about anything (without worrying about the text format) and get responses/replies immediately. Another option for providing services at this level is combining the SMS and email channels. Where SMSs send by the citizens are getting converted into emails and forwarded to the concerned department for the processing. And replies to that email are getting converted back into SMS and forwarded to the citizen.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Complain, suggest, commend, and inquire about a service.
2. Report corruption, and inefficient bureaucracy
SMSConnect converts this into emails and forward to an appropriate official (or contact center agent). The contact centre officers respond immediately the emails if they know the answer to the query or direct it to the relevant service. Responses to customers will automatically be converted back into a text message and sent back to their mobile phones.
Since it enables citizens to express their opinion, comment or query to the government using sentences without worrying about the text format and getting the reply immediately, this level offers more benefits in accessibility, availability, responsiveness, courtesy and helpfulness, usability, timeliness, accountability, and transparency.
Transaction Level
SMSConnect based e-governance systems can process transactions. Through this service citizens can pay bills and send or update their personal data through SMS.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Mobile ticketing where people can order tickets for major events just by sending an SMS. They then receive a return SMS which has an image with a 2-dimensional metric-code containing details such as the ticket number, the mobile phone number and the seat number. The people will be charged for their tickets by the mobile service provider once the 2-D codes on their mobile phones are scanned on entering the stadium.
2. SMS voting system enables citizens to cast their votes in elections or votes from home or when travelling
On the first level, we classify the SMS based e-government applications which can be used by governments to listen to citizens' opinions, reports, and complaints. SMSConnect will enable citizens to send messages directly to mayors, councilors and the local authority. This is a one-way communication mode from citizens to government which is categorized as the Listen level.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Opinions about new policy
2. Enquiries about new programs
3. Reporting about corruption
4. Registering a complaint
5. Requesting for a service
6. Direct communication to higher officials
All of the input-messages are classified and forwarded to the right departments or officials to take action.
The main benefit of this level is accessibility. Citizens have a channel to share or broadcast their views on important issues directly to their government. It contributes to the citizens' empowerment.
Notification Level
In the second level, SMSConnect enables one-way communication from government to citizens. The government is able to notify citizens about their personal information and to broadcast important public information. SMSConnect classifies these applications as Notification level.
Services in this level use Push-based mechanism, which sends the messages to citizens activated by data on the server, not by a user's request. Technically, the services can be of following 5 types:
1. Event based SMS
2. Scheduled SMS
3. Personal Profile based SMS
4. Location based SMS
5. SMS broadcasting
In the Event based SMS, messages are sent to citizens activated by event-based application. The Scheduled SMS sends the messages to people activated by time scheduled-based application. Messages in the Personal Profile based SMS are sent to citizens activated by application based on profile and preference of the user. The Location based SMS system will send a particular message when the user approaches certain locations. Finally, the SMS broadcasting system broadcasts messages to all the citizens from a particular area or certain people registered in the database based on needs.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Send a confirmation message to taxpayers including the amount when their tax payment is received
2. Send a reminder or confirmation of appointment before 24 hours of the event.
3. Send a notification message to the job seeker whenever a matching job is available.
4. SMS services that will send messages to tourists at a location information about the location such as what to see, the artist, or the history of the place as soon as he/she enters the specific location.
5. sends alert messages to citizens in the district regarding meteorological and high rain risks, low temperatures, potential disasters, and emergency locations as well as contact numbers
Delivering notification services to the public in this level makes citizens in the place as customers. SMSConnect enable the citizens to get the information easily, conveniently, on time and cheaply. Other major benefits of this level's services are that citizens are informed about and more involved in the activities of government (the transparency benefit), making the government more accountable to its citizens.
Pull-based Information Level
SMSConnect based e-governance systems also provide two way communication that enables citizens to access public or personal information by sending a request-message. The services use the pull method: citizens send a 'request SMS' to the service and the replied service is sent back to the sender's handset via SMS.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Track the nearest health services by sending a text message with the name of the service required (such as doctor or pharmacy). Sender will receive an instant reply with the details of the requested service, including address, telephone number and distance from the postcode area.
2. Checking the status of a complaint by sending a complaint code.
3. Checking a status of an application (for e.g. Passport, Ration card, PAN card etc.)
4. Citizens can check their tax due amount by sending the request along with the PAN number
The dominant benefits delivered by this level are accessibility, availability, responsiveness, and timeliness. Citizens can access their personal or public information any time anywhere.
Communication Level
At this level SMSConnect allows communication between government and citizens in which the people can inquire, complain or report about anything (without worrying about the text format) and get responses/replies immediately. Another option for providing services at this level is combining the SMS and email channels. Where SMSs send by the citizens are getting converted into emails and forwarded to the concerned department for the processing. And replies to that email are getting converted back into SMS and forwarded to the citizen.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Complain, suggest, commend, and inquire about a service.
2. Report corruption, and inefficient bureaucracy
SMSConnect converts this into emails and forward to an appropriate official (or contact center agent). The contact centre officers respond immediately the emails if they know the answer to the query or direct it to the relevant service. Responses to customers will automatically be converted back into a text message and sent back to their mobile phones.
Since it enables citizens to express their opinion, comment or query to the government using sentences without worrying about the text format and getting the reply immediately, this level offers more benefits in accessibility, availability, responsiveness, courtesy and helpfulness, usability, timeliness, accountability, and transparency.
Transaction Level
SMSConnect based e-governance systems can process transactions. Through this service citizens can pay bills and send or update their personal data through SMS.
Below are some of the examples of SMSConnect based applications at this level:
1. Mobile ticketing where people can order tickets for major events just by sending an SMS. They then receive a return SMS which has an image with a 2-dimensional metric-code containing details such as the ticket number, the mobile phone number and the seat number. The people will be charged for their tickets by the mobile service provider once the 2-D codes on their mobile phones are scanned on entering the stadium.
2. SMS voting system enables citizens to cast their votes in elections or votes from home or when travelling
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