Channels


A channel is the mechanism that Surveda uses to communicate with mobile network operators or aggregators. It is the route that Surveda uses to make a phone call (for IVR) or send a message to people (for SMS) via a mobile operator.


Generally, an individual channel will correspond to a unique phone number. For example, when conducting an SMS survey, the SMS messages to the respondent will come from the phone number associated with the SMS channel.


Modes 


A mode is a method of communication Surveda uses to communicate with respondents.  Currently, there are two types of modes supported: SMS and Phone Calls.


For each mode used in the survey, there must be a corresponding channel. For example, when configuring a survey to use SMS, there must be an SMS channel. Similarly, a phone call survey must also have an IVR channel. When configuring a survey to use both SMS and IVR, there must be one SMS channel and one IVR channel. It is not possible to use the same channel for both SMS and IVR at the same time.


The Surveda tool comes with a number of built-in channels types that will support each of the selected modes. For a full list of available channel types, see the drop down list when creating a new channel. In addition to these channels, the Surveda tool will also utilize country specific MNO connections to provide SMS and IVR connectivity.


Table 1: Built-in Channel Types for Surveda (December 2016)


SMS Channels
Clickatee, DTAC, I-POP, MSN, Multimodem iSms, POP3, QST Client, QST Server (local gateway) 
Phone Call Channels
Callcentric, Custom Channel, SIP Client, SIP Server, Skype, Twilio, Shujaa
Mobile Web Channels*Clickatee, DTAC, I-POP, MSN, Multimodem iSms, POP3, QST Client, QST Server (local gateway) 

* only for sending the invitation


MNO Channel Setup


A new channel can be created and configured directly in the Surveda tool. Each channel type is different and must be configured according to its specifications. Once these channels are established, they can be reused for as long as agreements remain in place between you (i.e., the implementer) and the MNO. The specifics for the initial setup and maintenance require an in-depth understanding of network protocols and may benefit from guidance from the technical assistance partner.


Note: Within the Surveda tool, channels are configured at the account level. This means channel configurations can be reused across projects and surveys. However, channels should not be used at the same time for more than one survey. If you have two surveys running at the same time, you’ll need to use two channels. A channel should only be reallocated to another survey after the survey has completed.


More Information


For more information on how to set up channels in the Surveda tool, please contact support or submit a ticket.