Introduction

SMS communications from Timely are sent via a batch of shared numbers, meaning messages from different businesses share a pool of numbers. This is a common practice across messaging providers, different industries and countries, businesses and software. This can introduce confusion for customers or clients as messages may appear to originate from the same number for different businesses. Typically this problem is more prevalent in highly concentrated cities where more businesses are sending more messages using a common shared number. 

Requirements

This capability is available to Innovate customers in the United Kingdom and Australia only currently. This capability may be available in other markets in the future, we will let you know when this happens.

How does it work?

Dedicated SMS offers an option to assign a mobile number to the business from which SMS communications will originate from.  This number can then be saved by your clients as the number specific to only your business.

Dedicated SMS is not the same as having your own physical mobile phone in store, this service operates in the following way:

1. It provides a Dedicated SMS number where SMS communications are sent from and returned to within Timely.
2. SMS campaigns do not use this number, they will still originate from shared numbers.
3. This number is unique to the business and can be saved by your customers in their contacts list.
4. Phone calls cannot be made to or from this number.
5. SMS messages can be sent from your business to your clients from within Timely's SMS inbox.
6. SMS messages can be sent from your clients to your business provided the number being sent from is assigned to a customer's client record inside Timely. This message will appear in the SMS inbox.
7. There are no additional charges outside of the normal SMS fee structure. It is part of your Innovate plan.

How to request a Dedicated SMS number

We are currently taking early interest registrations for Dedicated SMS numbers from Innovate customers for when this capability is ready to go.  This will be available in the first quarter of 2022.

Please contact us at [email protected] with a request to Sign me up for Dedicated SMS. By registering, we will make sure you are one of the first to get this exciting new capability when it is available. Once available, we will contact you by email and let you know your new dedicated SMS number.

Nothing else needs to happen, messages will continue to be accessed and used in the same way as before, except now coming from your own unique number.