More than most businesses, financial services providers such as banks, accountants, and wealth management and planning consultancies need to protect their own and their clients’ digital assets and grant access only to individuals who have the credentials to view and update them.

Best practices for security today call for two-factor authentication (2FA), which protects accounts from unauthorized data access by requiring a second form of identification in addition to usernames and passwords. That second factor can take several forms:

• Something a user knows, such as a password
• Something they have, such as a smartphone or a hardware authentication token
• Something they are, such as a biometric characteristic — fingerprint, faceprint, voice

Since you’re already asking for something they know — a password — you should, in addition, ask for one of the other factors. Which one?

The best second factor is something that most users will find easy to use and that doesn’t cost them any money they haven’t already spent. Consider something they have: More than 97% of Americans own a cellphone. That means you can send a one-time password (OTP) to their device and require them to enter it on a web form to unlock access to their data.

Many organizations use SMS to send OTPs, since text messaging is most people’s preferred communications channel. You should be prepared, though, to also send OTPs via voice call to meet the needs of customers who either lack a cellphone but do have a landline or who simply prefer voice communication.

Only someone with the user’s device, or more accurately their phone number, can successfully complete authentication with a one-time password, providing a strong measure of additional security.

Other options for 2FA

Alternatives for 2FA all have issues that make them less well suited for 2FA. Hardware tokens such as the Yubikey, for instance, are exceptionally secure, but they’re relatively expensive (especially compared to the zero added cost of a mobile phone) and easy to misplace. Biometric verification is hard to fool (but not impossible) but it requires hardware (such as a camera or fingerprint reader) that may not be available, along with software to verify the biometric measurement.

Finally, there’s the option to use a software authentication app, such as Google Authenticator. These apps run on smartphones and generate a numeric token that users have to enter to gain access to resources. Software on the server side, which runs the same algorithm as the authenticator app, checks that the number entered matches the expected number for the account. Authenticator apps are fine but somewhat complex. Rather than tap around to find the right app and the right account within the app, most people find it easier to have a unique code delivered right to them via text or voice message — and when you’re supporting thousands or millions of customers, ease of use means fewer support calls and lower costs.

Plivo’s SMS API and Voice API are excellent options for integrating OTPs into your existing applications. We’ve written use case guides on how to implement 2FA with Plivo APIs, either via .NET, Node.js, Ruby, Python, or PHP or by using PHLO, Plivo’s drag-and-drop low-code/no-code tool. See for yourself how easy it is to integrate Plivo APIs into your financial services applications — sign up for a free trial account.

Few people are as nervous as travelers. Imagine leaving the comfort of your pathogen-free home to strike out, maybe on your own, to a destination you may never have visited before. Everything along the way is calculated to make you nervous.

Suppose you call a cab or a ride-hailing service to take you on the first leg of your trip. Will the driver be talkative? Will he play music you hate? Are you rude if you ask him to turn it down because you have butterflies in your stomach? How much should you tip?

Or maybe you catch a local bus or subway train. Will it be on time? Will you be able to make your connection? Will you have a seat to yourself, or will you have to stand or sit next to someone who smells or whose crappy music you can hear just fine from their earbuds?

If your travel involves flying, oh, the headaches. In the US, TSA lines can be nearly empty or keep you waiting for an hour. Did you bring an ID, and is it an acceptable one? What items do you have to remove from your carry-on to be X-rayed? Will the screening machine’s radiation increase your risk of cancer? After you make it through the gate and put your shoes back on, will your flight leave on time?

And what about food and drink? Does your airline provide them or is it strictly no-frills? Do you have to pay a flight attendant if you’re starving? Or should you eat at an expensive airport restaurant before you get on the plane?

Finally you arrive safely. Will your friend at your destination meet you on time? How will they find you? Or do you have to find your way to your hotel on your own? Does your hotel have a free airport shuttle? What time is check-in — will your room be ready?

The stress involved in travel is enough to make anyone wonder why we ever leave home.

Helpful businesses stay in touch

If you manage a travel or hospitality business, such as an airline, hotel, or homeshare, providing answers to travelers’ anxious questions — sometime before they ask them — goes a long way toward improving their experience and elevating their satisfaction with your brand.

Nothing is better than text messaging to provide some comforting virtual hand-holding. By adding texting to your reservation system, you can keep in touch with customers at every stage of their journey — not the customer journey, mind you, but actual trips.

Travel businesses can let customers know that their transit is on time, or that, for instance, a flight’s gate has changed. Hotels can provide helpful tips on things like where to park and when the in-house restaurant closes. Homesharers can text the code for a lockbox that contains the keys for their visitors’ home away from home. Restaurants can confirm reservations and remind patrons about table times when a dining date arrives.

Booking with a dog? Text your hotel in advance to ask about dog friendly rooms. “Hello! Go for it! We are 100% Dog Friendly.”

Ready to pick up your car from the valet? “Flash Valet has received your request for ticket 117792. We will notify you when your vehicle is ready.”

It’s easy to add texting capabilities to an existing application. Plivo, a communications platform as a service (CPaaS), provides an SMS API that developers can call to send and track text messages. Texts go out over Plivo’s Premium Communications Network, a global network for reliable text delivery. It’s easy to get started — we offer a free trial. And if you’re already familiar with using an SMS API from another vendor, you’ll find Plivo’s API to be familiar and easy to use.

If you’re in a financial services business, you know that few things are as personal to customers as their money. Your job may be to help them make wise financial decisions, but you also have to be prepared for time-critical incidents, as when someone is locked out of their account or when thousands of customers are panicking during a market meltdown. Whether it’s business as usual or exceptional circumstances, you need to put customer needs first.

Putting customers first helps every business, but it’s particularly important for financial services companies, because they deal with their customers on a very personal level. Financial services concerns are just as intimate as healthcare issues, and just as likely to be messy if things go wrong.

People such as bankers, insurance agencies, and accountants are personally involved with their customers’ money. Stockbrokers, investment advisors, and mortgage lenders and payment service providers all need to take a sensitive approach to working with customers.

To take a customer-first perspective, you first have to get to know your customers. Start with their demographics, but go beyond that to their emotions. What do they like and dislike? Why would they choose your company over a competitor’s? Uncovering this information doesn’t benefit just you; customers expect you to understand who they are, what they stand for, and why they do business with you.

Like most consumers, financial services customers expect excellent customer service and personalized communications. This expectation for personal attention may seem to be in conflict with businesses’ need for automation, but it doesn’t have to be. You can use customer relationship management (CRM) software or home-grown applications to automate your communications and give customers exactly what they’re looking for. Better yet, you may be able to give customers things they need before they realize they need them.

The best technology for customer communications

Customers appreciate businesses that use the latest technology to make their relationship between you easier. While we’re not yet ready for mass communication via the metaverse (whatever that is) or virtual reality, we have reached critical mass for other communications channels.Some financial institutions are exploring the use of VR videos for virtual branch tours or product demonstrations, offering an immersive experience to customers.

Text messaging (officially SMS) has become most people’s preferred communications channel. According to Slicktext, “85% of customers in 2022 prefer receiving text messages over a phone call or email.” That means customer-first financial services businesses need to deliver information and alerts via SMS. Plivo’s SMS API and cloud communications platform are an excellent way to do that.

Text messaging is particularly useful when time is of the essence. According to TechJury, SMS messages have a 98% open rate — higher than email or voice calls — and 60% of customers read texts five minutes after receiving them. That makes texting the best medium for notifications and alerts. Having said that, though, you should be sure that your SMS API provider also offers a voice API as an option for customers who can’t receive texts, or who simply prefer hearing (literally) from you.

Of course businesses can leverage SMS for many use cases. Consider security, which is particularly important when customers’ money is on the line. You can offer two-factor authentication for customer accounts by texting customers a passcode that they need to use to authenticate themselves. In fact your security team may already do this, in which case adding texting for customer communications could hardly be simpler.

Once you have the software tools for texting, the use cases begin to write themselves.

• Financial advisors can send alerts in the event of technical outages or market movements.
• Stockbrokers can share required disclosures, market holidays, and research reports.
• Banks and credit card issuers can send notifications for things such as low balances, overdrafts, and suspicious activity on accounts.

Looking ahead

While today’s tools work well today, things change. Consider how the communications landscape has evolved in just the last decade. To stay relevant, businesses have to ask customers how they want to be treated. What information do they need, how often, and via what channels? You need to actively solicit feedback from customers on a regular basis — simple “let us know what you think” messages seldom provide useful insights. Here again, use the channels customers most want to use to communicate — starting with SMS — until their feedback tells you it’s time to change.

Finally, stay true to your company’s mission and values. Go back to why your company exists, and do things that enhance desirable outcomes for your business and your customers. Once you can check off all of these boxes, you can consider yourself a customer-first business.

If you’re ready to learn more, consider the advantages of Plivo’s APIs for financial services businesses.

If you run a small business, you might be tempted to use your personal phone for work — but you may have privacy concerns, and justifiably so. Putting your personal number out in the world makes it easy for strangers to track you down. No one wants an unhappy customer unexpectedly ringing their doorbell after sunset.

For improved privacy, you can set up a virtual phone number — a number that’s not associated with any of your accounts or your physical location but that forwards to your real number. You can give out this virtual number without compromising your privacy.

Though it’s not our primary business, Plivo lets customers set up a virtual number. You do have to be a customer, which means signing up with your work email address. If your company is already a Plivo customer, think of privacy-oriented virtual numbers as a fringe benefit.

Renting a virtual phone number isn’t free, but it’s cheap and easy. Go to the Phone Numbers page of the Plivo console and click Buy Number, then pick the country where you want to be from, virtually. Suppose you’re in the US and want to be seen as someone from eastern Massachusetts. Enter 508, representing the local area code, in the Number box, or change the drop-down selection to Location and enter “Massachusetts” (if you can spell it). Then click Search.

Plivo will present you with a list of numbers you can rent. You can see whether they support voice, SMS, and MMS, and see the monthly fee for each available number.

As you can see, the price for a local number that supports both voice and messaging is just half a dollar a month — less than the cost of a postage stamp. (Remember when we used to send postal mail?) Click Buy Number, and voilà — instant phone number.

How to forward a virtual number

Once you have a number it’s simple to put it to use by setting up forwarding from your instant virtual number to your real number. Your forwarding destination can be a fixed or mobile number or even a SIP endpoint. Follow our use case guide for Plivo’s no-code tool PHLO to set up the connection in less than five minutes. Then, every time the virtual number rings, the call will get forwarded to your real number.

If you’re more interested in using a virtual number for messaging, make sure you rent a number with SMS capabilities and follow our use case guide for forwarding SMS messages.

Note that in either case you don’t have to write any program code or create XML files to make forwarding work. At Plivo, we like to make things easy for our users.

A virtual number gives small business owners convenience and flexibility. You can change the forwarding number whenever you want to, so you can have someone else field inquiries late in the day, or when your primary contact goes on vacation.

Want to turn your virtual number into a temporary number? Go back to the Phone Numbers page of the console, put a tick next to the number, and from the Choose Action drop-down pick Unrent Numbers. If you later need a new virtual number you can run a new search and rent a new number.

Bear in mind that this approach lets you forward incoming calls and messages to a real number. Outgoing calls and messages? That’s a whole other battle to fight, but there are other ways to preserve your privacy when you need to call or send SMS messages.

For calls, you can temporarily block caller ID by pressing *67 before you key in the phone number you want to call, or block caller ID permanently through phone settings. Of course, that’ll make your call appear as “Private” or “Anonymous” to the call recipient, which means they might not pick up, but hey, that’s why Ma Bell created voicemail. If you want to send anonymous text messages, you can find apps in your favorite app store for that.

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a signaling protocol that enables businesses to use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as a replacement for plain old telephone service (POTS) over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). SIP supports voice calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, and media distribution. SIP trunking, which replaces the cable trunks that phone companies used to run to office buildings, offers businesses advantages over traditional telephony such as quick provisioning, low costs, and no equipment to procure or maintain.

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The SIP registration process

SIP endpoints, a.k.a. IP phones, can be anywhere on the internet. Most IP phones don’t have a fixed IP address, so each SIP endpoint needs to register its IP address and port number with a central server called a Registrar so other endpoints can find it when they want to connect. A REGISTER message creates a bond between the device and a SIP Address of Record (AOR) in the format sip:user@domain (e.g. 2025551234@sip.plivo.com), which another endpoint can use to reach the registered device.

When someone starts up an IP phone, whether it’s a hardware device or a softphone, the registration process generally begins automatically, per the SIP standard. SIP registrations have an expiration timeout value — typically 60 minutes, but registration timeouts vary among SIP device vendors. IP phones have to reregister before the timer expires or their connection is disconnected, so most IP phones automatically repeat the registration process halfway through the registration period, or every 30 minutes.

SIP benefits

So much for getting started on the technical side of the SIP registration process — why get started with the technology at all?

Agility - With SIP trunking, businesses can add numbers easily whenever they need them, and each number can make and receive unlimited local and long-distance calls.

Scalability - You can add as many numbers as you need, and drop them when the need goes away. You pay only for what you use.

Mobility — With a regular PSTN phone number you can only make and receive calls from wherever your phone is. A SIP endpoint can move to almost any device, so employees can be reached when they’re in the office or working from a coffee shop.

Manageability — Working with the phone company can make you want to tear your hair out. Managing SIP trunks is much easier and less time-consuming.

Cost savings — Pricing for SIP lines is attractive. With Plivo, businesses pay a minuscule monthly fee and less than a penny a minute (in the US; pricing varies by country) for outgoing voice calls, which is less than the cost of a call on a number leased from a phone company.

SIP trunking offers another cost advantage — no hardware phones necessary. Any network device with a microphone and speakers can act as a softphone. That saves companies the cost of procuring and maintaining telephones — though if you prefer to have a separate device for phone calls, you can buy SIP handsets.

Virtual local presence — You can use SIP phone numbers with any area code and exchange that your provider offers. That means you can seem to be local to your customers, who tend to like doing business with local companies, even if you’re based far away.

If all of this sounds worthwhile, you should look into Zentrunk, Plivo’s SIP trunking service. If you’re already a Zentrunk customer, we have SIP registration instructions that show and tell you exactly how to register a SIP endpoint.

Most physicians’ offices already send appointment reminders, and for good reason. Research in the National Library of Medicine “found consistent evidence that all types of reminder systems are effective at improving appointment attendance across a range of healthcare settings and patient populations. … Unless otherwise indicated, all patients should receive a reminder to facilitate attendance at their healthcare appointment.”

Researchers also found text messaging was the most effective way to remind patients: “SMS reminders are reported to have successful contact rates of 97%–99%.”

Does your electronic medical record (EMR) system let you send appointment reminder texts? If not, it’s easy to add that capability with Plivo’s SMS API. We’ve written a getting started guide that shows just how easy it is for developers to add text messaging to existing application code. Plivo provides SDKs for the seven most widely used web development languages, including Python, Ruby, and Java.

Implementing appointment reminders is technically easy, but you should follow some best practices for optimal results. These practices apply to any kind of business in which customers make appointments — not just healthcare communication but also hair stylists, tax professionals, and even restaurants that accept reservations.

What is an appointment reminder text?

An appointment reminder text is just what it sounds like—a short message sent to a person reminding them about an upcoming appointment. These messages are typically sent via SMS to conveniently make sure someone doesn't forget about their scheduled meeting, salon appointment, medical consultation, or other type of event.

Medical appointment reminders are used specifically by clinics, doctor’s offices, hospitals and other health institutions to schedule or confirm follow-ups, routine checkups, or specialist consultations. Medical appointment reminders take the same format as, say, a salon appointment reminder. However, these texts have to comply with HIPAA regulations.

Why do some clients prefer text message reminders over call and email?

There are several reasons why some people prefer to get text message reminders rather than email or calls. Text messages are convenient and non-disruptive: they can be read when the client has a free moment and don’t require immediate action, especially if received during work hours. Text messages are also quick and easy to respond to if someone needs to reschedule or cancel their appointment.

Text messages are also one of the most effective ways to reach clients. More than 80% of consumers check their texts within five minutes of receiving a notification. Text messages typically have higher open rates than emails, which can get lost in cluttered inboxes. 

Finally, text messages are accessible to virtually anyone with a basic mobile phone — no internet is needed. Text messages may be the easiest way to communicate, especially for medical patients with hearing impairments.

How do you write an appointment reminder text message?

Appointment text messages should be clear, straightforward, and to the point. The most important thing is to include the following information:

• Time and date of the appointment
• Your business name
• How to reschedule or cancel

Some businesses include the appointment location (address) to make it convenient for clients to find them. Note that SMS messages have a limit of 20-40 words; as a result, stick to the most important information with a way for clients to get in touch if they need more details.

Examples of appointment reminder texts

Here are a few templates that you can customize to send appointment reminders to your clients.

Example 1: Hi, [Name]! You have an upcoming appointment on [Date] at [Time] with [Business Name]. Please respond 1 to confirm, 2 to cancel and 3 to reschedule. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Example 2: Hi [Name], this is a friendly reminder that your appointment is on [Date] at [Time]. You can find us at [Address]. If you can no longer attend, please call us at [Phone Number]. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Example 3: Hi [Name], I’m with [Business Name] reaching out to remind you that your appointment is on [Date] at [Time]. Please let us know within 24 hours if you need to cancel or reschedule. Thank you!

Best practices for text message reminders

1. Be timely

Medical offices and most other businesses should send a reminder 24 hours before the appointment. If your office charges a fee for last-minute cancellations, send the reminder 24 hours before the fee would kick in. That gives the patient enough time to cancel or reschedule.

2. Be personal

Include the recipient’s name so that the recipient knows the message is coming to the right person, even if they’re forgotten all about the appointment.

3. Be precise

Include all of the facts they need to know — not just the appointment time but the location. You can also remind them to bring proof of insurance. If there are special considerations, such as a nearby detour for ongoing roadwork or a closed parking garage, include that information as well if you want your patients to be on time.

4. Be professional

Appointment reminder messages should be conversational in tone — friendly and professional. Nobody wants a machine-generated text that sounds like it was generated by a machine.

5. Be compliant

Make sure you comply with legal and regulatory SMS messaging compliance requirements in your country. If you send appointment reminders through Plivo’s Premium Communications Network, we’ll make sure you stay in compliance with rules about the volume of messages you send and allowed times of day. It’s your responsibility to stay compliant with message content. For example, in the US, to comply with HIPAA, you should avoid including any personally identifiable information or protected health information in the body of the reminder text. (That’s good advice no matter where you are.)

6. Ask for confirmation

How will you know your patient has seen your message? Provide a keyword they can use to confirm that they plan to come in. It can be as simple as “Reply Y to confirm or N to cancel.” You can also supply your phone number in case they have questions or need to reschedule.

7. Have a backup

If a patient doesn’t have a cellphone, or if you get a notification of an SMS delivery failure, you should be able to generate a voice reminder with the same information using machine-generated text-to-speech technology.

Here’s an example of a reminder message that touches all the bases.

Sam, your appointment with Dr. Adams is tomorrow at 11:45 at Adams Medical, 123 Main St, Springfield. Reply Y to confirm or N to cancel, or call us at 610-555-3456. Please bring your insurance card and a photo ID.

Benefits of patient and medical appointment reminders

Patient appointment reminders benefit health institutions and their clients alike. 

Reminders help patients keep track of their appointments, reducing the chance of forgetting a check-up. Making sure patients make it to their appointment is critical for improving health outcomes, since these check-ups help patients stick to their treatment plans and give doctors greater visibility. SMS medical reminders also improve communication, keeping patients organized with pre-appointment information and instructions. Knowing they will receive a reminder can reduce anxiety associated with remembering appointments.

For healthcare providers, medical appointment reminders reduce no-shows, thereby helping use resources more efficiently and helping staff members better manage doctor and nurse schedules. Consistent appointment attendance leads to smoother patient flow and a more organized practice.

By reducing wasted appointment slots, reminders contribute to a more efficient healthcare system. Reducing no-shows and improving efficiency can lead to significant cost savings for the healthcare system as a whole.

How to write HIPAA-compliant appointment reminders

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does permit medical providers to send medical appointment reminders. As long as treatment details are not in the text content, appointment reminders can be made without an authorization. This means appointment reminders are “opt-out” — you can send them to patients without getting permission. To protect patient privacy, it’s ideal to send messages over a secure network. 

Here’s an example of a HIPAA-compliant appointment reminder. 

‍Hello [Name], this is a reminder for your upcoming appointment with [Doctor/Practice Name] on [Date and Time]. Please reply YES to confirm.

Key features of effective reminder tools

Medical appointment reminder tools are only useful if they work — meaning complex features, integrations, and steep learning curves can all make these tools not worth the effort. Here are a few key features to look for when assessing if a medical appointment reminder tool will alleviate admin for your team. 

1. Easy integrations: Look for a tool that integrates with your electronic health record (EHR) and calendar systems to automate reminders as much as possible. 
2. Multi-channel options: Platforms that allow you to send reminders via SMS, voice, WhatsApp, or email can help ensure patients receive updates on their preferred channel. 
3. Customizable templates: Look for reminder templates that include dynamic fields that incorporate client names and details from your EHR. Some templates can also be customized with branding and logos. 
4. User-friendly: Appointment reminders should be easy for patients and providers alike. Make sure your reminders are accessible to everyone — regardless of ability or tech fluency. 
5. Automated follow-ups: Look for tools that not only remind users of upcoming appointments but also of post-appoinntment next steps. 

More advanced tools will include advancements such as: 

• AI-driven reminders for predictive scheduling and personalization.
• Analytics to optimize timing and improve message effectiveness.
• Integration with patient portals and mobile apps for seamless communication.

Conclusion

These simple rules will ensure your reminder texts help patients keep the appointments they made. Sign up for Plivo — it’s free to try — and review our sample message notification code to get started.

Last year, we were delighted when Plivo won the Appealie Overall SaaS Award in the Development and DevOps category. Well, it’s happened again: New year, same award.

The Appealie is awarded annually to SaaS applications that demonstrate excellence through innovation, customer delight, and dedication to constant improvement. This year, innovation was a big component for Plivo — and as for customer delight, we’ve been No. 1 in customer satisfaction on G2 for eight consecutive quarters.

“We were honored to win last year,” says Venky B, Plivo co-founder and CEO, “but we couldn’t have repeated without a strong effort on the part of everyone in the company. Since last year we’ve launched a long list of new features for our customers.”

The list of new features includes:

• 10DLC console registration
• 10DLC API
• Self-service phone number port-in
• Hosted messaging
• Called ID Name (CNAM) registration

“Looking back, we put in a lot of effort,” Venky says, “but we’re not going to rest here. If you check in with us a year from now you’re going to see the result of many more amazing initiatives that are already in the works.”

In the post announcing the winners, Arabella Solaybar of Appealie says, “As the cloud continues to grow, user expectations are also growing. Our highly selective software award honors customer-obsessed SaaS platforms that deliver extraordinary experiences and results.”

According to the awards criteria, and “as an indicator of Appealie’s SaaS Award selectivity, the Overall SaaS Award winners averaged over 4.6 stars on the most popular software review platforms (G2, Capterra, and GetApp — all of which use a 5-star rating scale).” The Appealie SaaS Awards recognized 42 SaaS apps this year for their demonstrated excellence and customer outcomes.

To see for yourself what the excitement is about, sign up for a free trial of Plivo today.

Migrating from Telnyx to Plivo is a seamless and painless process. The two companies’ API structures, implementation mechanisms, and SMS and MMS message processing are similar. We wrote this technical comparison between the Telnyx and Plivo APIs so that you can scope the changes for a seamless migration.

Understanding the differences between Telnyx and Plivo development

Most of the APIs and features that are available on Telnyx are also available on Plivo, and the steps involved are almost identical. This table gives a side-by-side comparison of the two companies’ features and APIs. An added advantage with Plivo is that not only can you code using the old familiar API method, you can also implement your use cases using PHLO (Plivo High Level Objects), a visual workflow builder that lets you create workflows by dragging and dropping components onto a canvas — no coding required.

Plivo account creation

Start by signing up for a free trial account that you can use to experiment with and learn about our services. The free trial account comes with free credits, and you can add more as you go along. You can also add a phone number to your account to start testing the full range of our voice and SMS features. A page in our support portal walks you through the signup process.

You can also port your numbers from Telnyx to Plivo, as we explain in this guide.

Migrating your SMS application

You can migrate your existing application from Telnyx to Plivo by refactoring the code, or you can try our intuitive visual workflow builder PHLO. To continue working with the APIs, use one of the quickstart guides to set up a development environment for your preferred language. Plivo offers server SDKs in seven languages: PHP, Node.js, .NET, Java, Python, Ruby, and Go. For another alternative that lets you evaluate Plivo’s SMS APIs and their request and response structure, use our Postman collections.

How to send an SMS message

Let’s take a look at the process of refactoring the code to migrate your app from Telnyx to Plivo to set up a simple cURL application to send an SMS message by changing just a few lines of code.

    import telnyx

telnyx.api_key = "<api_key>"

telnyx.Message.create(
    from_='<sender_id>',
    to='<destination_number>',
    text="Hello, from Python!",
)
   

    import plivo

client = plivo.RestClient('<auth_id>','<auth_token>')
response = client.messages.create(
    src='<sender_id>',
    dst='<destination_number>',
    text='Hello, from Python!',)
print(response)

‍

Alternatively, you can implement the same functionality using one of our PHLO templates. For example, if you want to send an SMS message, your PHLO would look like this.

Migrating your MMS application

How to send an MMS message

Let’s take a look at the process of refactoring the code to migrate another application from Telnyx to Plivo — a simple cURL application to send an MMS message — by changing just a few lines of code.

    import requests

profile_secret = '<YOUR_MESSAGING_PROFILE_SECRET>'

headers = {
    'x-profile-secret': profile_secret,
}
url = 'https://sms.telnyx.com/messages'
payload = {
    "from": "<sender_id>",
    "to": "<destination_number>",
    "body": {
        "subject": "Hello",
        "media_urls": [
            {"img": "https://media.giphy.com/media/26gscSULUcfKU7dHq/source.gif"}
        ]
    }
}

response = requests.post(
    url,
    headers=headers,
    json=payload
)

print(response.text)
   

    import plivo
    client = plivo.RestClient('<auth_id>','<auth_token>')

    response = client.messages.create(
        src='<sender_id>',
        dst='<destination_number>',
        Text ='Hello',
    media_urls=['https://media.giphy.com/media/26gscSULUcfKU7dHq/source.gif'],
        type_='mms')
    print(response)

‍

Alternatively, you can implement the same functionality using one of our PHLO templates. For example, if you want to send an MMS message, your PHLO would look like this.

More use cases

You can migrate applications for other use cases too:

• Reply to incoming SMS messages
• Two-factor authentication
• Forward incoming SMS messages
• Delivery reports
• SMS alerts
• SMS marketing
• SMS notifications
• SMS survey
• SMS autoresponder
• Forward SMS to email
• Receive MMS

Porting your existing numbers from Telnyx to Plivo

If you want to continue using your phone numbers from Telnyx, you can port the numbers to Plivo painlessly without having any downtime on your service for your customers. Our number porting guide shows you how to initiate the process.

Buy new phone numbers for your migrated app

Those are the basics for migrating from Telnyx to Plivo. Our simple APIs work in tandem with our comprehensive global network, using Plivo’s premium direct routes that guarantee the highest possible delivery rates and the shortest possible delivery times for your SMS messages, making Plivo the best Telnyx alternative. See for yourself — sign up for a free trial account.

Almost every kind of business, from retail to real estate, can use a cloud communications platform to enhance revenue and save time and money. Today we’ll look at some of the ways healthcare businesses can benefit from Plivo’s healthcare communication APIs.

Automation for the win

For any medical organization, whether it’s a physician’s office, dental practice, pharmacy, or clinical lab, patient service is the top priority. Adding automated messaging and voice capabilities to your applications lets you improve communication with the people who need your services. Think of all the common ways you provide information to patients — they all can be enhanced with a communications platform as a service (CPaaS). You can create programs to

• Send medical appointment reminder texts
• Send prescription status update notifications
• Send links to a portal where patients can see lab results

Chances are you already use an electronic medical records (EMR) system, but does it do all that you want? A CPaaS can let you communicate beyond the capabilities of your EMR system. Here are a few more ways to add minutes to your day and dollars to your bottom line.

Save staff time

Let’s start with making your team more efficient through better communication. You can send pre-appointment messages to patients to remind them to bring an insurance card and ID. You can deliver post-care messages and lab results, saving receptionists time. Saving staff time means employees can be busy on more productive work — time is money.

You can also save time by implementing an interactive voice response (IVR) menu system — ideally one that accepts both Touch-Tone keypresses and voice responses. An IVR system responds to user input (“press or say ‘one’”) and sends callers to their choice of destinations, so they can make an appointment, request a form, or get business hours automatically, or reach the right person to help them.

A CPaaS can also support conversations via text. Implementing SMS gives you the ability to exchange two-way text messages between patients and office staff. Office personnel can send and respond to texts from their desks, while patients get to avoid making a phone call — as many of them prefer to do. According to Soprano Design, 85% of smartphone owners prefer texts to calls or email.

Improve internal and external communications

Your employees probably prefer texting too. As a medical practice grows, or in a hospital that might have hundreds of employees, it can be hard to keep everyone updated on hours, policies, and other information. With a CPaaS you can customize outgoing messages to the entire staff or department by department — or any way you choose — to enhance internal communications.

And a tool that helps with internal communications can be just as helpful when you need to consult with people outside of the organization. A CPaaS can let you set up conference calls, so you can loop in a provider at another practice when you’re coordinating a particular patient’s care.

Bring in more business

Though medicine is a vocation, it’s also a business, and that means a little marketing doesn’t hurt. If you manage a pharmacy, for instance, you can remind people to get flu shots when the newest batch is ready, or offer them a coupon for a discount on merchandise they can use when they come in to pick up a prescription. A dental office can inform patients that they now offer Invisalign or Botox services as well.

Do more, better, with a CPaaS

In summary, healthcare providers that use a cloud communications platform can save time and money, improve internal and external communications, and beef up their businesses by adding automated text messaging and voice capabilities. Just as your business wants to partner with patients to improve their health, so Plivo wants to be your partner in improving your business. Read about how Plivo customers MDabroad, a medical services provider for travelers, and Flight Vector, an application for air ambulance companies and others, have powered up their platforms with Plivo. Then sign up for a free trial and see what we can do for your business.