ProtoLink developed a solution to allow independent website developers to provide event schedule information that can be easily downloaded to mobile phones.
This project was developed for a major manufacturer of mobile phones.
ProtoLink devised a scheme to enable independent website developers to provide downloadable schedule information by simply:
- Providing the schedule information in a simple XML file adhering to a ProtoLink-developed schema
- Including a small JavaScript file developed by ProtoLink
- Calling a function in the aforementioned JavaScript file in response to a button click
The JavaScript function makes a request to a ProtoLink-developed ASP.NET application hosted by the phone manufacturer. Most of the system complexity is contained in this application, which performs the following tasks:
- Prompts the user for a mobile phone’s email address
- Retrieves the XML schedule file from the independent website
- Parses the XML file
- Builds standard vCal messages that can be recognized by the phone
- Encodes the vCal messages into Short Message Service (SMS) messages
- Forwards the SMS messages to an SMTP gateway for delivery to the phone
The advantages of this solution are:
- No server-side processing required on the independent websites provides server platform neutrality
- No Java required on the web servers or client browsers
- Browser independent
ProtoLink also created a support site for developers wanting to add this functionality to their website. This site provides documentation, samples, and downloadable files.