SMART Orange (Hutchison) pager interface

This interface enables a SMART operator to despatch jobs to an Orange (formerly Hutchison) pager.

System requirements

The Orange Message Direct software must be installed on a PC which has telephone or Internet access to the Orange pager centre.

The Smart SmartComms module (SmComms.exe) must be installed on a PC which has access to the Smart database. A copy of Smart must be installed on the same PC and started at least once before SmartComms is started .

It is possible to install some or all of the above components, as well as the Smart database, on the same PC. If a Smart operator is using the same PC they may experience slightly reduced performance for brief periods.

Message Direct and SmartComms must be able to access a shared directory, either on the same PC or across a network.

Once set up as above, any Smart PC can initiate a pager message.

Setting up

1. Message Direct

The shared directory (see above) is specified as a command line parameter when starting the Message Direct Host Interface (HostInf.exe). Here is an extract from the Message Direct help system:

The Host Interface program requires two command line parameters:

· The location of the Message Direct Database (for example, "C:\Program Files\Orange\Message Direct III Standalone")

· The directory to search for the ASCII files containing the messages (for example, "C:\Data\Messages\Host Interface Files")

Typically these would appear in the "Target" section of the properties form for the shortcut that is used to start the Host Interface program. For example, for the above parameters the entry in the target section of the properties form would be:

"C:\Program Files\Orange\Message Direct III Standalone\HostInf.exe" "C:\Program Files\Orange\Message Direct III Standalone" "C:\Data\Messages\Host Interface Files"

Replace C:\Data\Messages\Host Interface Files with the name of the shared directory.

2. SmartComms

Start SmartComms

If you receive an error, start Smart on the same PC, log in, and then close Smart down. This will ensure that SmartComms has the correct settings to link to the Smart database.

Select \Operations\Setup.

There may be a delay of a few seconds before the setup screen appears.

Select the Orange Pager tab and complete the entries there.

3. Smart

Select \Maintenance \Service Providers
Double click on a provider which is to use Orange pager messaging.
In the Auto Despatch By field, select Orange Pager.
In the Operator Interaction field, select

None for despatch to pager to happen without advising the operator.
Notify to display a message to the operator as the message is sent to the pager.
Confirm to display a message to the operator and allow the operator to cancel the page.

How it works

The job is despatched to the pager

In the main Job Despatch window (list of jobs) when the operator presses F6.
In the Response Details or Other Service Details windows, when the operator enters a despatched time (directly, or by pressing F6) and then presses the OK button.

If you subsequently enter a different provider number on the job, the first provider is sent a Cancel! Message and the second provider (if they are using a pager) has the job despatched to them.

If you clear the dispatched time, the provider is sent a Cancel! message.

You can see whether a pager message has been sent from Smart*

In the main Job Despatch window (list of jobs) by highlighting the job and pressing the Messaging button at lower right.
By pressing the pager icon at the top of the main window.

*The ‘sent’ time is the time the message was placed in the directory to be retrieved by Message Direct. To see when the message was actually sent to the pager, refer to Message Direct.

You can also send a message by pressing the pager icon (as above) then right clicking in the list of messages and choosing ‘send message’. You can only send pager messages to providers with a pager number in the Service Provider Details window (\Maintenance \Service Providers).