Abstract
The project on the topic “design and implementation of
computerized SMS portal” aims at making the reader to understand the
concept of SMS portal and portal in general. When portal is mentioned,
it is very wide, but this paper is intended to concentrate mainly on the
SMS portal. This research work has enlighten more on the concept of
portal systems, personal portals, cultural portals, co-operate portals,
tenders portals, hosted web portals, search portals, stock portals,
domain-specific portals, government web portals, and desirable features
of portals. Both existing and new systems are carefully analyzed and
more advantage of the new one over the old indicate that the problems
encountered in the existing system such as untimely delivery of
messages, unsecured information and unreliable storage will be brought
to rest. Base on the complexity of the system, it is recommended that
the system administrator should be well trained on the
effective management of the system database and the entire portal, the
system network should be well installed, and subscription made to a
reliable internet service provider, with suitable data plan. The web
portal should be updated regularly to gain fast internet services, which
enhance fast delivery of information or messages. The system is
designed with Php software, and should be adopted by the Christ embassy
Ishiagu, Ebonyi for its effective short message sending.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
Short Message Service (SMS) is a
text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication
systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed
line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages. SMS was
the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion
active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers at the end of
2010. The term "SMS" is used for both the user activity and all types
of short text messaging in many parts of the world. SMS is also employed
in direct marketing, known as SMS marketing.
SMS as used on modern handsets originated from radio telegraphy in
radio memo pagers using standardized phone protocols. These were defined
in 1985 as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)
series of standards as a means of sending messages of up to 160
characters to and from GSM mobile handsets. Though most SMS messages are
mobile-to-mobile text messages, support for the service has expanded to
include other mobile technologies, such as well as satellite and
landline networks.
SMS portal is a web system that provides the functions and features
to identify the users or members and provide them with easy, intuitive,
and personalized information and services that are of primary relevance
and interests to them. Hence, the main purpose of setting up a SMS
portal is to bring the vast information and service resources available
from the source or the portal administrator to many concerned members in
an effective manner.
In the Christ embassy there is need to have a portal that will aid the sharing of different information timely.
1.2 Theoretical Background
Adding text messaging functionality to mobile devices began in the
early 1980s. The first action plan of the Group GSM was approved in
December 1982, requesting that, "The services and facilities offered in
the public switched telephone networks and public data networks should
be available in the mobile system. This plan included the exchange of
text messages either directly between mobile stations, or transmitted
via message handling systems in use at that time.
The SMS concept was developed in the Franco-German GSM cooperation in
1984 by Friedhelm Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert. The GSM is
optimized for telephony, since this was identified as its main
application. The key idea for SMS was to use this telephone-optimized
system, and to transport messages on the signaling paths needed to
control the telephone traffic during periods when no signaling traffic
existed. In this way, unused resources in the system could be used to
transport messages at minimal cost. However, it was necessary to limit
the length of the messages to 128 bytes (later improved to 160 seven-bit
characters) so that the messages could fit into the existing signaling
formats. Based on his personal observations and on analysis of the
typical lengths of postcard and Telex messages, Hillebrand argued that
160 characters was sufficient to express most messages succinctly. SMS
could be implemented in every mobile station by updating its software.
Hence, a large base of SMS capable terminals and networks existed when
people began to use SMS. A new network element required was a
specialized short message service center, and enhancements were required
to the radio capacity and network transport infrastructure to
accommodate growing SMS traffic.
Portal has in the recent years become an increasingly popular term
being mentioned and discussed in the IT sector and many organizations.
In the late 1990s the web portal was a web IT buzzword. After the
proliferation of web browsers in the late-1990s many companies tried to
build or acquire a portal to attempt to obtain a share of an Internet
market. The web portal gained special attention because it was, for many
users, the starting point of their web browsing if it was set as their
home page. The content and branding of a portal could change as internet
companies merged or were acquired. Netscape became a part of America
Online, the Walt Disney Company launched Go.com, IBM and others launched
Prodigy, and Excite and @Home became a part of AT&T Corporation
during the late 1990s. Lycos was said to be a good target for other
media companies, such as CBS.
Portals which relied on HTML frames gave rise to a need for web
access points which either required frames or sites that had to offer
non-frames alternatives. The interest in portals saw some old media
companies racing to outbid each other for Internet properties but died
down with the dot-com bust in 2000 and 2001. Disney pulled the plug on
Go.com, Excite went bankrupt, and its remains were sold to iWon.com.
Some portal sites such as Yahoo! and those others first listed in this
article remain active and portals feature widely outside the
English-speaking web (Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Russian and other very
popular sites not frequented by English-only users.) Portal metaphors
are widely used by public library sites for borrowers using a login as
users and by university intranets for students and for faculty. Vertical
markets remain for ISV's offering management and executive intranet
"dashboards" for corporations and government agencies in areas such as
GRC and risk management.
1.3 Statement of the Problem
Due to poor information dissemination system, decision making is made
hard for the church management to carry out. Sending of messages of
meetings and other church activities to the church members, one phone
number after other using mobile phones is burdensome and takes a longer
time. The use of manual systems for the sending of information has
different errors attached to it and the safety of the information is not
guaranteed because of the persons involve in the delivery of the
information. Also, the inability of the church administrator to
disseminate information especially urgently to the concern members
immediately when there is need to do so.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of the study is to design and implement a computerized SMS portal with the following objectives:
1. To develop an SMS portal for Christ embassy Ishiagu, Ebonyi.
2. To design means for effectively communication to many at a time.
3. To state the importance of an SMS portal and portals in general.
4. To find out the problems encountered in the existing system of message sending in Christ embassy.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research is of significance to the Christ embassy helping them
see the need for an SMS portal and its application. It will educate them
on better means of managing information in their system. The study is
also of significance to other churches, organizations or establishment
who wish to disseminate their messages in this form. The study will
expose programmers and web designers on the design of SMS portals and
the suitable means of tackling such tasks. This study will trigger
further study on the topic by other students.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research covers design and implementation of an SMS
portal, with reference to Christ embassy, Ishiagu Ebonyi as a case
study. It focuses on the church administrator to send messages to the
concern members effectively and timely.
1.6 Organization of the Research
This research is arranged in five chapters for easy comprehension.
Chapter one considers the introduction of the work which includes
theoretical background, statement of problem, objectives of study,
significance of the study, scope of the study organization of the
research and definition of terms. Chapter two, focused on the literature
review of the work. Chapter three is on the System analysis and design.
Chapter four studied the system implementation and documentation. While
Chapter five is on the summary, conclusion and recommendations.
1.7 Definition of Terms
Portal: a web system that provides the functions and
features to authenticate and identify the users and provide them with
an easy, intuitive, personalized and user-customizable web-interface for
facilitating access to information and services that are of primary
relevance and interests to the users.
SMS portal: a web system that provides functions and features that allow the portal administrator to send message to intended persons.
E-Portals: An Enterprise Portal is a
Web-based interface for users of enterprise applications. Enterprise
portals also provide access to enterprise information such as corporate
databases, applications (including Web applications), and systems.
Organization: The persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something.
Record: A collection of data.
Management: A body or group charged with the responsibility of planning, controlling, and managing the scarce resources of an organization.
Information: This refers to an already processed data for decision making.
Staff: Personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task.
Information System: A complementary networks of
hardware and software that people and organizations use to collect,
filter, process, create, and distribute data.