In an attempt to improve the administration of sports competitions, SportsRunner perceived a requirement or interest amongst some of the users of its system for functionality to communicate via text messages with their contacts. The initial focus was on match cancellations or alterations, but then the service became generalised to include key information about fixtures and results. SportsRunner saw this as an opportunity to extend and enhance its product to meet the needs of its clients.

The Solution

After further consultation with key clients, SportsRunner designed suitable SMS functionality, and built this into its software. They opted to make use of Clickatell's FTP API to connect its application to Clickatell's SMS gateway. SportsRunner's clients can now subscribe their various stakeholders to receive SMS notification of draws, results and alterations for selected sports/grades/clubs, as well as free-form messages to subscribers or contact groups. An effective user interface is provided for the entry of criteria. And then, with a one-click process, the applicable sports data with the subscriber mobile numbers, is compiled, exported to a text file and transmitted by FTP to the Clickatell servers, for distribution to the recipients.

The Results

"Existing users of SportsRunner have enthusiastically embraced this functionality. And it has certainly made our product even more attractive to prospective clients."