Key Concepts

The CSP API is intended for use by CSPs with prior development experience to automate functions related to brand and campaign management. 

It works by sending and receiving data as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) objects and uses standard HTTP response codes, authentication, and verbs. In addition to the live Production environment, TCR offers a Staging environment to customers for testing, which doesn’t affect live data or incur charges associated with brands, campaigns, or interactions with third parties.

Data Model

The TCR data model contains three key entities:

1. Campaign Service Provider. The CSP is a business or organization who is contracted with one or more Direct Connect Aggregators (DCAs) and TCR. The CSP is typically an entity who hosts campaigns on their own technology platform and uses TCR’s tools to register those campaigns for delivery on mobile networks. To qualify as a CSP, organizations must first register with TCR and undergo a vetting process that includes reference checks.

2. Brand. A brand is a legal entity responsible for the messaging content in a campaign. A brand relies on their CSP to submit campaign requests to TCR. All brands registered by a CSP undergo a basic identity verification process to ensure they are a legitimate entity who qualifies for specific messaging use cases and terms with mobile network operators (MNOs).

3. Campaign. A campaign is a package of information that includes details about the CSP, brand, and an intended use case for messages sent across mobile networks. Sample messages, links, keywords, and opt-in/opt-out information are also included, depending on the use case. Campaigns can only be submitted by CSPs.

TCR also supports the concept of a Reseller, an entity that sits between the brand and the CSP. Resellers do not have a direct relationship with TCR and are specified as an attribute during the campaign registration process. This helps provide a complete picture of the organizations involved in the campaign’s creation and delivery.

Connectivity Chain

The connectivity chain is the path a campaign takes from the brand (who creates the messaging campaign) to the mobile network operator (who eventually distributes the messages to end subscribers). It represents the different Connection Network Providers (CNPs) and aggregators that are part of a campaign’s journey. CNP is an umbrella term that can refer to either CSPs or DCAs.

This is explained in more detail under the Campaign Lifecycle section.

Figure: Connectivity Chain

Unique Identifiers

CSP, Brand, and Campaign objects are each assigned a unique seven-character, uppercase alphanumeric identifier in the TCR platform:

• CSP Identifiers: Begin with the letter S (e.g., S123ABC)

• Brand Identifiers: Begin with the letter B (e.g., B123ABC)

• Campaign Identifiers: Begin with the letter C (e.g., C123ABC)

The Campaign Lifecycle

After a brand is registered and passes an initial identity verification, the CSP can begin creating campaigns. The following steps represent the different stages of a campaign’s lifecycle:

1. Campaign Registration: CSPs register new campaigns using the Campaign Builder endpoints. Most registered brands will qualify for a majority of standard campaign use cases. However, some special use cases require external brand vetting and/or approval by the Mobile Network Operator (MNO).

2. Campaign Sharing: CSPs use the Partner Campaign endpoints to share a campaign with an upstream Connection Network Partner (CNP) for MNO onboarding. The CNP then assigns a phone number to the campaign using the netnumber Services Registry (nnSR) platform.

3. Campaign Deactivation: Active campaigns incur a monthly charge which is paid on a quarterly basis. CSPs can update campaigns to cancel auto-renewal or deactivate them to terminate the campaign immediately.

Figure: Campaign Lifecycle Sequence Diagram