SMS

Latest Version: 1.1, Released Nov 1, 2019

Quick Video Tour

What is Mandelbrot SMS?

Mandelbrot SMS is a FileMaker application that harnesses the power of Twilio’s programmable SMS. Without any experience using Twilio, Mandelbrot SMS allows you to buy and provision a new or existing Twilio phone number and start sending and receiving text messages from FileMaker in minutes. Mandelbrot SMS also comes completely unlocked so you can begin integrating it with your existing FileMaker solution immediately.

How will integrating SMS into my FileMaker Solution Help My Business?

What Types of Integrations can I do with Mandelbrot SMS?

A few of the most common use cases and business problems solved by Mandelbrot SMS are :

• SMS marketing campaigns
• Confirming and rescheduling appointments, deliveries, dates, times and phone numbers, etc
• Separating personal and business cell phone numbers (privacy)
• Maintaining continuity with customers by centralizing message records
• Giving customers a single phone number to send and receive text messages to/from your business
• Automatically attaching a text conversation to a specific record in an existing database
• Controlling your solution without logging in via inbound text message
• Standalone SMS messaging
• Two factor authentication
• Cell number verification
• Lowering costs by eliminating extra phone lines

What Features Come Standard with Mandelbrot SMS?

• Sends, receives and displays new text messages in real time without refresh buttons or scheduled scripts
• Purchase, re-provision or release Twilio phone numbers in real time from inside the app (no Twilio experience required)
• All messages are hosted on your server in a FileMaker database for easy integration with your custom apps
• Ships completely unlocked so you can start integrating your custom apps immediately
• Automatically checks if a phone number is a cell phone before texting it the first time
• Clean, familiar layouts that can be learned by anyone in minutes

Can I Just Write My Own SMS Connector?

Of course you can! Here’s what you’ll need:

• Two to six weeks to learn, build, provision, test and debug your app and associated middleware
• Experience working with an SMS gateway (We use Twilio)
• Real professional level coding skills (node.js, C#, Python, etc) to write the middleware needed (you will need something to refactor and send your messages from Twilio to FileMaker)
• A server outside of FileMaker for your middleware to live and remain available 24/7
• A few tricks to make FileMaker refresh what is in your portals or on your listview layouts without navigating away from them, which is not natively supported

Even if you’re a skilled FileMaker developer and you’ve got a bunch of free time, it’s probably just a whole lot cheaper and faster to just buy it from us instead of writing it yourself.

Buying Options

• Standalone – 295 USD per server
• Recommended for professional FileMaker developers who are comfortable with things like custom functions, encryption at rest, server architecture, multifile solutions, external data sources, JSON and external scripting
• Completely unlocked fmp12 file so you can self-integrate, redesign and tinker.
• Includes inbound messaging endpoint via AWS Lambda (Claris Connect not required)

• Base Bundle (Standalone + 5 hours) – 745 USD
• $920 value (Save $175 by bundling)
• Recommended for those with a professionally hosted FileMaker solution who are not professional developers
• All of the fantastic features of Mandelbrot SMS standalone
• Up to five hours of professional FileMaker help from Mandelbrot LLC*
• (Enough time for us to embed SMS functionality into most existing FileMaker apps)

• Ultimate Bundle (Standalone + 15 hours + Cloud Server Config) – 1845 USD
• $2,520 value (Save $675 by bundling)
• Recommended for those who still have FileMaker Server running on a physical machine in their office
• All of the fantastic features of Mandelbrot SMS standalone
• Mandelbrot LLC sets up an AWS cloud server to host your FileMaker solution
• Up to fifteen hours of professional FileMaker help from Mandelbrot LLC*
• Hours can be used for embedding MMS functionality, migrating your solution to the cloud or any other purpose

Need support for images? Try Mandelbrot MMS.

Got 10 or more servers? Ask us about private labeling the current version of Mandelbrot SMS here.

Need images too? We’ve heard you. Mandelbrot MMS is now available.

System Requirements**

• FileMaker Server 17+ or FileMaker Cloud 1.17+
• FileMaker Pro 16+, FileMaker Go 16+ or FileMaker WebDirect
• Free Twilio Account***

Currently Supported Countries

• Canada
• United States

Twilio is available worldwide. If your country is not listed here, contact us and we will add support for it.

iPad Screenshots

iPhone Screenshots

*Professional development hours that are purchased in a bundle with Mandelbrot MMS expire 30 days from the purchase date.

**For more information on how to install or integrate Mandelbrot SMS with your custom application, contact us here or call 312.778.8787.

***Twilio is a pay-per-use service. Accounts are free but service is not. New Twilio accounts typically come with a free $15 credit, which is enough to send or receive well over 1000 message segments. Check their website for details.