Many people are inquiring about how they can use EpiSurveyor to "collect data with SMS". Here are the two options available:

1 - "SMS upload" (using the EpiSurveyor app on the phone) -- the EpiSurveyor mobile app normally uses whatever "data" (that is, IP, or internet protocol) connection it can find, depending on the phone capabilities and the network. In most emerging markets this is GPRS, and sometimes EDGE or 3G, but all that is transparent to the user.  In some cases, the data connection is unreliable and in that case the app can be configured to package the data as a number of SMS messages: it breaks down the data into 160 character chunks, transmits it, and then reassembles it at the server.  All of this is largely transparent to the user.  

Such an approach needs a "gateway" to connect the SMS system and the server, and this gateway can be configured on the SMS settings page at episurveyor.org (log into EpiSurveyor, then click the SMS Settings link at the upper right of the screen).

For further help, please contact support@datadyne.org and they can walk you through it.

2 - "SMS data entry" (using the standard SMS function of any mobile phone) -- this use of SMS, unlike the one above, does not involve the mobile app at all.  Worth repeating: this use, unlike the one above, does not involve the mobile app at all.  This is simply the sending of specifically-structured text messages from any phone into an EpiSurveyor form database.  This can be done with any form, although it is probably best with forms that involve only a few variables.  The idea is to send an SMS to the server of this format:

formIDnumber#firstanswer#secondanswer#thirdanswer  etc.

At least for now there is no error checking, range limiting, skip patterns, etc.  Another downside is that the data enterer won't see the form, so it is best for questions that he/she will remember easily and that will be entered repeatedly (e.g. the number of births and number of deaths in a village each week) . The big benefit: use from any phone at all, no matter how cheap.  Note that the use of SMS data entry with more than one mobile phone sending data requires an EpiSurveyor Pro or EpiSurveyor Enterprise account. For more info see www.datadyne.org/episurveyor/pricing 

IMPORTANT: For both of these methods, you will have to calculate the cost of sending text messages from the phones you plan to use. This cost depends on your local carrier, and is independent of our technology.  In addition, we use the TextMagic gateway to receive SMS because it is low-cost for us to do so, and that lets us keep the cost low for the users.  If the countries you want to work in can utilize Textmagic, then this will apply. If not, we can help you to to investigate and setup alternate SMS gateways. 

If you have any remaining technical questions, please contact our incredibly good tech support staff at:

support at datadyne.org

For general questions or to sign up for an EpiSurveyor Pro or EpiSurveyor Enterprise account, please contact our general email at

info at datadyne.org