Notification Center

Understanding the basic architecture of mailings/newsletters

Elements in Notification Center

Event Notifications	Even notification are system events if a user forgets his password or if he changes his user details
Mailing Documents	Mailing documents are documents containing the content of the mailings. Mailing documents are based on schemas.
Mailing Templates	Mailing templates are design templates which in addition contains the mailing information about mail server, email sender etc.
Mailings	Mailings are where the target (recipients), mailing templates and mailing documents are merged into an actual mailing/newsletter
Target Definition	Target Definition contains one or more list of recipients

 

Registering mail servers for mass mails  

To send out notifications and mailings from Notification Center is required to register a SMTP server. This can be done inside FrontDesk by choosing ?Tools > Notification Environment > Registered SMTP Server?. It is important to register a mail server with an email account which exists on the mail server.

 

Properties

 

Host	The email server host (example - mail.domain.com)
Port	Mail server port settings - default port is port 25
Username	The username of the email account on the mail server
Password	The password of the email account on the mail server
SendTimeOut	Mail server send time out
ReceiveTimeOut	Mail server receive time out

 

 

Mailing documents

Mailing documents are based on regular schemas and work the same way as normal documents. Please refer to the manual for further information about schemas.

 

Mailing templates

The mailing template is the design html template. To make a mailing template create the html and insert the images which should be part off the mailing design.

 

Properties

 

SenderMail	The from email address
SenderName	The name of the sender
Email priority	Set the default priority of a mailing created on the specific template
Mail server	Choose between a list of registered mail servers

 

Replace Items

When the html design is ready it is time to define the elements which should be replaced with the content of the mailing document. To mark an item which should be replaceable it is required to wrap the text with an opening and closing $$ signs.

 

Example in the html design: $$ReplaceWithDocumentContent$$

 

Adding a replace item

To set up which elements should be replaced it is possible to add a replace items where the left side shows the available replaceable elements in the design and on the right side the available elements in the document.

 

Mailing

Mailings are where the target (recipients), mailing templates and mailing documents are merged into an actual mailing/newsletter ailing documents are based on regular schemas and work the same way as normal documents. Please refer to the manual for further information about schemas.

 

Mailing Editor

 

Target Definition	The list of recipients
Email priority	Here it is possible to set the priority of the newsletter
Subject	The email subject

 

Mailing Composer

 

Mailing template	Choose the template to be used
Mailing document	Choose the document which should be used in the mailing

 

Mailing Task Pane

 

1. Compose email
2. Save
3. Send a preview of mailing
4. Send mailing to target definition

 

Updating the mailing

 

1. Reload the mailing template
2. Reload the mailing document

Creating and sending a mailing / newsletter

 

Main steps

 

1. Create a mailing document
2. Create a new mailing
3. Previewing the mailing and sending the mailing to a target definition

 

Create a mailing document

 

1. Open the mailing document folder in the Notification Center
2. Right click the mailing folder and choose ? Add > Document ?
3. Select the schema which has been prepared for the newsletter
4. Write the content of the newsletter
5. Save and close the document

 

Create a new mailing

 

1. Open the Mailings folder
2. Right click the mailing folder and choose ? Add > Mailing ?
3. Open the created mailing by double clicking the created mailing
4. Select the target definition (the list of recipients)
5. Select the mailing template defined by the system administrator
6. Select the mailing document
7. Press Compose Email Body
8. Save the mailing

 

Previewing and sending out the mailing / newsletter

Before sending out a mailing it is wise to preview the mailing. Use the ?Send preview? button to do this. To send out the actual mailing when everything is in order press ?Send mailing?