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Spok

Adding and Managing Device Groups

Administrators can manage settings for multiple devices at once by using device groups. By creating a device group and adding devices to it, an administrator can distribute setting changes automatically, overriding the preferences set by individual device users. For example, if you would like a group of devices that at your site to all use the same alert tone, you can add the devices to a device group in the Enterprise Administration interface, then change the alert tone for every device in the group.

Best Practices for Distributing Setting Changes

Spok recommends that you use device groups, regardless of which Spok Mobile implementation you have deployed. Device groups are extremely important because they minimize system traffic when you distribute setting changes to multiple devices. Spok recommends the following best practices:

  • Device groups should contain 300 or fewer devices.
  • Changes should be distributed to one device group at a time.
  • When distributing settings changes to multiple groups, wait at least 20 minutes before pushing a settings change to another group.
 

Configuring the Default Device Group

Spok Enterprise automatically includes a default device group, which cannot be deleted. When users are registered in the system, they will automatically be added to this group. Any new devices which are registered with this group will inherit the default preferences from the group.

You can remove devices from the default device group and add them to new groups that you create. The devices will then inherit the new settings configuration from their new group. If the system is upgraded to a newer version of Spok Mobile, all device groups and their lists of associated devices will be migrated to the new version.

Before you configure the default group, click Save to ensure that the feature functions properly.

  1. In the Spok Enterprise Administration web interface, navigate to the Manage > Mobile > Device Groups menu option to view the Manage Device Groups table. The Manage Device Groups table can be refreshed, searched, rearranged, and reordered. For more information on using the features of the device group table, please refer to Getting Started.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroups.png

  2. Click the Edit link in the Default Group row. The Edit Device Group Default Group screen will appear.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroupsWithEditHighlight.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_EditDeviceGroup.png

  3. Configure the device settings for the default device group. For detailed information on how to configure device settings, please refer to Adding and Managing Device Groups.

  4. Click the Save button to save your changes.

Creating a Device Group

Administrators can create new device groups to manage device settings with greater flexibility.

  1. In the Spok Enterprise Administration interface, navigate to the Manage > Mobile > Device Groups menu option to view the Manage Device Groups table.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroups2.png

  2. Click the Add link next to the search box. The Add Device Group screen will appear.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroupsAddHighlighted.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_AddDeviceGroup.png

  3. In the Name field, enter a name for the new device group.

  4. In the Description field, enter a description of the new device group.
    SMAdmin_4.3_AddDeviceGroupFieldsPopulated.png

  5. Below the Description field, click on the arrow next to any device type to expand the list of settings which can be configured for that device type. 
    SMAdmin_4.3_AddDeviceGroupExpandHighlighted.png

  6. When you are finished configuring this device group, click Save to save your changes.

Editing a Device Group

Existing device groups can be edited.

  1. In the Spok Enterprise Administration interface, navigate to the Manage > Mobile > Device Groups menu option to view the Manage Device Groups table.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroups3.png

  2. Click the Edit link next to the device group that you would like to edit. The Edit Device Group screen for this group will appear.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroupsEditHighlighted.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_EditDeviceGroupAndroidDevices.png

  3. Make your changes to the device group. For more information on these fields, see Adding Device Groups.

  4. After you are finished making changes, click Save to save your changes.

Deleting Device Groups

You can delete existing device groups from the system.

  1. In the Spok Enterprise Administration interface, navigate to the Manage > Mobile > Device Groups menu option to view the Manage Device Groups table.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroups4.png

  2. Click the Delete link next to the device group that you would like to remove. Note that the default device group cannot be deleted.
    SMAdmin_4.3_ManageDeviceGroupsDeleteHighlighted.png

  3. The following warning will appear. Click Yes to delete the group.
    SMAdmin_4.3_Confirm.png

  4. After the group has been deleted, the devices that were associated with it will return to the default group.

Device Group Settings

The following settings can be configured for a device group. All devices included in the device group will inherit these settings, overriding any setting changes made by the device's users.

Tone Options

Two types of messages can be sent in Spok Mobile: alert messages and chat messages. If a device receives an alert message, the Message screen will appear. Users will not be able to leave the Message screen, and the alert tone will continue, until the user responds to the message.

The Tone Options section allows you to configure the sound that plays when an alert message is received.

Use Device Settings

This option only appears on Android devices.

  • No: When this option is chosen, the Spok Mobile application does not use the settings that are configured on the device. Instead, the device uses the configured settings in the Spok Mobile application.
  • Yes: When this option is chosen, the device uses the settings that are configured on the device and does not use the settings that are configured in the Spok Mobile application.

Enable the Editable option if the device user should be able to change this setting.

High, Medium, and Low Priority Tone Options

Tone options can be set for devices groups in this section. Spok Mobile messages are classified into three categories by the sender of the message. These levels are: high priority, medium priority, and low priority. For each preference level, you are able to change the tone, tone interval, number of repeats, and vibrate preference (vibrate option available only for Android).

The Editable fields next to the preferences options can be chosen to allow the mobile device user to set his or her own preferences without the device group settings dictating the preferences for the user.

Please note that depending on whether you are setting preferences for an Android or Apple device, the tone options in this section may vary. See examples of each below:

Android

 

Apple

SM_iOS tone option.PNG

Tone

Within device groups, tones can be chosen to sound when a Spok Mobile message is received on the devices.

Tone Volume

 

This option only displays for Android device types.

  • High: When this option is chosen, the device sounds a loud level volume alert tone when a Spok Mobile message is received.
  • Medium: When this option is chosen, the device sounds a medium level volume alert tone when a Spok Mobile message is received.
  • Low: When this option is chosen, the device sounds a low level volume alert tone when a Spok Mobile message is received.
  • Off: When this option is chosen, the device does not make a sound when a Spok Mobile message is received.

Tone Interval (seconds)

  • 5: When this option is chosen, the device waits five seconds between alarm notifications.
  • 10: When this option is chosen, the device waits 10 seconds between alarm notifications.
  • 15: When this option is chosen, the device waits 15 seconds between alarm notifications.
  • 30: When this option is chosen, the device waits 30 seconds between alarm notifications.
  • 60: When this option is chosen, the device waits 60 seconds between alarm notifications.
  • 120: When this option is chosen, the device waits 120 seconds between alarm notifications.

Vibrate with Tone

This option is for Android devices only.

  • On: When this option is chosen, the device vibrates when a Spok Mobile message is received.
  • Off: When this option is chosen, the device does not vibrate when a Spok Mobile message is received.

Number of Repeats

From the Number of Repeats drop-down menu, choose a number between one and ten. The number of repeats represents the number of times that the device repeats its notification ring when a Spok Mobile message is received. For example, if you choose five, the notification ring sounds five times after a Spok Mobile message is received.

Enable the Editable option if the device user should be able to change any of these settings.

Message Templates

The Message Templates table allows administrators to create a set of standard message templates. A message template consists of static text that cannot be changed when selected. Using a message template allows users to easily choose an already existing text response to reply to a Spok Mobile message or to compose a Spok Mobile message. This means that users do not have to manually type out the text of the message on their device to compose or reply to a message. Instead, when you compose a Spok Mobile message, you can choose a template for the message. The user can then enter any extra text if needed.

After an administrator saves templates in the Preferences screen, the templates are then available on the device.

NOTE: End users cannot remove templates that administrators create for them; however, they are able to add additional templates on their Spok Mobile devices.

SMAdmin_4.3_MessagingSection.png

Adding Message Templates

  1. Click the Add link. The Message Templates field expands.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessagingSectionAddHighlighted.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessagingSectionExpanded.png

  2. In the Message Templates field, enter the text for the message template.

  3. After the desired text is entered into the Message Templates field, click the Update link. The template is saved.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesUpdateHighlighted.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesWithText.png

Editing Message Templates

  1. Access the saved message template you would like to edit. The template displays in the Message Templates field.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesWithText.png

  2. Click on the message template you would like to edit. The field becomes editable.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesWithEditableText.png

  3. Make any desired changes.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesUpdatedText.png

  4. Click the Update link. Your changes are saved.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesSavedText.png

Deleting Message Templates

  1. Access the saved message template you would like to delete. The template displays in the Message Templates field.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessageTemplatesSavedText.png

  2. Click the Delete link next to the message template you would like to delete. A warning dialog displays.
    SMAdmin_4.3_MessagingWithDeleteHighlighted.png
    SMAdmin_4.3_ConfirmDialog.png

  3. Click Yes to delete the message template. The template is deleted.

  4. Click Save at the top of the page to save the changes. The changes to the device’s preferences are saved and applied to the device.

Message Delivery Notifications

SMAdmin_4.3_MessageDeliveryNotifications.png

Failure

The Failure option determines if the device is notified when a message fails. For example, if the device sends a message and the message cannot be sent to the message receiver, the device is notified.

  • Yes: When the Yes option is chosen, the device is notified immediately through a push notification.
  • No: When the No option is chosen, the device is updated during the regular polling period and a push notification does not display.

Delivery

The Delivery option determines if the device is notified when a message is successfully delivered. For example, if the device sends a message and the message is successfully delivered to the message recipient, the device is notified.

  • Yes: When the Yes option is chosen, the device is notified immediately through a push notification.
  • No: When the No option is chosen, the device is updated during the regular polling period and a push notification does not display.

Accept

The Accept option determines if the device is notified when a message is accepted. For example, if the device sends a message and the message is accepted by the message recipient, the device is notified.

  • Yes: When the Yes option is chosen, the device is notified immediately through a push notification.
  • No: When the No option is chosen, the device is updated during the regular polling period and a push notification does not display.

Decline

The Decline option determines if the device is notified when a message is declined. For example, if the device sends a message and the message is declined by the message recipient, the device is notified.

  • Yes: When the Yes option is chosen, the device is notified immediately through a push notification.
  • No: When the No option is chosen, the device is updated during the regular polling period and a push notification does not display.

Sync interval (minutes)

The number that is entered into the Sync interval field represents the number of minutes that the Spok Mobile device waits between syncs. Please note that the sync interval should be within the following range: 5-1000 minutes. This option only displays for Android, and Cisco device types.

Enable the Editable option if the device user should be able to change any of these settings.

Message Storage

SMAdmin_4.3_MessageStorage.png

Max Message Age

The Max Message Age field dictates how long messages are stored on the device. For example, if the “3” option is chosen from the drop-down menu, messages that are older than three days are automatically deleted from the Spok Mobile device.

Max Messages Stored

The Max Messages Stored field dictates how many messages are stored on the Spok Mobile device at one time. For example, if the “500” menu option is chosen, no more than 500 messages are stored on a Spok Mobile device at one time.

Enable the Editable option if the device user should be able to change any of these settings.

Attachments

The Spok Mobile application has the ability to send Spok Mobile messages with picture and video attachments. Having the ability to send pictures and videos from Spok Mobile devices allows users to send this type of media from mobile devices safely and securely. The Attachments feature allows administrators to configure which devices have the ability to send picture and video attachments from their devices.

NOTE: The Attachments section displays only for Android and Apple devices.

SMAdmin_4.3_Attachments.png

Enable Attachments

Choose one of the following options:

  • Yes: Choose the Yes option if you would like the device to be able to send pictures and videos. When this option is chosen, the Attach and Camera buttons display on the device.
  • No: Choose the No option if you would not like the device to be able to send pictures or videos. When this option is chosen, the Attach and Camera buttons are disabled and do not display on the device.

    NOTE: The Yes option is chosen by default.

Security

The Security portion allows administrators to require that an access code is entered when chosen users need to access the Spok Mobile application. Please note that if a user is registered to multiple sites and one of their sites requires an access code, the user has to enter an access code every time Spok Mobile is accessed on their device.

NOTE: The Security section displays only for Android and Apple device types.

SMAdmin_4.3_Security.png

Access Code

Choose one of the following options:

  • Yes: The user is required to enter an access code when accessing Spok Mobile on a device.
  • No: The user is not required to enter an access code when accessing Spok Mobile on a device.

Minimum Length

If the Yes option is chosen, the Minimum Length field displays. This field allows administrators to set a minimum number of characters that the Spok Mobile device user can use when setting an access code on the device.

NOTE: If the Minimum Length value is set to “0,” there is no minimum length required.

Access Code Delay (minutes)

The Access Code Delay setting in the Spok Mobile application allows you to extend the amount of time that the user’s application waits before locking the application and requiring an access code to re-open the application. More specifically, you can set the application to only lock and require an access code entry to re-enter the application after 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes.

Notifications Section

NOTE: The Notifications sections is displays only for Android devices.

SMAdmin_4.3_NotificationSection.png

Enable Notifications

The Android Notifications option should be enabled on devices if users should have the ability to use Android wearable devices (Example: Android watch) with the Spok Mobile application.

  • Yes: When the Yes option is chosen, users have the ability to use Android wearable devices with the Spok Mobile application. Enabling this option allows Spok Mobile notifications to display on Android wearable devices.
  • No: When the No option is chosen, users do not have the ability to use Android wearable devices with the Spok Mobile application.

Spread the Word Section

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Enable Spread The Word

Choose one of the following options:

  • Yes: If the Yes option is chosen, the Spread the Word menu option displays on the user’s device. Users are taken to a web page that displays additional Spok Mobile product information.
  • No: If the No option is chosen, the Spread the Word menu option does not display on the user’s device.