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Spok

The Spok Notification Framework

Spok Mobile 4.6 uses the fully-secure Spok Notification Framework to provide a complete Spok Mobile experience for non-GCM Android devices, such as the Zebra MC40 and TC51.

Understanding the Spok Notification Framework

The Spok Notification Framework (SNF) provides two key benefits for Spok Mobile:

  1. It allows Android devices that do not support Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) to receive push notifications.
  2. It allows non-GCM Android devices without internet connections to receive message notifications. Note that Spok Mobile devices still need to be registered over the internet before being used at the site.

Requirements for the Spok Notification Framework

These items are required in order for the Spok Notification Framework to operate.

This table is not exhaustive and represents a high-level overview.

Component

Description

Notes

Servers

Spok Mobile Server 4.5.0 and Contact Center / Console at Care Connect version 1.9.

Each should be fully redundant, so 2x inventory.

Apps

Spok Mobile for Android 4.5.1 or higher.

The SNF does not work on iOS devices.

Certificates

Spok Mobile Server certificate installed in RabbitMQ application on the server.

Installed as .PEM format.

Ports

TCP 8883 open on wireless networks.

Delivers the SNF notification.

Additional Software

RabbitMQ, an MQTT message broker.

RabbitMQ is installed during Spok Mobile deployment and runs as a service.

Additional Behaviors of the Spok Notification Framework

  • Non-GCM Android devices will automatically detect whether the Spok Notification Framework is configured at the customer site and connect to it.
  • Customer sites that use the Spok Notification Framework can support both non-GCM and GCM Android devices. At customer sites with both GCM and non-GCM Android device users, the GCM-capable devices will use GCM and the non-GCM devices will use the Spok Notification Framework.
  • When a site activates or deactivates the Spok Notification Framework, the non-GCM devices will automatically update to use or not use the service.