Before sending SMS through divergent Connect, you must add the Senders that you wish to use.
This applies for both alpha names (e.g. 'divergent') and numeric senders (e.g. 071234123123).
The below document outlines our process for verifying Senders.
Why we verify senders
Most SMS platforms allow you to send from any sender name (within reason) which can open them up to abuse, particularly when anti-spam/fraud measures are not implemented correctly.
In certain countries, the requirement to verify senders (pre-registering them) is enforced by mobile networks within that specific country.
At divergent Connect we aim to be the first thing that businesses think of when the question of a trusted SMS provider comes up.
By verifying sender names in advance for all destinations, we:
Protect Business Identities, particularly those of our customers and large, highly targetted for fraud, businesses
Help prevent fraud, scams and abuse
Lets us guide you on your usage of SMS if required (for example, attempting to send from an alphanumeric name within the US)
Ensure that our platform is only sending legitimate traffic
Verification Process
From within your divergent Connect account, click 'Settings' and then 'Senders'. Click the 'Add SMS Sender' button to begin the process.
We may automatically suggest a name based on your company name to be added for the first time. You do not have to use this and can clear the field to enter any other value.
Enter both the desired Sender Name as well as the Justification for using this sender name and expected destination countries. If it's your company name, this can be something small like "It's us!".
It's always best to use a sender name that directly represents your brand. If you are "ACME Widgets", "ACMEWidgets" is a great sender name, whereas "Manufacturer" is not and is unlikely to be approved.
Once you have submitted the form, our team will get to work on verifying your sender name.
We will be verifying the suitability of the name in accordance with your provided justification, as well as reviewing our internal policies on sender names and any geographic restrictions that may be in place. We have some information on explicitly Banned Sender IDs.
The verification process can take up to 48 hours, though we aim to verify much quicker.
If you have selected countries where sender name registration is required in order to send, we will be in touch separately with you to discuss the process and any associated costs.
It's important to note that Sender Verification and Sender Names apply to specific countries only. Each country has its own set of requirements on sender names.
How it protects you
If you are registered on our platform was "ACME Widgets Limited", and have registered "ACMEWidgets" as your sender name, we would not allow this to be used by any other customer as their sender name.
Further, because of this process, you can increase your trust in the platform to know that we are doing everything we can to keep not only you, but other businesses and the general public safe from SMS fraud & scams.
FAQ
Does this stop me just trying out the platform if I have to wait for you to verify Senders?
No, both prior to ✅Business Verification and any senders being added to your account, you are instantly able to test all aspects of the platform through our testing sender name, 'DvgtTest' by sending to your own mobile number set on sign up.
After Business Verification is completed, you can test with other mobile numbers as destinations from the 'DvgtTest' sender name.