What’s new?

• Added Social Attributes to Customer/Subscriber API calls
• New API call: Transactions (please check API Reference). Get all new accesses by type (mac, voucher, social, paid). A new transaction is created whenever a user or device gets a new access.
• Custom data for data capture is now available with Mac based Transaction API
• New authentication method: Authentication moved to the header (please check docs)

Webhooks

Along with the new API, a new function is released, called Webhooks. Webhooks are ‘HTTP callbacks’, that are triggered by specific events. You can use them to send customer/transaction data to your servers. So every time there is a new customer registration/subscription, or a new transaction, our system can call an external page (defined by you) and send user/transaction data there. So these are PUSH functions (on the contrary API calls are triggered by you so those are PULL functions).

You can define webhooks from the Control Center under Tools & Settings > Webhooks menu. Webhooks are also available for secondary operators if you gave access for them to check users & transactions data.

You can check webhooks documentation here.

Zapier updates

New functions are availabe at Zapier. Currently the new ZAP is invite only, so be sure you try it out by following this link.

Integration requires you to set up your online shop where you sell access codes using your own payment gateway. This needs to be combined with our Voucher API to get access codes out of our system and deliver it to your customers.

We have prepared a knowledgebase article with more details: Use your own payment gateway.

• Customers need to see some full screen advertising, before they can access the internet
• They have to watch a video ad
• You wish to give access to your own members so you wanted to authorize them first on your own site
• You may want them to fill out a survey before you give access to the hotspot

These situations can easily be accomplished by the combination of walled garden and the newly released voucher API.

Here are the steps to do it:

1. Create a Hotspot FREE location with a subscription or Pay As You Go (or Hotspot PRO and turn off the credit card and prepaid modules so you will have the login module only)
2. Setup the location with Walled Garden
3. Create your own splash page on your server as you wish
4. After the rules are matched, generate an access code with the voucher API and display it on screen to your customer
5. Create a link back to the splash page ( use the format https://customer.hotspotsystem.com/customer/prelogin.php?nasid={NASID} (replace NASID with your operator username followed by and underscore plus your location ID, for example: abc_5 represents the 5th location for operator ‘abc’)

This way your customer will land on your own server first, then they can log in on the normal splash page after your rules are matched.

For example if you wish to use Surveymonkey to collect surveys before you give access to the hotspot, you need to forward users to your survey URL ( Step #3 ), then you need to edit the survey completion preferences to go to your page where you display the access code via the Voucher API (Step #4).

You may want to welcome each user,  let them know about any special deals, promotions or happenings around the area. You may want to capture user input, perhaps for marketing purposes collect their responses into a database. You also want to do this with minimal effort, let the system work for you.

You might be familiar with our data capture feature which can be used to grab various user info.

Combining this feature with Zapier through an API opens up a multitude of possibilities.

Zapier enables you to match up various automation services with Hotspotsystem. For example you can use Mandrill to send out welcome emails, Mailchimp to create subscriptions  or to automate saving user data to your own MySQL database.

When a user fills out data capture it is then forwarded to Zapier which takes the output and sends it to the selected app. This means you will have to set up 2 accounts, one with Zapier and one with the app. The app will take the appropriate action as per your setting.  This happens every time a new user fills out the email address field for example, so the API will work continuously to send your newsletters, or enlarge your subscription database.

The latest way to reach your clients is using INinbox’s professional email platforms. Offering elegant templates for creating catchy newsletters and surveys it has the added benefit of being able to track user responses.

Some of the things you can do:

• send welcome emails
• distribute marketing materials
• keep guests informed about various happenings around your venue
• send surveys or request feedback from the guests
• send offers
• collect subscriber activity, such as opens, views, clicks, bounces, and forwards
• manage subscription lists
• schedule email delivery

INinbox also comes with a powerful editor so you can customize the emails. You can visit their website at www.ininbox.com

To get started see the setup guide: http://www.hotspotsystem.com/zapier-ininbox

So what is it good for?

For example you can generate a code from the hotel’s own software and print it on to the receipt. Or set up a walled garden, create your very own splash page and give out the code based on your own rules (for example the user has to see 3 page of ads, then you can generate an access code so the user can log in). There are lots of use cases and we will post some examples in the following weeks. For example you can use your own payment gateway to sell access codes in your hotspots.

How about the pricing?

Using the API is free, however you need to have voucher credits under your account to be able to generate access codes with the API. For free codes the system deducts 1 credit, for pay per use codes 2 credits are deducted. In case you have a Hotspot Free Voucher subscription, you can also use those credits (50, 300, 600 based on your package) to generate the codes.

We are very excited about how our hotspot operators will use this to create their very unique hotspot solution. If you are one of them, feel free to share your ideas with us