How to Send Text Messages from Dynamics AX Using Twilio

Have you ever wished you could send text messages from Microsoft Dynamics AX? Because text messages are nearly always read, they are an ideal way to communicate alerts or reminders for employees, suppliers or end customers. I recently had a client who wanted to send text messages from AX, so I looked at several AX-to-SMS solutions. They were all far too complicated, so I decided to create something much simpler.

Texting from Twilio

I found an easy way to create my own SMS / text message solution using Twilio. You need some software development expertise, but it’s actually pretty easy to setup.

Let’s walk through the process of setting a free Twilio account, buying a local phone number (from which you will send for test message), installing Twilio API using NuGet and implementing API using your newly created Twilio credentials.

Setup a Twilio account

1. The first steps is to create a Twilio account.
   
2. Log in and create a number. It is FREE to create a number.
3. Click on “Buy a number” and choose any number you want.
   
4. Go to your “Account Settings”, make sure to copy “AccountSID” and “AuthToken.”
   

Visual Studio

1. Create a VS Project.
   
   
2. Install Twlio API using NuGet.
3. Install-package Twilio.
   
4. Twilio API will be added to the project.
   
5. Create your first .NET app.using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   using Twilio;namespace Twilio
   {

   public class AXTwilio
   {

   public AXTwilio()
   { }

   public string sendAxSMS(string _to, string _message)
   {

   // Find your Account Sid and Auth Token at twilio.com/user/account

   string AccountSid = “your Twilio account SID”;
   string AuthToken = “your Twilio Authtoken”;
   var twilio = new TwilioRestClient(AccountSid, AuthToken);
   var message = twilio.SendMessage(“+18172032952″, _to, _message);
   return message.Sid;

        }

     }

   }

    

6. Right click the project, “Add Twilio to AOT” and then “Deploy.”
   

In Microsoft Dynamics AX

1. Verify Twilio project in AOT (Visual Studio Projects > Dynamics AX Model Projects > C Sharp Projects).
   
2. Create a simple class like below and run it.public static void main(Args _args)
   {

   System.Exception ex;

   Twilio.AXTwilio twilio = new Twilio.AXTwilio();
   System.String to = “1112223333”;
   System.String message = “Hello from AX World”;

   try
   {

   twilio.sendAxSMS(to, message);
   info(“Messge Sent”);

   }
   catch(Exception::CLRError)
   {

   ex = ClrInterop::getLastException();
   if (ex != null)
   {

   ex = ex.get_InnerException();
   if (ex != null)
   {

   error(ex.ToString());

   }

         }

   }

       }

    

3. Message is sent to my number like below.
   

Conclusion

The business applications of using SMS with Twilio in AX is endless. With this solution, you can contact your customers, vendors, employees directly from within AX. You can create an SMS alert on each step (confirmation, picking, packing, invoice) of sales order process. You can send ETA alerts with arrival estimates and arrival confirmations, directly integrated with an existing GPS, field service, and order tracking systems. You can use automated SMS to coordinate with the field from your existing service management system and increase precision.

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