Frequently Asked Questions about TextKey™?

Who created TextKey™?

TextKey™ is developed by TextPower Inc. TextPower provides text messaging (SMS) solutions for mission-critical applications ranging from immediate communications with customers/staff to high security authentication of users.

What limitations are there to the API Developer Account?

Currently, all developer accounts allow full access to the TextKey API calls. Once a developer/client wants to embed TextKey™ into a site/app/VPN, they can buy as many user licenses as they want. We offer both cloud hosted flexible monthly pricing and enterprise licensing models. For more details, please contact the sales team at the TextPower Contact Us page.

What is Omni-Factor Authentication?

Omni-factor authentication is an approach to authentication, which requires the presentation of 6 or more identifiers where each factor must be validated for authentication to occur. For example, a standard usename/password method supplemented with a TextKey authentication.

How does TextKey™ utilize Omni-Factor Authentication?

TextKey can be used to provide many levels of security via Omni-factor authentication. This can range from very simple authentication methods to protect less secure operations to very extensive modes with 6 or more layers of protection for complex operations or those with need for heightened security.

Many choices are available to customers so they can configure their security as tightly or as conveniently as they wish. A customer can select default security level options that apply to everyone in their account. However, TextKey also allows configuration of individual users to their own specific level. This allows certain people such as high-level executives to use a different security level than others.

Here's a list of some of TextKey™ modes of operation listed based on the highest level of security going down to the lowest level:

  • TextKey™ + Pin Code (User must append their secret Pin Code to the TextKey™ and send it to the dynamically assigned destination)
  • TextKey™ only (User sends just the TextKey to the dynamically assigned destination)
  • Pin Code Only (User sends just their secret Pin Code to the dynamically assigned destination)
  • Anything (User can authenticate by sending anything to the dynamically assigned destination)

Along with the above modes, TextKey comes built-in with the following authentication modes:

  • Phone Number Verification (Check if the phone number that sent the TextKey™ matches the user's phone number)
  • Phone UDID (Check if the UDID of the phone that sent the TextKey™ matches the UDID of the user's phone)
  • Dynamically assigned destination (Check if the phone number/shortcode the TextKey™ was sent to matches the phone number/shortcode displayed on the browser window to the user)

In addition to the above authentication modes, we can also provide a one-time link, which the user must click to display the TextKey™ and dynamically assigned destination on the browser window.