PrivateGSM Enterprise
Quick Start Guide for Android

This guide provides you easy step-by-step instructions to help you get started with PrivateGSM Enterprise.

Placing secure calls with PrivateGSM

Calling with PrivateGSM is a very easy task. You can both use your contact list or directly dial a number using the dialpad.

 

To make a secure call, you and the called party must have PrivateGSM software running on the mobile device, be connected to the Internet and to the same PrivateServer server.

 

 

figure 1. application main view

Calling by Contacts list

Select Contacts tab from the tab bar, tap on the contact you want to call and select the contact number associated with PrivateGSM.
figure 2. your address book is shared with PrivateGSM

As you can see in figure 2. your address book is shared with PrivateGSM each contact can show a coloured ball at its left, or nothing at all. These are status marker and they represent the Presence Status for each contact.

Presence

The Presence avoid users to call contacts who are not reachable, eg: because they do not have PrivateGSM activated and/or connected. The main value of this feature is to improve user experience suggesting the possible outcome of a call.

Contacts lists

Starting with the present version, there are three lists:
  • BASE: it lists all the contacts which are in the mobile address book, ordering them in the very same way.
  • KNOWN: it shows only known contacts (registered or not) according to PrivateServer's knowledge. This means it is a list of the contacts that are recognised by the server and thus can have a status.
  • FAVOURITES: it reads the contacts marked by you as "PrivateGSM favorites". It's a selection of contacts you choose to have apart, in order to make speed calls.
Each list may show a Contact status beside each contact. The contact status legenda is shown below:

Contact status

OnlineThe contact is reachable. You can make a secure call to the user.
OfflineThe contact is not reachable, because is not under network coverage or is offline. You can try to make a secure call but the call will likely fail
Warning

The contact is not reachable using a full secure call, but you can call him using the unsecure Sip Trunk configured on your server. 

ErrorThere is a comunication error between your phone and the server. The contact status is unknown, anyway you can try to make a secure call

 

Calling by dialpad

You can make a secure call to any arbitrary number (presuming that the call peer has PrivateGSM connected) from PrivateGSM menu by simply entering the number with the on-screen keypad and pressing the dial (green) button. 

figure 3. PrivateGSM dial pad

Receiving a secure call with PrivateGSM

Once PrivateGSM is installed and all the settings are correctly configured on your device you are able to receive a secure call. When a secure call arrives to your device a notification bar will be shown on the top of the screen. Tap on the notification to bring the application in foreground, then answer or decline the call from the application. After the system have exchanged and verified the security keys the you can start the conversation.

To receive a secure call PrivateGSM has to be running and be connected to the Internet.

figure 4. you are receiving a secure call
figure 5.

Call status

To establish a call PrivateGSM completes three phases shown by three icons:

Call status icons

Red light

Starting the connection

Connection not yet established. This step may take several seconds

Green light

Secure call established

Connection established and secure. You can now speak securely

Checking your security

A PrivateGSM call is always encrypted. The call is automatically secured during the call setup. As soon as the call is established you can immediately start to talk securely with your call peer.

The security of the call is based on a digital certificate verification on the SIP/TLS server. If a certificate error appears check whether the date of your phone is correct. If the date is correct it is possible that the certificate is wrong, misconfigured or expired or that your phone is undergoing a security attack. In these cases always contact your system administrator.

 

History

Every event performed or received on your PrivateGSM is listed into the "History" tab, which can be displayed by pressing "Recent" icon on the tab bar.

 
figure 6. recent event list
figure 7. event detail icon

Each event has a detail icon (the clock that ends each event line shown in figure 7. event detail icon).

figure 8. event detail

By clicking on this icon you have access to event's details (cfr figure 8. event detail). 

Secure Messages

You can communicate with your peers by text messages using the Secure Messages System which provides Secure Messages. A Secure Message is a text message that travels into the same encrypted architecture of the Secure Call. 

The maximum length of a single message is 160 character

Secure Messages rely on the very same security infrastructure the voice calls do. Plus for security each Secure Message is blanked 15 minutes after it's been read or sent.

figure 9. blanked secure message


Secure Message System need specific abilitation. If the service is not available on your device please contact your support team to check it's enabled on your account.

Sending Secure Messages from "History" tab

Secure Messages are available via "History" tab, going into the detailed view: figure 8. event detail

figure 10. type a new Secure Message

Using interface shown in  you can type text messages and send them to your party by pressing the "Send" button (the one on the right side of the text box in figure 10. type a new Secure Message).

Sending Secure Messages from "Contacts list" tab

Secure Messages are also available from "Contacts list" tab. 

figure 11. contacts list tab
figure 12. contact's details icon

You have to select an account from the list shown in figure 11. contacts list tab and show its details by clicking on "detail icon" displayed on its right side (see figure 12. contact's details icon).

figure 13. contact's communication view

 Then you get a view like in figure 13. contact's communication view.

Secure Messages status icons and known limitations

Each Secure Message is displayed with an icon showing its status. Most important icons are:

IconMeaning

Sending Message

Message Delivered
Error sending Message

There are few known limitations in the current Secure Message System:

Actually it's not possible to use Secure Messages in order to chat with multiple people (ie it's not possible to create chat rooms).

Please note that the body of each Secure Message you send or receive will be deleted after 15 minutes you read or wrote it.

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