February 2019 Summaries

During tax season, fraudulent calls and messages increase. Bandwidth actively combats illegal robocalls, scam calls, toll fraud, and SPAM throughout the year by educating partners and customers on adopting fraud prevention best practices. They also use messaging SPAM filters to prevent delivery of fraudulent traffic over their network and proactively monitor their network for unusual traffic that could indicate fraudulent behavior. Bandwidth is a member of key industry organizations working towards solutions to consumer fraud and abuse, ensuring safe and innovative communication services.

Digital transformation (DX) is a crucial strategy for businesses aiming to enhance operational efficiency and leverage new opportunities through digital technologies such as the cloud. Forrester predicts that one in four CIOs will drive digital business innovation in 2019, while IDC estimates worldwide spending on DX-enabling technologies and services to reach $1.97 trillion by 2022. The contact center plays a vital role in this transformation as it serves as a crucial touchpoint between businesses and customers. A well-executed digital transformation strategy for the contact center can lead to cost savings, improved customer experience (CX), and new revenue opportunities. Implementing an omnichannel approach is essential for delivering seamless CX across various communication channels like voice, email, SMS, and webchat.

Bandwidth's BXML provides an alternative to its Voice API for handling operations on active phone calls, facilitating the implementation of two-factor authentication (2FA) systems. While the Voice API is used to initiate calls, BXML operates through hosted server endpoints accessed via HTTP GET requests to manage call interactions. In a 2FA setup, the registration process involves confirming phone ownership by requiring users to enter a code visible only on the registration page, while the login process uses a phone call prompt to finalize authentication. Security is a concern since BXML can be accessed by knowing the endpoint URL, so protective measures, such as requiring credentials for requests, are recommended to prevent unauthorized access. Although BXML and API calls offer similar outcomes for users, developers experience distinct interactions with their servers when using these tools.

The Bandwidth Projects Team specializes in efficient and seamless bulk porting of telephone numbers (TNs) over 100. They follow a structured process, similar to preparing for a marathon, which includes obtaining necessary documentation like Letter of Authorization (LOA), Customer Service Record (CSR), and completing the Bandwidth Project Spreadsheet. The team leverages their understanding of various carrier processes to guide customers through the porting journey, helping them avoid common pitfalls and ensuring successful completion within the stipulated timeframe. They also provide support for post-port issues, aiming to deliver a gold standard experience for their clients.

The article discusses issues with SMS deliverability and response rates, which may be caused by snowshoeing prevention by wireless carriers. It explains that the SMS ecosystem is not closely regulated in the US but is generally managed by best practices. These best practices do not fully account for all legitimate business needs requiring local phone numbers for commercial SMS purposes. The article highlights missing ingredients in today's A2P SMS solutions and suggests using short codes, toll-free SMS, or soon 10DLC solutions like Bandwidth’s Local A2P for high volume messaging needs. It also introduces the concept of Local A2P Messaging built on 10DLC as a sanctioned, approved route for high volume messaging with local numbers.

The blog post revisits the topic of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems and demonstrates building an IVR using Bandwidth's BXML, an alternative to the Voice API that utilizes custom XML for defining phone call operations. Unlike the Voice API, which requires POST requests to update calls, BXML updates are made by Bandwidth retrieving instructions via GET requests from a server, without needing to keep track of call information like the "callId." The post provides a detailed example of setting up an IVR for a customer satisfaction survey within a plumbing service, illustrating how BXML can handle various steps in the survey process by setting up server endpoints that manage call flows and gather user inputs. While BXML can perform the same operations as the Voice API, except for initiating calls, it simplifies the process by letting Bandwidth handle the call updates based on server-provided BXML.

The LA Rams and New England Patriots will face off in Super Bowl LIII, prompting fans to text family and friends about the game, ads, and halftime show. Businesses also use text messaging during the event, encouraging customers to order services or participate in voting or donation campaigns.