May 2019 Summaries

Digital transformation (DX) is a top priority for enterprises today, with many transitioning from legacy PRI solutions to cloud SIP trunks. Communications-as-a-Service (CaaS) can help businesses achieve instant and compliant global scale for their voice and messaging needs. The CaaS model provides core telephony infrastructure that enables scaling of VoIP applications or platforms across the globe, including contact centers, conferencing, Unified Communications (UC), and CPaaS solutions. IT decision-makers view CaaS as a significant step in their DX journey. To assess an enterprise's progress towards DX/CaaS nirvana, three key stages are identified: transformation, navigation, and integration. The primary goal is to leverage emerging services like virtual phone numbers to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency. Businesses should focus on cost savings, improved business processes, and innovative applications that can benefit their operations.

The 'Checkout with Instagram' feature has revolutionized the retail industry by enhancing customer experience (CX) and deepening relationships between brands and their audience. However, great CX is not solely dependent on social media; it also relies heavily on contact centers that provide quality engagement and support across various channels. As businesses grow, they need to scale up their CX operations, often migrating them to the cloud for agile expansion and differentiation in the market. Cloud-enabled CX can drive engagement, repeat purchases, and even become a core competency for companies like Netflix or Airbnb. While choosing an all-cloud solution may be ideal, hybrid solutions that combine legacy premises with outsourced and in-house capabilities are also common. Ultimately, investing in reliable, scalable technology to deliver the best CX is crucial for business growth and reputation enhancement.

A SIP trunk is a protocol that allows the transmission of media (voice, video, or text) via data networks, including the public internet, between locations. It enables bundling multiple channels/lines on one SIP connection, allowing businesses to virtualize these lines by dividing their 1GBPS connection by x number of times. A channel is a path between two points on a telephony system and represents the capacity for making calls from one place. The number of channels in a SIP trunk can be as many as needed, providing more control over call capacity while reducing costs and physical infrastructure requirements. As ISDN copper wire infrastructure is being replaced with public internet and cloud-based infrastructure globally, SIP trunks are becoming the industry standard for telecommunications.

The internet has revolutionized the insurance industry, but there is still a need for personal touch when it comes to managing policies. Local insurance agents play a crucial role in understanding customers' specific needs and providing tailored solutions. However, traditional communication methods like phone calls or office visits can be inconvenient in today's fast-paced world. Text messaging offers an efficient solution for both the corporate offices and local agents to enhance customer experience. Corporate offices can use text messaging for big announcements and claims updates, while local agents can maintain relationships with clients through personalized messages. Integrating SMS technology into CRM systems allows for seamless communication at all levels of insurance companies.

Managing a company's financial health involves seeking ways to improve the bottom line, and new technologies can help streamline operations. One such technology is toll-free phone numbers, which can save businesses money on high volume text messaging by replacing short codes. The cost of purchasing a dedicated short code can be in the thousands, while toll-free numbers usually run around $1 per month. Additionally, getting a short code requires approval from every carrier and can take up to six weeks, whereas toll-free numbers have a much shorter timeframe. By unifying voice and messaging under a single number, businesses can also cut costs on vendor management.