April 2021 Summaries

In the context of business messaging, brands are perceived as the entity sending messages, whether they are small local businesses or large chains, while campaigns are focused on specific use cases for messaging. Businesses need to decide between dedicated campaigns, which are focused on a single use case with a lower surcharge from AT&T, and mixed use campaigns, which allow multiple use cases but come with a higher surcharge. Mixed campaigns are beneficial for companies using a single number for different messaging needs, while low volume campaigns are cost-effective for businesses sending fewer than 15,000 messages monthly, despite having higher surcharges and limitations on message speed. Each campaign choice involves considering costs, message volume, and specific business needs, with companies encouraged to contact their representatives for more personalized guidance and support.

Business text messaging has evolved with the introduction of 10 digit long code (10DLC), a carrier-sanctioned messaging channel using local numbers. To ensure that businesses are sending wanted messages, carriers require registration of brand and campaign information through The Campaign Registry (TCR). Depending on their role, businesses must either register directly with TCR or rely on their messaging vendor for registration assistance. The registration process involves providing details about the brand, reseller, and campaign. Starting June 1st, 2021, AT&T will begin filtering unregistered traffic, and T-Mobile plans to make registration a requirement as well.

SIP trunking is a vital component in modern telecommunications, with over 80% of large businesses considering it important to their operations. It involves using the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) to enable on-premise phone systems to make and receive calls via data connections. This technology offers significant cost savings compared to traditional telecoms by allowing for unlimited simultaneous call capacity, local presence, centralized communications, consolidation of providers, and scalability. To implement SIP trunking effectively, businesses should ensure their PBX is SIP enabled, check their bandwidth, adjust their router settings for Quality of Service (QoS), and decide on the number of channels they need before contacting a supplier.

The telecoms industry is saturated and complicated, with businesses looking for ways to deal with communications as they work remotely during the pandemic. Spending on comms continues to rise in 2021, with SIP trunking being a popular choice due to its capacity flexibility and cost savings. When choosing a SIP trunk provider, consider factors such as coverage, quality calls, compliance, redundancy, and scalability. Ask potential providers about their services, regulatory compliance policies, reliability, quality and performance guarantees, and support offerings.

Scaling your business requires scaling communications as well, with Voice remaining the preferred method in 2021. As international expansion barriers reduce, multinational number provisioning can still be complex. Businesses can use SIP Trunking to make life easier by leveraging a global SIP provider's local knowledge, expertise, and resources. A one-stop-shop for SIP communication needs, it allows companies to connect their on-premises or cloud-based calling platform to a single SIP trunking service provider. SIP providers typically offer more than just PSTN access, including easy DID number access in international markets, voice and messaging services, and management of call routing to emergency services answering points. Businesses should consider partnering with a SIP trunking provider for cost reduction, complexity reduction, and access to emerging services supporting digital transformation initiatives. Local expertise is crucial when entering new markets, as businesses need to navigate various rules and regulations governing communications. Companies should look for suppliers with speedy deployment times and 24/7 online access to their communications services. Dealing with multiple SIP providers can add costs and complexities; thus, it's important to find a provider that covers the majority of global GDP.

The Supreme Court ruled in Facebook v. Duguid that an "automatic telephone dialing system" (ATDS) requires the use of a random or sequential number generator, providing clarity on the definition under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). While this ruling clarifies restrictions on calls and texts made using automated dialing methods, it does not affect other portions of the TCPA or state laws restricting autodialer usage. Businesses should continue to ensure that their communications are wanted and expected before reaching out with a call or text, and consult legal counsel for specific considerations related to their operations.

SIP trunks are a method for transferring voice data over the internet, similar to how data is transferred online, and while they offer more flexibility than traditional PRI ISDN lines, they typically come with specific channels that determine the number of concurrent calls possible. The number of channels can be adjusted almost in real-time, and although a SIP trunk can technically support unlimited channels, users must pay for each one. When purchasing a SIP trunk, businesses essentially buy access to a network connection rather than the connection itself, similar to a mobile data contract. Pricing generally involves a one-time fee for trunk access and ongoing charges based on the number of channels, individual number usage, and minutes used. The notion of "free" SIP trunks is primarily a marketing strategy, as the actual cost comes from usage rather than the trunk itself.

Regularly reviewing the effectiveness of the tools in a business's tech stack is essential, especially for companies that are scaling up. Initially, all-in-one solutions like Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) offer a cost-effective way to quickly develop and deploy communication services. However, as businesses grow and expand into new markets, the limitations of CPaaS become apparent, particularly in terms of rising costs and reduced quality due to aggregated voice coverage from multiple providers. To address these challenges, businesses can either build their own voice network, which is costly and time-consuming, or adopt a strategy known as Bring Your Own Carrier (BYOC). BYOC allows businesses to integrate their preferred telephony providers with their CPaaS platform, enhancing service quality, reducing costs, and ensuring better support and accountability. This approach allows businesses to retain the benefits of CPaaS's platform features while optimizing their telephony infrastructure, ultimately improving customer experience and achieving greater return on investment.

Bandwidth, a company known for connecting people worldwide through messaging and voice calling services, emphasizes the importance of safety features in mobile apps. The author shares their personal experience using dating apps and how they met their fiancé, highlighting the potential risks involved when meeting strangers. They suggest that app developers should consider incorporating emergency calling services to enhance user safety. Bandwidth offers solutions for SaaS providers and app developers to integrate emergency calling features into their platforms, providing users with an extra layer of protection in various situations such as dating apps, ride sharing services, or connected healthcare devices.