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The blog for Global Call Forwarding has articles on the latest customer service trends, telecommunications technologies, and business news.
8 customer service tips
1st February 2017 blog, Customer Service

8 Customer Service Tips for Companies in the Travel Industry

habits of Successful Entrepreneurs
30th January 2017 blog, Customer Service

Call Center KPIs: 12 Metrics to Track for Customer Success

call center features
25th January 2017 blog, Call Center

5 Call Center Features You Need for an Inbound Sales Team

Comparison of International Number Providers in South America
14th December 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

5 Reasons to Change Your Virtual Number Provider

23rd November 2016 blog, Business Insights

How a Coworking Office Space Can Improve Your Startup

Outbound Calling for Sales Team
18th November 2016 blog, Cloud Telephony

GCF’s Guide to Call Forwarding

history of mobile phones
5th October 2016 blog, Cloud Telephony

The History of Mobile Phones

what are virtual phone numbers?
28th September 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

What is a Virtual Phone Number?

The difference between toll-free prefixes.
21st September 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

The Difference Between 800, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888 Numbers

8 Customer Service Tips for Companies in the Travel Industry

1st February 2017 blog, Customer Service

Great customer service tips can be the difference between retaining clients and losing them. It means understanding clients’ needs and fulfilling them in a timely manner, even when you are in different time zones and countries apart.

Travel agencies, tourism businesses, airline and railway companies, and especially hotel chains need a customer service routine. Excellent customer service, especially on an international level, is imperative to your success. Global Call Forwarding personally engages with firms in the tourism and travel industry. This means more than just providing toll free numbers for your company. We want to help you provide personalized and intuitive service to your clients with ease.

We reach into countries as far as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Whether you are based in the United States and want local phone numbers in these areas, or you are an independent travel agent who needs a way to filter phone calls while they are on the road, Global Call Forwarding can assist you in creating memorable customer service.

It is time to foster loyalty and stand out from your competitors through engaging with clients in a convenient manner. For this reason we have provided 8 customer service tips for the tourism industry:

1. Communication. Always.

This seems like a given, but you would be surprised how many companies forget this simple concept. Inconveniences will happen and delays are inevitable. However, it just makes sense to tell your clients what is happening with their travel plans. Do not leave them in the dark during a delay. Tell them in person, on the phone, through speakers, with an email, over social media – whichever medium makes the most sense so that you are always communicating with them.

2. Don’t Allow For Unnecessary Disruptions or Waiting Time

Scheduling and reservation issues, lost baggage, gate changes, and ticket purchases can already make a customer feel on edge. Imagine these types of conversations in an unknown or unfamiliar country, such as Thailand or Singapore, and how time zone differences can make matters even more complex.

When an individual calls your customer service representatives, try as much as possible not to place them on hold. Instead, international call forwarding and the integration of local phone numbers into your systems gives you the ability to lessen their wait time so they can get back on the road.

3. Keep Your Internal Teams Informed and Organized

Consider that you run an airline based in the United States that books clients with flights into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Your customer service agents and hospitality connections are based in Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. With all of these countries working together inside of one company, internal communications can easily go off the rails. You do not want to accidentally give conflicting information about a client’s travel itineraries.

Internal teams must stay up to date on the latest travel news and notices. Bosses and managers must stay connected as well, even in the busiest airports. Make sure that everyone is able to stay connected with each other.

4. Set up Different Lines for Different Needs

How does your current customer service team navigate hospitality services, purchasing airline tickets, making reservations, confirming itineraries, and contacting tour and cruise packages with new destinations? These are just a few but common essentials tourism faces on an hourly basis. However, if one client calls in asking about their travel reservations and is met with a confusing phone system, they are less likely to return to you for their future needs.

Instead, international call forwarding and other helpful phone features allows you to direct people to different lines. If possible, set up different lines for sales, lead generation, telemarketing, welcoming phone calls, inquiries and billing issues, as well as customer service. This is better for customer retention and loyalty.

5. Make Certain Calls a Priority

Every company receives spam numbers, including companies based in the UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. However, you should not let this get in the way of excellent customer service. Utilizing black and white lists means that you can filter out unwelcome calls and give preference to callers who are considered top priority. This is especially useful in the hospitality industry, where it is imperative to reach the right people at the right time.

6. It’s Okay to be Automated

Many will suggest that automated systems are impersonal, and depending on how you use this type of system, they can be. However, having a reliable automated system can also be a functional customer service tool for your company.

Imagine calling a company over and over only to have a call dropped, or only to find that you keep dialing in the wrong line. Having an international call forwarding system done the right way will prevent this issue in the future. An automated system may even help them address the right information much faster than with a person.

When you address their needs right away, your team can move on with their day – and so can your caller. This simplifies the transition between calls as well.

7. Stay Friendly

Unfortunately, hospitality representatives can bring out the worst in people. Frustrated clients usually result in tension on both sides. However, even if a client has a terrible travel experience, they should remember your excellent customer service. So, be sure to alleviate the key frustrations of your clients and stay friendly with them.

8. Be Local

Finally, customers appreciate seeing companies as local. Customers are more likely to call your company if they do not have to pay a fee to do so. This immediately makes you more accessible than your competitors. So, using local phone numbers and tll free numbers based in their city is a great way for them to feel like they are staying with a business that cares.

Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality

Get ready for takeoff! Whether you are an individual agent who needs help filtering incoming calls or you are an executive at an internationally recognized airline, Global Call Forwarding makes the running of your business much smoother.

Global Call Forwarding can be extremely beneficial to the customer service of your company, whether you have roots in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, or the UAE.

Call Center KPIs: 12 Metrics to Track for Customer Success

30th January 2017 blog, Customer Service

Which call center KPIs are necessary to help you understand how your business is performing and how satisfied your customers are? The following is a list of 12 important call center metrics to consider.

Call Center Standard KPIs: Important Metrics to Track

Call center KPIs or key performance indicators are metrics to help you measure how well your business is doing and what areas need improvement. KPIs are business-specific. Therefore, it is important to select them wisely by considering the strategic interests of your business. There are four basic areas to consider:

  • Affordability and sustainability of the call center
  • Maximizing your customers’ experience
  • Improved business outcomes
  • Efficient use of your human resources

The following is a list of call center KPIs to consider for your contact center. Identify the right KPIs for your business and strive towards a better success rate.

1. Average Time in the Queue

This call center KPI represents the total time callers wait to speak to an agent divided by the total number of calls. Reducing wait times should be every business’ top priority. Customer frustration increases with increasing queue time. Additionally, this gives the impression that your business has poor customer service. And unhappy customers won’t hesitate to find a business that can cater to them faster.

2. Service Level or Response Time

Service level is the percentage of calls answered within a specified period. More specifically, it is the number of calls attended to within a specified number of seconds. Call center managers often set a service level goal such as 90/30 (i.e., 90% of the calls are answered within 30 seconds). Some consider service level one of the most important call center KPIs since it is closely related to customer service.

3. Percentage of Calls Blocked

As the name suggests, this is the percentage of incoming calls that are blocked. Or in other words, calls not connected to an agent. Either the agents were busy or the call center software could not handle the call volume. Blocked calls lead to customer dissatisfaction and possible loss of future business.

4. Average Speed of Answer

This metric measures the amount of time taken to answer a call during a certain time frame. This includes the sum of time in the queue and time spent waiting for the agent to answer their call. It does not, however, consider the time the caller spends interacting with the business’ IVR. This metric helps measure the efficiency and accessibility of the call center team.

5. Average Handle Time

This is one of the most commonly measured call center KPIs. The average handle time is calculated by adding the agents’ talk and hold time to their post-call work time and then dividing this sum by the number of calls handled by the agent. Managers trying to reduce the average handle time must be careful in their approach as customer satisfaction could be affected. There are several steps to improve the average handle time:

  • Thorough training and coaching of agents
  • Continuous monitoring of agents’ performance
  • Recording of calls
  • Streamlining agent workflow and processes
  • Optimizing call routing
  • Using a detailed and useful knowledge base
  • Utilizing an internal communication system
  • Ensuring customer information is current

6. First Call Resolution

First call resolution occurs when a customer’s query is satisfied during their initial call, and follow-up is not necessary. Research suggests that this metric has a greater positive impact on customer satisfaction than any other KPI.

7. Average Abandonment Rate

The call abandonment rate is a measure of the number of times customers hang-up or abandon calls before reaching an agent. Long wait times, confusing IVR systems, jarring hold music, etc., can lead to a high call abandonment rate. Customers gravitate to companies that are easy to reach in a timely fashion.

8. Average After Call Work Time

After a call is completed, agents complete tasks such as sending out confirmation emails, updating databases and CRMs, and contacting call center teammates. This time spent after a call is referred to as average after call work time. Oftentimes, this can take up a lot of an agent’s time and managers are constantly trying to find ways to reduce this time. Easy-to-use and efficient CRMs where all these activities can be completed through one platform can help reduce the time spent on completing these activities.

9. Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction rates or a CSAT score is one of the most important call center KPIs. These scores are important to measure as they can give you insight into how customers are interacting with or enjoying your service. Good customer satisfaction rates mean that your employees are doing a good job, leaving customers happy and satisfied. Companies can measure customer satisfaction or CSAT scores through customer surveys (email, phone, in-app).

10. Occupancy Rate

Occupancy rate measures the total time agents are on calls or completing other work-related tasks divided by the total work time. In other words, this metric measures how long an agent is occupied with work. Optimizing occupancy rates is one of the top goals of any call center manager. However, this can lead to heavy workloads and overburdened employees.

11. Agent Absenteeism

Agent absenteeism is, as the name suggests, the percent of days an agent is absent from work over the total number of contracted days. This KPI can provide insights when budgeting or planning ways to optimize agent work. Human resource personnel routinely track the days lost from work for all call center employees. Effective call center operations minimize absenteeism.

12. Agent Turnover Rate

This is another important call center KPI to pay attention to. The agent turnover rate is the percentage of agents that quit their employment. This can be due to a range of factors: monotonous work, no rewards or incentives, excessive workload, and so on. Keeping employees and agents happy can lead to better CSAT scores and improve sales or profits.

Which of These Call Center KPIs Does Your Business Need?

Global call center metrics can help you determine how satisfied your customers and employees are as well as how efficient your business is. Now based on your business and its requirements, identify which of these call center KPIs do you need to track. Once you make a list of necessary KPIs to measure, start tracking through helpful software, and watch your business improve!

5 Call Center Features You Need for an Inbound Sales Team

25th January 2017 blog, Call Center

Inbound call center agents handle incoming calls for your company, usually in large volumes. Traditionally, call centers take on product orders or provide customer service during hours when your office is not available.

Call centers will typically use international toll-free numbers when the call center is located outside the country. They are especially beneficial in areas where labor is less expensive. For example, you may have a few call centers setup in the Philippines or India. Depending on your industry, you may even have call centers specified just for bringing in new sales opportunities.

International call forwarding services are imperative to sales teams. Whether you are the owner of a call center in the Philippines or India, a toll free call forwarding service provider can get your enterprise set up with a call center phone system so you can increase sales at your company. We highlighted 5 key features that can increase the effectiveness of your inbound call center.

Your Inbound Sales Team

Inbound sales, by definition, is the budding relationship between a potential client that reaches out to your company and a salesperson from your organization. Because the digital realm has transformed the way companies interact with consumers and make sales, enterprises have now included digital phone numbers, or virtual phone numbers, to streamline the process.

When these features are integrated into your processes, your inbound call center can be more effective than ever. Global Call Forwarding is able to help you attract the revenue you want with new and more modern techniques than ever before.

Below you can read about 5 of the top call center phone system features that can improve the performance of your inbound sales team.

1. Call Recording

Call recording is a feature that allows you to record any inbound calls automatically. Simply select the number you want to record and enable or disable the feature as needed. With this in place, you can monitor your international call center’s conversations and understand how to improve the sales process. As a manager or business owner, you may find that after listening in on a few calls, you will have just the right knowledge to help out your employees. You can also use these recordings to train new sales staff.

When you keep and store these calls from your personalized Control Panel, you can also recover lost information from previous calls in case that you need to remember important details about your prospects. Let’s say, for example, a prospective client has spoken to a salesman in your India call center. However, when the same client calls back a week later, your salesman is either out of town, on vacation, or no longer working for your company. To find out information about this specific client, you can access your Control Panel and pull important information from their previous conversations. Now you will be able to hand off the inbound client to another member of your call center in India without worry. This can be a useful add-on to your current plan with Global Call Forwarding.

2. Call Transfer

This feature is just like having an auto-attendant or virtual assistant! Call transfer allows you to make a transition immediately or place a person on hold while you brief the individual on the other line. This can be done even if all three parties are in different countries or area codes.

How does this help your inbound sales? If a potential client contacts your call center in the Philippines and has reached your virtual assistant, your assistant can place that person on hold while they brief the salesman. This allows your salesman the opportunity to quickly research the client’s needs or requirements. This is especially useful if a salesman would like to offer unique products or services that are even better than the competition.

3. Simultaneous Ringing

There are many reasons to have simultaneous ringing in a call center. With this feature, you can forward calls from your line to two or more numbers through your inbound call center. Even though they will ring at the same time, the call will only be connected to the first salesman to answer it.

This is useful if you have a sales team that is not always in the office or at their desk. Perhaps they frequently travel and meet with different business partners. With simultaneous ringing, they could get calls transferred to their personal cell phones if this is a more convenient option for them. This ensures your team does not miss out on important communication while they are away.

4. Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) gives your callers a computer greeting and directs them to the appropriate line for their needs. All of this is automated for their convenience as well as yours. All they have to do is navigate through the menu system through their voice and keypad. Best of all, this system is customized to your needs. Within your IVR, you can include company announcements and new deals. This even gives you another opportunity to sell!

IVR also saves your employees time and effort if there are individuals who tend to call your company for a simple, specific reason. For example, if a customer contacts your India call center because they only need to receive their account information, your Interactive Voice Response can do it for them!

5. Black and white lists

Filtering calls is now easier than ever. Reject numbers coming in from specific area codes to maximize your efficiency. No more unwanted or unsolicited calls!

If your call center in the Philippines is getting hounded by spam, for example, you can integrate black and white lists with toll-free forwarding services. Your “Black List” blocks unwanted callers while a “White List” places preferences on those you want to hear from.

Improve Your Inbound Sales Team

These are just a few of the call center technologies that can improve the performance of an inbound call center sales team. It is incredibly important, now more than ever, that your sales teams remain consistent in the way you provide service.

5 Reasons to Change Your Virtual Number Provider

14th December 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

2017 is right around the corner, and for an entrepreneur, the start of a new year can be a great time to take a step back and evaluate your business. Not only do we encourage business owners to review their financials, they should determine what their necessary business expenses are.

Each business has different expenses that are vital to their operations. For example, most firms need to rent an office, pay their employees, and pay for the products and services they sell. Technological advances have also changed the way many organizations operate, making services like internet and phone a requirement.

Virtual Phone Numbers Can Help Your Business Succeed

Virtual phone numbers are practically required for most small, medium and large enterprises to succeed. A virtual phone number is a local or toll free number that is not directly associated with a telephone line. Local and toll free numbers make a business more accessible to call, which will translate to more inbound sales calls and greater customer satisfaction. It is a worthy, almost necessary expense, in today’s business environment.

Although setting up a call forwarding service might be a requirement, businesses have a lot of options when it comes to choosing the best international call forwarding service provider.  Many providers offer new users a free trial of their call forwarding service. However, you might already have a virtual number provider.

For those with an existing service provider, we created a list of 5 reasons you might want to change your virtual number provider:

1. Poor call quality

There is no excuse for poor call quality today. When virtual phone numbers were first created, call quality was inconsistent in certain regions. However, technological innovations have enabled providers to offer crystal clear phone calls in any part of the world. The best call forwarding service providers will use Tier1 networks to deliver excellent call quality. We recommend changing providers if you have trouble hearing what callers are saying.
office buildings

2.  Not enough features

A call forwarding service without features is like computer without software. Depending on the needs of your business, a good call forwarding service provider will have useful features. For example, a virtual number for the purpose of a call center phone system will benefit from features like simultaneous ring and call recording. On the other hand, solo entrepreneurs or small business owners can benefit from Integrated Voice Response, voicemail, time-of-day routing, etc.

3. Exorbitant rates

Advances in technology have reduced international calling rates a great deal over the past 2 decades. Has your service provider passed these savings along to you? Or does paying your monthly bill cause you a lot of financial stress? Virtual phone numbers are relatively inexpensive and they typically offer a pretty good return on investment, but you need to be forwarding phone calls with the right service provider.

4. Unfair contracts

A good call forwarding service provider will not require you to sign any contracts. As a business owner, you should be able to add or remove virtual numbers as you please. Some providers force users to sign long term contracts that will lock the user into a rate or require termination fees. Look for a provider that doesn’t charge setup fees, nor require you to sign a contract.

5. Too much required equipment

Virtual phone numbers are just that – virtual; the call forwarding service, along with the advanced features, can be configured and customized from the cloud. The only thing you should need is an internet connection and phone service.

Virtual Numbers – Is it Time to Switch Providers?

Are you satisfied with your call forwarding service? If not, now could be an opportune time to switch your virtual number provider. The beginning of a New Year is a great time to make a change to ensure that your business will hit the ground running in 2017.

Do you use virtual phone numbers for your business? What qualities do you look for in a call forwarding service provider? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

How a Coworking Office Space Can Improve Your Startup

23rd November 2016 blog, Business Insights

The past few years have been remarkable for the technology industry. It seems like every week that another tech startup is valued in the billions of dollars. With private market valuations of technology companies continuing to grow, more and more entrepreneurs are looking to get in the startup business. How many entrepreneurs would rather have a monotonous desk job than own their sure-fire startup?

A “Unicorn” is a startup company with a valuation exceeding $1 billion. In the past decade, unicorn startups like Airbnb (Founded: 2008, valuation: $25.5B), Uber (2009, $68B), and Snapchat (2011, $17.8B), have all seen a massive inflow of funds from private tech investors.

California is home to numerous technology corporations, and Silicon Valley is probably the first place that comes to mind when you think about startups. Venture Beat pointed out that almost half of the startup “unicorns” are in California. They also show, however, that unicorns are scattered across the globe, with headquarters in China, Germany, India and Canada.

These days, an entrepreneur can open his own startup anywhere. Email and phone forwarding enables you to run a business effectively from anywhere in the world. As a result, coworking spaces have popped up in major cities around the world.

Where Can Entrepreneurs Find Cheap Alternatives to Office Space?

Deskmag gives a great definition of a coworking office: “Every workspace with flexible structures that is designed for and by people with atypical, new types of work – that is not exclusively for people from one certain company.”

Before the rise of coworking spaces, entrepreneurs had very few options apart from leasing office space. Sure, you could set up shop in a (cramped?) home office, but every business needs an address. Nowadays, entrepreneurs can occupy coworking spaces on a membership basis.

The major economic reason why an entrepreneur will use a coworking space is to save time and money. Coworking space operators will usually offer flexible terms that allow renters to move in and out and upgrade or downgrade their pre-furnished offices as the renters please. But a coworking space has value that extends beyond what a business can save on rent.

Coworking spaces deliver value-added benefits that are difficult to quantify in dollar terms. The first benefit is the networking opportunities. The second benefit is helping your business project a more professional appearance.

The first major benefit of a coworking space is the opportunity to network with like-minded people. In the entrepreneurial world, who you know can be equally important as what you know. A great coworking space is a congregation of minds who share similar aspirations. Every person who walks in the door is a professional, and a coworking space is an ideal place to bounce ideas off your peers and create long-lasting business relationships

In addition to networking, a coworking space can help entrepreneurs project a more professional image for their business. Just like a toll-free number is more effective as a branding tool than a personal phone number, a coworking space will make a business look more established than a home office. A business address and phone number will show clients and investors that an enterprise is well-established.

Coworking Trends

These days, it is the small customer, or small group, that supplies the highest amount of demand for office space. There are more small groups looking for office solutions than there are large groups looking to lease an entire building or entire floor.

We look for this trend to continue as large corporations downsize. In addition, we expect coworking operators to modify their approach in order to attract more clients.

We expect four themes to emerge during 2017 with regards to coworking: niche communities, corporate partnerships, around-the-clock renting and added services. First, operators will appeal to specific groups and professional sectors to create a stronger community. Second, coworking providers have started to form partnerships with corporations. Third, the shared-space concept will be extended into living arrangements. Finally, look for some operators to experiment with concierge services, travel offerings, etc. in order to entice renters.

How to Choose the Right Coworking Space

The coworking market currently has thousands of players. Locations have sprung up in huge numbers in cities like New York, Hong Kong and Singapore while operators are designing new service offerings and rental models. Entrepreneurs, especially those with web-based businesses, are able to work in whatever country they choose thanks to virtual phone numbers and offices. No matter which country you reside in, there are several important factors to focus on when choosing a coworking space.

  • Focus on community

Networking is one of the greatest benefits that come with a shared office space. We advise you to consider the types of businesses that occupy the space and decide if these peers will help your business grow

  • Focus on function

What goals does your business have for the future? Some coworking providers have programs to accelerate the growth of occupants. For example, the Hive in Southeast Asia offers partnership opportunities for member companies, along with other great programs. You want a coworking space that will support your business.

  • Focus on location

If your virtual office is far away from where you live, chances are you won’t spend much time there. We recommend choosing an office that is close to your home.

  • Focus on utilities

High-speed internet is a requirement for doing business in today’s internet environment. The facility should come equipped with Wi-Fi, a fax machine and conference rooms. Some locations have a kitchen and free coffee and snacks. Others offers 24/7 access to the office. The utilities you want to look for will depend on the needs of your business.

 

Do you have experience with coworking? How did your business benefit from joining a coworking space? Do you recommend any particular locations? Share your comments below.

GCF’s Guide to Call Forwarding

18th November 2016 blog, Cloud Telephony

Any business that conducts its operations internationally needs a reliable way of communicating with customers. Accessibility is a major key to customer satisfaction and reliable call-forwarding services will instantly make businesses more accessible to customers. An international call forwarding service can be configured so that customers can call your business at a local calling cost, no matter where your company is located. There are many competing call forwarding service providers, and we hope that this guide will allow you to get the most out of your service.

Using Advanced Features

One of the benefits of signing up for a good call-forwarding service is the advanced features that are included with the service. You will have access to intelligent features that can drastically improve your phone forwarding system and make it much easier to manage a high number of incoming calls. Business users will find it convenient to manage their accounts from an online control panel. There are a wide range of features that can be customized to the needs of any specific business. Some of the top features are:

  • Advanced IVR: an interactive voice response system is a computer system that will greet callers and route them to the appropriate department or extension. Callers can navigate your customized menu by using their voice or keypad. This is one of the best features for businesses.
  • Time-of-day routing: this is convenient for users that move around throughout the day because calls can be forwarded to different numbers at different times or on specific days of the week. This ensures that you have the opportunity to answer every call.
  • Simultaneous ring: this will allow multiple numbers to ring at the same time when your virtual phone number is dialed. If you have an inbound call center with multiple representatives, you can configure the service so that the phone of each representative will ring.
  • Call recording: can be utilized for training and quality assurance purposes. Configure the service so that all or a certain percentage of calls will be recorded. You can play the recordings back through the online control panel. Service providers will typically offer this feature at an additional cost.
  • Voicemail: A voicemail ensures that important opportunities do not go unanswered. This feature lets you listen to messages from customers no matter where you are.

What to look for and what to avoid

Call forwarding service providers should never require you to sign a contract. It is also important that your provider does not require an initial payment or activation fees. We suggest you choose a service that you can cancel at any time.

In addition, the best call forwarding service providers will typically offer a free trial that lasts two weeks so that you can test out the full service, risk free. The free trial should let you try out the full service and not a partial version of the call forwarding service you desire.

Finally, it is important to evaluate the billing procedures and note when your account will be charged for the service. You don’t want to pay for a service that you aren’t using!

The local or toll free numbers and international call forwarding service should be usable within a few minutes of activating your account. You should have complete control over your account features and settings throughout the service, and the option to add/remove numbers at any time is convenient. We hope that this guide explained call forwarding and that it will allow you to pick a call forwarding service that is right for your business.

The History of Mobile Phones

5th October 2016 blog, Cloud Telephony

Mobile phone technology has progressed significantly since ‘cell phones’ were first invented. The first modern portable handset was invented by Dr. Martin Cooper in 1973. Motorola sought to build a personal telephone that belonged to an individual rather than a home or a desk.

1973 – 1980s – 1G

Dr. Cooper was an engineer and general manager at Motorola at the time he invented the cell phone. The prototype developed by Dr. Cooper weighed almost two and a half pounds and was larger than today’s office phones. In 1973, he placed the first call from a portable phone – to a rival engineer at Bell Labs.

After Dr. Cooper’s revolutionary creation, it took nearly ten years for mobile phones to reach the market. Motorola rolled out the first commercial mobile phone in 1983, the DynaTAC 8000X, costing $3,995. The cost of Motorola’s first phone today would be $9600 after accounting for inflation! Mobile phone technology was relatively underdeveloped at the time, operating on an analogue cellular network.

1990s – Digital Cellular

Consistent with the rapid technological advancements of the 1990s, cellular phone technology improved exponentially. In the 1990s, a 2nd generation of mobile phone systems was created. Two systems vied for global supremacy: the U.S. developed CDMA standard and the European developed GSM standard.

Along with the new ways of transmitting information, cellular phone technology was advancing. Smaller batteries and improved energy-efficiency devices enabled companies to create smaller cell phones. While the brick-sized Motorola DynaTAC 8000 weighed 28 ounces, newer phones in the 90s weighed between 3.5 and 7 ounces.

The 2nd generation of phone systems introduced text messaging and the ability to access web content from mobile phones. Custom ringtones were incredibly popular among mobile phone users. Of course, SMS/text messaging has been a huge success. ‘Texting’ is the preferred medium for communications among millennials. In addition, four out of five people use texting for business communications.

Nokia was a leader in the mobile phone industry during the 1990s. Nokia launched an early mobile phone with vibrations, and later introduced ‘Snake’ to cell phone users.

The first full internet service on a cell phone was introduced in 1999. However, this internet access was different from accessing the mobile internet.

2000s – 3G/4G

During the 1990s, cell phone use started to become commonplace and the demand for cellular data increased. More people sought access to the internet from their mobile phones and people sought faster data speeds.

Engineers in the industry began developing ‘Mobile Broadband’ to satisfy mobile phone users. 2G technology utilized circuit switching for data transmission. The major change from 2G to 3G was the use of packet switching to replace circuit switching. It wasn’t until 3G technologies that mobile phone users could access the mobile internet.

In 2007, Apple rolled out the first iPhone in the United States. The iPhone was a revolutionary device with full internet access, a touch screen and all the functions of a traditional camera phone and mp3 player. Apple has continued to make improvements to the iPhone and there are now more than 100 million iPhone in the United States.

By 2009, engineers began developing a 4th generation of technology to accommodate bandwidth consuming applications like streaming media. The 4th generation is called Native IP Networks.

Cell Phones Today

Like most electronics, improvements in mobile phone technology came about exponentially. Today’s cell phones have capabilities that are likely beyond the imagination of Dr. Martin Cooper. There are almost as many cell-phone subscriptions as there are people on this earth. The advancement of mobile phone technology is bound to continue in future years. What innovations would you most like to see in coming years?

What is a Virtual Phone Number?

28th September 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Do you own a global business with customers across the world? If so, you might ask what is a virtual phone number. This blog gives you the information you need to unlock the true potential of your business with a virtual number and a call forwarding service.

Virtual Numbers: Definition

A virtual phone number is a local or toll free number that enables users to make and receive calls via the internet. This number is not directly associated with a telephone line and doesn’t look any different from a regular phone number. Virtual numbers are typically used with a call forwarding service so callers do not incur long-distance charges. If you don’t already use virtual numbers, you should start taking advantage of this great marketing tool. You can get these numbers for different countries, cities, and regions from a virtual phone number provider like Global Call Forwarding.

Other names for virtual numbers: cloud-based numbers, cloud phone numbers, hosted numbers, and VoIP numbers.

How Does a Virtual Phone Number Work?

Virtual phone numbers use cloud telephony and number hosting to let users communicate over the internet. Unlike a traditional landline, you can make and receive calls from a virtual phone number from anywhere, and you can route incoming calls to any location. This means your business can expand globally without opening physical offices or relocating teams, and you can improve connectivity among your remote, local, and global teams via one centralized hub.

Benefits of a Virtual Phone Number

A virtual phone number is a cost-effective way to make your business more accessible and more scalable from anywhere in the world. When you get a virtual number, you take strides towards unlocking the true potential of your business.

The main reason to own a virtual number is to make your business more accessible. When you have a hosted number in the same country as your clients, it will cost them almost nothing to call you. This will make existing clients more comfortable and will encourage prospects to call your business.

International growth is another major benefit associated with virtual phone numbers. Virtual business phone numbers enable you to operate remotely because they are not tied to any landline. A business can buy a virtual phone number in almost any market while still operating from its headquarters.

1. Establish a Global Presence for Your Brand

Most scalable businesses will understand that their target markets are not confined to any particular region. Rather, their employees are constantly seeking out growth opportunities in different countries. A virtual phone number enables you to establish a virtual presence in any potential market.

Creating a virtual presence in multiple target areas can do wonders for your brand. Potential customers around the globe will become familiar with your company and the services you provide as you advertise in new regions.

Branding is a valuable marketing component. And a professional image can propel the success of a business. A known brand can build incredible value for companies and corporations. And one of the most effective branding tools is a virtual number.

2. Cost-Effective International Expansion

Before opening a new office, you need to consider several factors. One important factor is performing market research focused on the proposed new location. Before opening a new office, it is important to consider all appropriate growth alternatives. This means identifying new target markets as well as measuring demand and competition. You may even want to consider test marketing as part of your market research. An international virtual phone number can help you communicate with and qualify prospects in that area.

Another important factor to consider is funding for the new location. Opening a physical office in a new country comes with many expenses. You will need to pay rent, hire employees, and cover additional operating expenses. Furthermore, you will need to consider accounting and foreign exchange issues.

3. Work Remotely From Anywhere in the World

Countless business opportunities exist globally. Luckily, we have hosted phone numbers from more than 160 countries around the world. This means that you can seize any opportunity no matter where you are located.

How Do I Get Virtual Numbers?

You can set up a virtual phone system for your business with Global Call Forwarding. We provide virtual numbers in over 160 countries and thousands of cities. To sign up, visit our Pricing page or speak with one of our experts. Entrepreneurs should take advantage of this great marketing tool and start growing their business today!

Related: How Much Does a Virtual Number Cost? [2021]

The Difference Between 800, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888 Numbers

21st September 2016 blog, Business Phone Numbers

When looking for a US toll-free number, you will often come across a variety of three-digit toll-free codes such as 888, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 800 numbers.

But is there a difference between these numbers? And why are businesses still heavily demanding toll-free numbers?

Here we will detail the differences between these toll-free codes and explain how owning toll-free numbers can help a business grow.

Toll-Free Numbers: Definition and Benefits

A toll-free number is a number that is free for callers. In other words, callers can reach a toll-free number without being charged for the call. Instead, the toll-free subscriber or the owner of the toll-free number pays for the call. This presents a major benefit because customers are more likely to call a business if the phone call is free.

Owning a toll-free number also makes your business appear more professional. Imagine a business that advertises a professional and corporate 800 number or an 1800 number as opposed to a standard mobile or cell phone number. The company with the toll-free number is probably more likely to attract customer attention. It is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your brand.

Why Is There More Than One Code?

Businesses have been using 800 numbers for almost 50 years.

These 1800 toll-free numbers first originated in 1967 and were used primarily by hotels and rental car agencies. These agencies both take reservations from across the country. They also conducted a lot of business over the phone, before the internet. It was important for customers to reach these businesses for free.

However, the market for 800 numbers became saturated as more and more businesses started using toll-free numbers. This led to an exhaustion of 800 numbers and a need for more toll-free prefixes. To satisfy the demand:

Difference Between the 3-digit Prefixes

A toll-free number will begin with one of the following toll-free prefixes: 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, or 844. The six formats are essentially the same.

The main difference between these 3-digit prefixes is the price for the prefix. True 800 numbers tend to be a few bucks more than the other toll-free prefixes.

That aside, all these numbers perform the same function and cost the same for callers (your customers).

Which Prefix Should I Choose?

The prefix that you choose for your toll-free number depends somewhat on your advertising strategy.

800 numbers are more popular on common advertising media like television, billboards, and radio. Business analysts consider traditional 800 numbers to attract larger call volumes. A simple explanation: traditional 800 numbers are easily recognized as toll-free numbers. People are still familiarizing themselves with the other toll-free codes.

However, if the 800 number that you want is taken, then you can buy an 888, 877, 866, 855, or 844 number and get the same benefits.

How are Toll-Free Numbers Assigned?

The FCC regulates the way toll-free numbers can be used or obtained. According to the FCC, toll-free numbers are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis by entities known as “Responsible Organizations.”

The FCC’s rules prohibit toll-free service providers from warehousing or hoarding toll-free numbers. This means that a provider cannot legally reserve a number without having a subscriber in place. The FCC regulates this activity to ensure that a fair supply of toll-free numbers is available.

Porting 800 Numbers

The greatest advantage for consumers is portability. Porting means that a toll-free user can “port” or move his number to a new provider when he changes providers. Portability becomes especially useful when you have owned an 800 number for a long time. It eliminates the need to advertise a new number to clients when switching providers.

Related: 5 Phone Number Porting Myths Debunked

Get 800 Numbers with Us

If you want to purchase a toll-free number or port your existing number to us, then simply sign up on our homepage. You can also contact our experts for assistance if needed.