Category: Cloud Telephony

Over 150 million startups operate globally, with approximately 50 million new businesses entering the market each year, highlighting the exceptional growth of the global tech startup ecosystem. For tech startups, where competition is fierce and growth depends on speed and agility, reliable communication is no longer optional—it’s mission-critical.

Making a good impression on your target market is crucial for launching a successful business. Whether it’s a hospitality sector, HR consultancy, food delivery platform, or other, every emerging business can create a strong market presence by using innovative, tech-driven strategies.

One such strategy is adopting cloud-based technologies, particularly cloud telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In this environment, cloud-based technologies help teams move faster, scale learners, and stay competitive. Cloud telephony routes calls over the internet, simplifying operations and making business expansion more seamless, enabling startups to manage customer conversations from anywhere.

So, let’s explore why integrating cloud telephony is not just beneficial but absolutely essential for tech startups in this competitive business landscape.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• Importance of Cloud Telephony
• Benefits of Cloud Phone Solutions
• 7 Use Cases for Tech Startups

Importance of Cloud Telephony for Tech Companies

Cloud telephony is a type of UCaaS that integrates all company communication requirements onto a single, seamless platform. This enables your tech company to access new markets at a reasonable price and expand beyond its current geographic boundaries.

The acceleration of technological transformation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscored the urgent need for scalable cloud solutions. As a result, many companies moved to tech phone solutions to maintain business continuity.

The global cloud telephony market is on a robust upward trajectory, hyped by the growing need for agile and cloud-based communication tools. It has emerged as a pivotal technology for tech startups aiming to maintain seamless communication. By using internet-based communication systems, startups can enhance operational agility, reduce costs, and improve customer engagement.

For tech companies, cloud telephony enables:

• Seamless scalability without costly hardware.
• Global customer reach (160+ countries) with local and toll-free numbers.
• Business continuity, even during disruptions.
• Data-driven insights through analytics and CRM integrations.
• Call tracking across different regions and campaigns.

Integrating cloud telephony into your startup’s ecosystem is seamless. There’s no need for any complicated installations. A softphone on a computer, tablet, or smartphone can replace traditional desk phones. The service is managed through a user-friendly online dashboard, giving you complete control over phone numbers, call routing, users, and other settings.

So, incorporating cloud telephony helps tech startups to build a robust, scalable communication infrastructure, supporting growth, improving efficiency, and enhancing customer relationships in a highly competitive business landscape.

Benefits of Cloud Phone Solutions for Tech Startups

An alternative to traditional phone lines, cloud telephony is a communication tool that directs calls via the internet. Tech startups may benefit from cloud telephony:

• High Call Quality: Deliver HD voice through VoIP with fewer dropped calls or jitter. Maintain professionalism when speaking with investors, partners, or global customers.
• Expanded Global Coverage: With virtual phone numbers like local and toll-free numbers in multiple countries, startups can connect with clients worldwide while still feeling local and accessible.
• Call Recording and Analytics: Track conversations, enhance customer satisfaction, and learn more about how customers behave.
• Advanced IVR: Use automated prompts, advanced routing techniques, and preset rules to route incoming calls.
• Call Forwarding and Routing: Optimize call flow to ensure that calls reach the appropriate person, wherever they may be.
• CRM Integration: Provides agents with caller information by seamlessly integrating with CRM platforms.
• Scalable Solutions: Cloud phone systems are highly scalable, making them a vital choice for tech startups that are expanding rapidly.
• Flexible Call Plans: Startups can save money and pay for just what they need with plans that can be upgraded to match changing business demands.
• Work from Anywhere: Remote and hybrid work models are made possible by employees’ ability to make and receive calls from any internet-connected device.
• Call Management: Features like call routing, local caller IDs, etc., simplify inbound and outbound call handling.

Cloud Telephony in Action: 7 Ways Tech Startups Use Cases

By using tech phone solutions, startups can enhance customer interactions, expand globally, and integrate with existing technologies. Here are key use cases:

• Improve Customer Interaction & Satisfaction
• Increase Answer & Pick-Up Rates
• Establish Local & Global Presence
• Integrate with Saas Platforms
• Get Remote Technical Support
• Set Up a Global Tech Service Desk Hotline
• Maintain Voice Continuity

1. Improve Customer Interaction & Satisfaction

A well-designed IVR efficiently routes callers to the correct department, reducing wait times and frustration. Startups can record and monitor calls for quality assurance and training, allowing teams to improve overall performance. This all helps in faster issue resolution and higher customer satisfaction.

On top of this, your teams can use AI call summaries, transcriptions, and custom reports to better understand customer pain points, helping deliver proactive service that reduces churn.

2. Increase Answer & Pick-Up Rates

People are more likely to answer a call if it looks familiar and local. With cloud telephony, startups can use local numbers so calls don’t feel like random international spam. Sales teams can also plan calls around a prospect’s time zone and working hours, which makes connections more likely.

If someone doesn’t pick up, calls can be retried later or followed with a quick voicemail or text. And with a local phone number, you can expect more callbacks or returned calls. Beyond that, teams can analyze call data to spot patterns, such as the best times to connect, and refine outreach accordingly.

Together, these practices make sales outreach more effective and significantly improve answer and pick-up rates.

3. Establish Local & Global Presence

By utilizing virtual phone numbers from target markets, businesses can appear local to customers while also gaining additional advantages. Beyond building local trust, virtual numbers help reduce overhead costs, enable regional support, and provide insights into customer behavior—making global expansion more efficient and data-driven.

They cut down the costs of setting up physical locations and offices, while still allowing you to serve customers in multiple regions. Startups can get localized support with familiar area codes, build trust with regional customers, and route calls to a single support team anywhere in the world. Plus, these numbers give valuable insights into call volume and customer behavior across markets, helping founders test demand, research new regions, and scale into them with confidence.

Check out our country coverage to see what regions and countries we cover.

4. Integrate with SaaS Platforms

Cloud telephony integrates with popular CRM and helpdesk platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk. Such integrations create a unified communication environment that centralizes call logs, customer data, and communication history. This eliminates the need for agents to switch between multiple applications, simplifying workflows and providing a comprehensive view of customer interactions.

5. Get Remote Technical Support

For tech startups, reliable remote support is critical to maintaining customer trust and satisfaction. With cloud telephony, employees can make and receive calls from any internet-connected device, ensuring issues are resolved quickly, no matter where the team is located.

Advanced features like intelligent call routing, forwarding, and IVR reduce wait times and connect customers to the right experts instantly. This flexibility not only builds strong customer relationships but also helps startups scale support operations without the heavy costs of setting up physical call centers.

6. Set Up a Global Tech Service Desk Hotline

For fast-growing startups, technical issues and IT requests can quickly overwhelm internal teams if not managed effectively. A global service desk hotline helps scale technical support beyond a single location. With features like international toll-free and local numbers, startups can provide employees and users with easy, free access to IT help desks, regardless of country or time zone.

Advanced routing ensures calls reach the right technician—whether by skill, department, or schedule. Use call logs, recordings, and transcriptions to provide a record of troubleshooting interactions, which improves accountability, speeds up resolutions, and supports training.

For startups operating remotely or across multiple regions, this kind of hotline delivers round-the-clock support, reduces downtime, and ensures smooth operations as the business scales.

7. Maintain Voice Continuity

With a global network built on tier-1 carriers and local partnerships, cloud telephony ensures resilient voice communication even during disruptions. Calls are routed through multiple global PoPs with built-in redundancy and proactive monitoring to deliver 99.999% uptime. Startups benefit from automatic rerouting, failover options, and secure data backups, so conversations with clients and stakeholders stay seamless no matter the circumstances.

Cloud Telephony Made Simple With Global Call Forwarding

Cloud telephony is rapidly becoming the backbone of modern business communication, particularly for tech startups seeking to scale and operate globally. Switching to cloud telephony with Global Call Forwarding provides tech startups with the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency necessary to thrive in the business market.

With high-quality voice calls, virtual numbers, CRM integration, and disaster recovery support, your startup can simplify communication, cut costs, and expand globally without investing in complex infrastructure. Whether managing a remote team or handling peak call volumes, cloud telephony ensures your business stays connected and responsive.

Curious about how Global Call Forwarding can support your growth? Book a demo today or chat with our team online!

Related: Increase Healthcare Accessibility with Cloud Telephony

Expanding your business globally is exciting, but staying connected across borders is an entirely different challenge.

Managing voice communication across time zones, underdeveloped in-country telecom infrastructures, and complicated regional regulations can become overwhelming. Many businesses experience dropped calls, inconsistent service, and increasing costs, all while trying to juggle multiple providers and platforms.

What works well in one country might fall apart in another, creating confusion for teams and frustration for customers.

At the core of all this is a weak communication network—one that can quietly deteriorate productivity, damage customer relationships, and eventually put deals at risk.

Managing voice communication globally isn’t just about having phone lines in place. It’s all about real-time coordination between teams, customers, and borders with clarity and consistency. In the absence of a proper setup, business growth might turn into chaos.

Fortunately, with the rise of cloud telephony, businesses can unify their global voice operations on a single, scalable platform. Here’s how to do it effectively.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• Why Does a Business Need to Manage Global Voice Communication?
• How to Set up a Global Voice Infrastructure
• 10 Tips on How to Manage Global Voice

Why Businesses Need Reliable Global Voice Communication

Reliable voice communication is still one of the most effective ways to build trust and resolve complex issues. Industry analysis indicates that communication breakdowns are responsible for over 70% of business failures. More strikingly, communication inefficiency costs an annual loss of $37 billion in productivity. And globally distributed teams rely on voice communication for coordination, decision-making, and sales that can’t happen over chat or email.

But managing voice across borders introduces complexity:

• Local presence matters for customer trust
• Telecom regulations differ by country
• Carrier coverage varies
• International calling can prove expensive
• Latency and call quality can degrade without the proper infrastructure

When you have a reliable global phone service for your business, you can handle customer calls across regions and time zones.

Cloud-based telephony solutions can make global call management easy and streamlined. With broad global coverage and advanced call handling capabilities, your business can establish a local presence in multiple target regions, all without worrying about dealing with various carriers—your global telephony provider will handle this for you.

Then simply route global customers to the right sales team or support center efficiently, thereby reducing delays and enhancing customer satisfaction. You can even add global voice to your CRM or help desk with telephony integrations, further centralizing business communication. Utilize this alongside call analytics, IVR, call recording, and other advanced features to create a comprehensive, fully functional global phone system.

Routing calls over the cloud also guarantees superior call quality by lowering latency, jitter, and dropped connections. Additionally, with built-in redundancies and automatic failover routing, reliable providers help ensure that no call or opportunity is missed, even in an emergency. Well-managed global communication ensures strong security. The integrity of telecom systems is vital in protecting sensitive information and ensuring service reliability—read more about the importance of reliable phone services straight from our experts.

All this is to say, a managed global voice setup is crucial for effective global operations, preventing communication failures, and growing a global customer base.

Infrastructure That Speaks Global: Set Up the Right Way

So, what do you need for global business communication?

First and foremost, establishing a robust international voice service demands careful consideration of the right technology and resources.

Before you launch global voice operations, you need a foundation that can scale. That includes:

• A provider that offers international phone numbers, including local and toll-free options
• Routing tools that handle call flows across time zones, languages, and departments
• Compliance with telecom regulations in each region
• Integration with CRM, helpdesk, and analytics systems
• Real-time monitoring to ensure call quality and uptime
• Reliable and responsive support from your telephony provider

With the right setup and global telephony partner, businesses can operate globally without sacrificing clarity, consistency, or control.

How to Manage Global Voice: 10 Tips

Managing phone networks globally is challenging when you don’t know where to start. Here are the core strategies to help you manage global voice services at scale—whether you’re building support coverage, optimizing call quality, or entering new markets:

1. Map Out Your Global Voice Footprint

Having a thorough understanding of your target markets is essential when expanding internationally. Identifying key regions and locations can help you build an efficient and cost-effective global voice infrastructure. Here’s how to approach it strategically:

• Explore Customer Locations & Growth Markets: Begin by mapping out the locations of your current customers and identifying where you will look for future growth opportunities. Understanding these regional practices helps you determine where to establish voice presence to ensure responsive, localized service.
• Align with Market Research & Business Goals: Use market research and global expansion strategies to identify high-potential regions for telecom services. Your voice infrastructure should support your growth strategy. Prioritize markets where your presence will directly support revenue opportunities.
• View Operational Hubs & Team Distribution: Check for the locations of your support teams, sales offices, and remote workers. Seamless internal communication between global teams is crucial for operational efficiency and delivering a unified customer experience.
• Account for Regulatory & Compliance Requirements: Telecom compliance and regulations vary widely by region. Understanding these legal requirements early helps you choose compliant voice solutions and avoid future roadblocks. Alternatively, you can work with a global telephony provider with experience managing compliance requirements.
• Simplify Call Management with the Right Tools: Managing global call routing across multiple systems is a difficult task. Look for providers that offer centralized tools to build, manage, and intelligently route calls across borders, simplifying your IVR setup and ensuring every call reaches the right destination.

2. Choose Number Types That Fit Customer Needs

Your global phone numbers are more than just contact points; they are strategic assets that can significantly impact customer engagement and brand perception. Select the phone number type that best suits your business needs to develop stronger customer connections across your international markets.

Once you understand which locations and teams need to be covered, you can decide how to spread your voice coverage:

• Multiple local or toll-free numbers for different target markets
• Voice coverage for hard-to-reach regions
• Regional support hotlines receiving calls from neighboring countries (example – the LatAm support center supporting all of South American customers)
• Numbers supporting inbound and outbound calling, and so on.

Choose phone numbers for your global voice strategy based on intent:

• Local phone numbers — use local recognizable area codes and boost answer rates and establish in-market trust.
• International toll-free numbers (ITFS, UIFN) — provide a free, convenient way for customers to reach you.
• Local 2-Way Voice numbers — enable outbound and inbound calling with local caller ID.

Beyond functionality, your number type should align with your brand positioning and customer expectations. A thoughtful approach ensures your business remains accessible, familiar, and relevant in every market.

Not sure which phone number type fits your needs? Check out our guide to international phone number types or chat with our global communications experts for custom recommendations for your specific business.

3. Ensure Global Compliance and Network Security Requirements

Telecom regulations vary dramatically across countries—especially in terms of number registration, caller ID rules, and data protection.

Global voice communication demands strict adherence to security and regulatory standards. As your business expands across borders, it is essential to collaborate with a global telephony provider that adheres to telecom regulations in every region and maintains a secure infrastructure.

Look for providers who host their systems in Tier-rated data centers, offer security features such as two-factor authentication, and utilize encrypted connections for voice traffic. They should use a secure global voice network with 24/7 monitoring and PCI-compliant payment processing.

Additionally, ensure that the provider conducts regular network assessments and carefully manages vendor relationships to maintain compliance with relevant regulations. These practices are crucial for safeguarding sensitive data, maintaining uninterrupted communication, and fostering customer trust on a global scale. With proactive support and custom security features, your provider can help you stay compliant and secure, regardless of where your business operates.

4. Optimize Call Quality Across All Devices and Networks

Global communication requires consistent, high-quality audio. Poor call quality leads to missed information, frustrated teams, and lost deals. Achieving high-quality global phone communication requires more than just a stable internet connection—it demands a robust, redundant infrastructure for resilience and clarity.

To improve voice quality, choose a provider that:

• Has global Points of Presence (PoPs) and multiple layers of redundancy
• Consistently monitors call traffic for latency, jitter, and packet loss
• Tests number connectivity regularly across countries
• Remains responsive 24/7 for any network or quality issues

At Global Call Forwarding, we offer 24/7 phone and live chat support to identify and resolve issues before they affect communication. We prioritize a reliable global network infrastructure and continuous monitoring and testing to guarantee clear voice communication, with a 99.99% uptime assurance.

5. Consolidate Voice Operations on a Unified Platform

There is unnecessary complexity and operational costs involved in managing multi-carrier phone services across various locations. Managing separate providers in different countries creates complexity—multiple contracts, inconsistent SLAs, and higher support overhead.

Instead, centralize with one provider that offers:

• Full geographic coverage
• One interface for number management and call routing
• Unified billing and reporting

Telecom consolidation simplifies administrative tasks, minimizes errors, reduces costs, and provides a consistent user experience for your global teams. Look for a provider that offers complete phone number coverage, advanced system capabilities, and in-depth expertise in global voice to unify and optimize your communication infrastructure.

6. Integrate Voice with Core Business Tools

​Integrating your global phone system with core business applications, such as CRM platforms, helpdesk software, and PBX systems, is essential for efficient business operations across teams and markets.

Softphone integrations can offer the following benefits:

• Enabling click-to-call within CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot to manage calls directly within CRM pages
• Automatically logging calls and accessing call history during support interactions to reduce manual, time-consuming work
• Integrating AI and analytics to analyze call traffic with transcripts, recordings, and customer sentiment.

This integrated approach not only simplifies workflows but also supports a scalable and responsive global voice communication system.​

7. Expand Global Coverage with Routing Strategies

As you scale, it’s not just about answering calls—it’s about routing them intelligently. This ensures that every caller connects with the right person at the right time. Efficient call management is crucial for supporting your customers where they are, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and optimizing agent productivity across diverse time zones and geographical locations.

Common routing strategies for global customer support include:

• Time-of-day routing to follow global business hours
  Geographic routing to match callers with local support teams
  IVR flows to pre-qualify and direct inquiries

By strategically setting up your global teams and implementing these intelligent routing rules, you ensure that every customer interaction is handled promptly. Optimizing call handling minimizes wait times, enhances first-call resolution rates, and contributes to improving customer satisfaction.

8. Monitor Voice Performance and Adapt

Global voice systems aren’t “set-it-and-forget-it.” Consistent monitoring of your global phone service is essential for maintaining high-quality communication and operational efficiency.

Track call metrics and KPIs such as:

• call volume
• connection rates
• average call duration
• first-call resolution rates, etc

These metrics help identify trends, measure agent productivity, and identify areas for improvement.​

Take this a step further with AI-driven call insights (e.g., transcription, keyword detection, sentiment analysis) to uncover patterns and optimize support and sales performance. Providers like Global Call Forwarding offer advanced analytics that provide deeper insights after each call.​

By leveraging these tools, businesses can make informed decisions to optimize customer service, focus on practical training, and refine their communication strategies. Regular monitoring ensures that your global voice operations remain aligned with business objectives and customer expectations.

9. Build Redundancy into Your Voice Infrastructure

Reliability is critical in global communications—especially when serving customers across multiple regions and time zones. To ensure business continuity, build redundancy into your voice infrastructure. This includes working with providers that offer geo-redundant data centers and failover routing, so that if one point of presence (PoP) or carrier fails, calls are automatically rerouted without disruption.

You can also consider multi-provider SIP failover, where outbound or inbound calls can be redirected to a backup network in case of downtime. Combined with a disaster recovery plan and call monitoring, redundancy safeguards your communication flow—helping you avoid missed calls, frustrated customers, and reputational risk.

10. Localize Your Voice Presence

Customers are more likely to trust and engage with brands that appear local and speak their language. Localizing your voice presence goes beyond offering a local number with recognizable area codes. It involves adapting to the language preferences, cultural expectations, and time zones of your target markets.

This might mean:

• Offering IVR prompts in local languages
• Scheduling live support during regional business hours
• Routing calls from certain regions to regional centers
• Using local caller IDs when making outbound calls, and so on.

Localization and customizing your international local presence for each market also improves routing accuracy, as calls can be directed to regional teams best equipped to handle inquiries. The result is a more personalized experience that builds trust, reduces friction, and drives customer satisfaction in each market you serve.

Go Beyond Connectivity with Global Call Forwarding

Managing voice communication on a global scale takes more than just buying phone numbers. It requires smart routing, consistent call quality, seamless integration, and the ability to adapt across regions and time zones.

At Global Call Forwarding, we help businesses access all of this in one place. With us, you can get:

• International phone numbers in 160+ countries
• Local 2-Way Voice for inbound and outbound communication
• Custom call routing, IVR flows, and failover
• Outbound calling with local caller ID, softphone apps
• CRM integrations and AI Call Insights for smarter decision-making

Our platform supports a scalable, reliable voice infrastructure designed for global operations, enabling seamless connections with customers worldwide without the need for physical offices. We can help you set up efficient handling of global inbound and outbound calls, crucial for customer support, sales, and operations.

Whether you’re expanding into new markets or improving customer support across time zones, we make it easier to stay connected and in control.

Contact our team to learn how we can help you manage global voice communication more effectively.

Note (May 1st): We are no longer accepting Skype port-ins. Due to the May 5th cutoff date, porting requests will be rejected. Instead, clients can purchase a new phone number to replace their old Skype number.

In a major shift in business communication, Microsoft has announced that Skype will be shutting down in May 2025. For businesses relying on Skype phone numbers to manage customer interactions and make international calls, this raises an urgent question:

What happens to your number and how can you transition to a new provider without losing service?

At Global Call Forwarding, we offer a seamless Skype replacement solution for businesses. If you’re concerned about losing your Skype number, need a new number in a different country, or want to maintain your international calling capabilities, we’ve got you covered.

What’s Happening with Skype?

Skype has long been a popular choice for businesses looking for cost-effective international calling and virtual phone numbers in select countries. However, Microsoft is officially discontinuing Skype in May 2025, meaning:

• Businesses that purchased a Skype number will need to port it to another provider to keep it active.
• Users who registered their existing phone numbers with Skype for international calling will require a new international calling service.
• Users who relied on Skype for business communication will need to transition to a new cloud phone provider.

Can You Port Your Skype Number?

As of Skype’s shutdown in 2025, Skype numbers are no longer portable. This means that if your business was using a Skype number, you will need to obtain a new virtual phone number from a telecom provider like Global Call Forwarding.

While Skype’s number coverage was limited to about 25 countries, Global Call Forwarding offers local, toll-free, and international phone number coverage in over 160 countries—making it easier to replace and upgrade your communication setup.

• Get new numbers in your desired country.
• Maintain local presence with local caller IDs.
• Access advanced features like call recording, IVR, outbound calling, and CRM integrations.

How to Get International Calling

Many Skype users didn’t buy phone numbers through the platform but instead registered their existing phone numbers with Skype to make international calls. After verification via OTP, they were able to place calls with their registered Caller ID. However, this functionality will be discontinued.

Thankfully, with Global Call Forwarding, you can still make international business calls—and with added benefits:

1. Buy a virtual number from us in the country of your choice.
2. Route inbound calls to any device or location.
3. Enable Outbound Calling to place international calls using your business number as the Caller ID.
4. Access and download your monthly invoices in the Billing section of the control panel.

Our service provides a more reliable, business-grade alternative to Skype, with greater global coverage and professional call management features.

How to Replace Your Skype Number?

Since Skype numbers are no longer portable, you will need to purchase a new virtual phone number. Follow the below steps to get new virtual phone numbers with Global Call Forwarding:

1. Go to our Pricing page.
2. On the left, select the country of the number you want (United States, Canada, etc).
3. Select the number type (toll free, geographic, mobile).
4. Select the prefix or area code (as relevant).
5. On the right, enter the phone number or VoIP/SIP address you would like incoming calls to be forwarded to.
6. Select your phone plan based on monthly minutes included.
7. On the next screen, add Outbound Calling, if you want to make calls with this number.
8. Submit your request.

Once we receive your application and documents, we will start working on activating your phone numbers.

Note: Our services are not available for TFA verification purposes.

Switching to Global Call Forwarding

If your business has been using Skype numbers or Skype for international calls, now is the time to transition to a more reliable, feature-rich provider.

With Global Call Forwarding, you can:

• Expand your reach with local, toll-free, and international numbers in 160+ countries.
• Access enterprise-grade call features, including IVR, call forwarding, call recording, and analytics.
• Get professional invoicing and transparent billing for your records.

Our 24/7 teams are ready to help you transition smoothly and keep your business connected.

Communication is the lifeblood of any business and when it comes to selecting the right modern business phone system. When you look for a business phone solution, you’ll see various terms such as VoIP phone system, cloud communication solution, cloud telephony, etc. While most of these terms refer to the same system, they have differences that could impact your business operations.

In this article, we’ll look closely at VoIP and cloud telephony systems. We’ll cover:

• What is VoIP?
• What is cloud telephony?
• VoIP versus cloud telephony

Choosing the Right Business Phone System

Business phone systems offer many communication options for companies ranging from small business VoIP services to advanced PBX systems. In today’s digital landscape, these systems handle audio, video, and text communication efficiently. They’re cost-effective and allow you to connect with multiple customers simultaneously.

Both VoIP and cloud telephony have their advantages and disadvantages. So, your choice should align with your business size, budget, scalability needs, and existing IT infrastructure. Additionally, consider the long-term needs of your business to make a future-proof choice.

What is VoIP and How it Works?

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP), an integral part of modern communication, enables users to place calls over the internet.

Essentially, it leverages the internet to transmit your voice, making it a cost-effective and flexible way to communicate. In other words, it eliminates the need for traditional phone lines.

Services like Skype, Zoom, and WhatsApp use VoIP to enable voice and video calls over the internet. Your voice or video data is turned into small digital packets, sent over the internet, and delivered.

The ability to send calls through the internet opens the door for many communication features like international forwarding and call routing. In fact, VoIP is commonly used for international calls, especially for long-distance calling. Companies like Global Call Forwarding provide international VoIP numbers that businesses can use to communicate with their local clientele.

What is Cloud Telephony and How it Works?

Cloud telephony is a communication system hosted and managed through the cloud, allowing users to make and receive phone calls from any location.

It is an inherently cloud-based phone system where the infrastructure, services, and data are hosted in remote or cloud data centers.

Since it operates in a virtual space, this system also has several features including call recording, IVR, etc. This way, you can turn any device (smartphone, laptop, etc) with a robust internet connection into a cloud phone.

Many call centers and customer support centers use cloud telephony to manage incoming and outgoing calls. Instead of traditional phone systems, they use cloud-based systems that route calls to available agents, where they are located.

Learn more about how cloud telephony works here:

VoIP Versus Cloud Telephony

So, with both phone systems sounding the same, how exactly are they different?

VoIP sends voice calls over the internet or IP networks. This gives businesses the flexibility to manage their equipment on-site or use a cloud provider.

On the other hand, cloud telephony is a broader communication platform. It uses VoIP alongside other technology to send calls, call data, video, and messages over the internet.

The term cloud simply refers to how VoIP company servers collaborate. While most cloud telephony platforms use VoIP, not all VoIP systems are in the cloud.

A lot of small businesses across different industries (healthcare, finance, travel, etc.) may use a VoIP system that they manage on-site. In such cases, they own and manage the VoIP infrastructure and hardware within the office. In contrast, larger companies may opt for cloud telephony solutions where all the phone systems components are hosted in the cloud and managed by their VoIP provider.

Modern Business Communications

Effective communication is the linchpin that connects businesses to their customers and partners. As you can see, there is a spectrum of choices to enhance your business communication infrastructure.

VoIP and cloud telephony, while related, have nuanced differences that can influence your business operations. It is crucial to plan and make a future-proof decision.

Global Call Forwarding offers state-of-the-art business communication solutions, whether you’re a small enterprise or a global corporation. Take the next step and reach out to us to elevate your business communications.

Call us or chat with our experts online to unlock your business’s potential today!

Related: Why Cloud Telephony is Essential for Scaling Tech Startups

A modern technological marvel, softphones have revolutionized the way we communicate. In essence, they are software-based phone applications that enable you to make phone calls over the internet. This means you can turn your computer, tablet, or smartphone into a fully functional telephone and use it anywhere.

Softphone apps have been gaining traction in recent years with their increased functionality and reliability. This popularity is largely driven by the availability of high-speed internet and the desire for more flexible communication options.

In this best softphone apps guide, we’ll cover:

• What to look for in a softphone
• 14 best softphone apps (w/description and pricing)

Using Softphones for Business Communication

Softphones offer cost-effective and adaptable means to connect teams, whether they work from home or across the globe. With their voice over internet protocol (VoIP) capabilities, softphones empower businesses to streamline operations, foster collaboration, and navigate the challenges of a modern and remote-oriented work environment.

For a more in-depth explanation of how softphones help businesses communicate, watch our video:

What to Look for in a Softphone?

It is crucial to consider several factors while selecting softphone for your business. Here are some key points to consider:

• If your employees use a Windows or Mac-based device, then you will have to ensure your softphone is compatible with these operating systems.
• You’ll find free, open-source softphones as well as paid softphones provided by telecom companies. Softphone costs depend on the provider and the capabilities offered along with the softphone.
• Additionally, look for integration capabilities with your existing systems, such as email clients and CRM platforms, to improve workflow. This ability ensures that your teams remain efficient with new technologies.
• The softphone you choose should align with your business’s communication needs and objectives. So, you also want a softphone with essential business calling features. Some top features to consider include outbound calling, call transfer, note-taking, caller ID management, etc.
• This aside, pay attention to the softphone provider’s call quality, security measures, customer support, and industry compliance.

Related: How to Choose the Right Softphone?

14 Best Softphone Apps

Here’s a carefully curated list of the top softphone apps that have been selected based on their features and pricing.

Related: Softphone vs. Desk Phone

Redefining Business Communications

Softphones are revolutionizing how businesses connect and collaborate, whether in-office or remote. With this cost-effective, flexible, and scalable solution, you can work globally without the need for physical offices.

Unlock the potential for efficient communication and expand your global reach with Global Call Forwarding. Our softphones are compatible with various devices. And our host of user-friendly features help facilitate seamless communication. Plus, our pricing plans cater to diverse needs.

Elevate your business communication with Global Call Forwarding. Speak to our expert and explore our offerings today!

Streamlining your business processes not only helps you achieve greater operational efficiency but also improves the overall quality of your service. And this, in turn, can lead to a more competitive edge in your respective market.

But, where do you start?

By removing unnecessary or time-consuming tasks from your team’s workflow.

One way to achieve this is by combining your business tools into one, centralized platform. This is where VoIP CRM integrations come in. This solution helps you and your teams save precious time, so you can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your service.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about these integrations, including basic definitions, how it works, benefits, popular CRM software, and more. Let’s get started!

What are VoIP CRM Integrations?

Let’s define VoIP CRM integrations by breaking these concepts down.

A VoIP integration allows you to integrate your phone system with other business applications and software. This capability improves your team’s efficiency by combining your essential tools into one platform.

And a CRM is a software tool that helps you manage prospect and customer relationships by storing key information such as contact details, purchase history, interactions, behaviors, preferences, and so on. That’s why this technology is aptly named Customer Relationship Management. It’s typically used by sales and support professionals as a way of preparing for calls.

Now, if you combine these two concepts, you get VoIP CRM integrations, which link your cloud phone system to your CRM software. This allows for seamless communication and synchronization between these two technologies, enabling your teams to receive and place calls through their CRM.

How it Works

The main thing to note is that VoIP CRM integrations connect your VoIP phone system to your CRM to increase the functionality of both systems. It also enables automatic, two-way data syncing between these two platforms. So, you no longer need to toggle between applications to complete tasks or manually enter information into both systems.

But for this to work properly, you need a CRM tool and a VoIP provider that offers an integration solution for that specific CRM software.

So, what does a VoIP CRM integration look like in action?

• When calls come into your VoIP system, your reps will see a screen pop displaying important caller information pulled directly from your CRM. And if you’re looking to place a call within your CRM, this integration enables click-to-call so you can initiate a call by simply clicking on the customer’s phone number.
• On top of that, all call data is automatically logged within your cloud phone system’s control panel, even if the call occurred through your CRM. And agents can upload call recordings and notes to their CRM for more detailed customer overviews.

These integrated capabilities work together to increase operational efficiency and optimize your team’s workflow, so they can focus on providing the best service possible.

Top Features to Expect

Now every provider (VoIP or CRM) will offer different features with their integrations. So, as you shop around, you’ll need to identify what features work best for your communication needs.

Some of the top features of VoIP CRM integrations include:

• Click-to-Call — clickable link for each phone number within the CRM
• Customer and Call Notes — the ability to create and update notes during customer calls
• Screen Pop / Call Pop — ‘pop-up’ that displays customer information as a call comes in
• Call Recording — the ability to record and review inbound and outbound calls
• Softphone / Web Dialer — CTI software that enables customers make calls through a web-based dialer
• Caller ID Management — custom caller ID tool to display specific outgoing phone numbers
• Workflow Automation — features to improve and optimize workflows.

Benefits of VoIP CRM Integrations

Business communication improves across the board when you combine the power and convenience of VoIP with your CRM’s valuable customer insights.

Let’s have a look at how your business can benefit:

1. Increased Efficiency & Productivity

Reduce time spent searching for essential customer information and switching between platforms. With this integration, reps easily manage communication in one place. And with the ability to create new contacts, track leads, resolve tickets, and take notes while on the phone, agents can maximize their time leading to more productivity.

2. Improved Customer Experiences

Quickly reference relevant customer information and previous interactions during calls. This way, agents have the necessary context to personalize conversations and properly address the caller’s needs. And customers don’t have to repeat themselves, leading to a better caller experience.

3. Efficient Collaboration

Encourage distributed, remote, and cross-department collaboration with the ability to read notes, follow customer journeys, listen to recordings, and more. With all this available through one centralized platform – accessible from any device – your teams always remain on the same page.

4. Optimized Team Management

Gain better visibility into your team’s performance and progress by reviewing call logs, notes, recordings, and more. This makes it easy for managers to monitor and analyze the activity between leads and reps in real-time.

5. Easy Deployment

Set up your VoIP CRM integration and begin calling within minutes. No coding or developers are required with this solution.

6. Enhanced Functionality

Integrate essential calling technology into your CRM where you can:

• • Make and receive calls
  • Access international calling
  • Benefit from advanced calling features

With all tools in one place, you can optimize your inside sales efforts from any location.

7. Automated Accuracy

Reduce human error and increase focus on high-priority tasks with automatic data synchronization and click-to-dial capabilities. No need for double-checking!

What are Some Popular VoIP CRM Integrations?

When evaluating CRM integrations, the real value lies in how seamlessly your telephony provider connects voice with customer data. With Global Call Forwarding, these integrations extend beyond basic functionality — they give your teams the tools to improve customer interactions, increase productivity, and operate globally from a single platform.
To help you choose the best solution for your business, let’s review the top CRM software that work well with VoIP:

Related: How to Choose the Best Phone Integration for Zoho

Get Started with VoIP CRM Integrations

Connecting your VoIP phone system to your CRM is a game-changer for companies looking to streamline their day-to-day operations and achieve greater success in the modern business landscape.

Global Call Forwarding is constantly working to bring our customers more integrations to help them optimize business processes and unify communications. Currently, we offer users contact center integrations that work to improve your system’s efficiency such as cloud voice APIs and PBX integrations.

To learn more about our integrations, call +1 (561) 908-6171 or chat with our telecom experts online!

Looking for a way to streamline your team’s outreach efforts? Then, an outbound dialer may be the solution for you, as it helps your employees place calls faster. This technology goes by many names, including web dialers, softphones, manual dialers, power dialers, predictive dialers, and so on. But, the goal remains the same among all these variations – to increase the efficiency of your outbound calls.

In this article, we will discuss the basics of outbound dialers, including different types, features, benefits, and where to get these tools. Let’s jump in!

What are Outbound Dialers?

Outbound dialers are cloud-based solutions that enable users to make outgoing calls over an IP network. Since these dialers combine computer and telephone capabilities, they are a prime example of computer telephony integration (CTI).

Businesses and call centers typically use these web dialers for outreach purposes such as sales, telemarketing, market research, scheduling, and customer service tasks. This is because outbound dialers increase the efficiency of your outreach efforts by helping reps make more calls in less time. They also allow multiple agents to place calls simultaneously using the same phone line and outgoing caller ID.

Types of Outbound Dialers

When researching outbound dialers, you’ll find many types available, each with different capabilities and use cases. Let’s take a look at the 3 main types of outbound dialers; manual, power, and predictive dialers.

It’s important to note that using automatic and predictive dialers may get your business phone number marked as spam. This is because outbound dialers place several calls in a short timeframe, resulting in your number being flagged.

Moreover, predictive dialers include a high risk of abandoned calls. So, this solution might not be for you if you’re trying to improve conversion rates.

For those reasons, determine which dialer is right for your outbound calling needs and conduct thorough research on each tool. Remember to always start slow with automatic dialers, pay attention to the FCC’s call compliance regulations, and always use sound judgment when placing calls.

Additional Calling Features

Not only are there different types of outbound dialers, but some also include additional IP telephony features. These features will vary depending on your chosen provider and type of dialer. Here are the top outbound dialer features for businesses:

• Make international outbound calls from any location or device
• Caller ID management
• Advanced call routing
• Call recording
• Voicemail
• Ability to call with one click
• Assisted call transfers
• Fully integrated contacts
• Filter-based calling
• International call forwarding
• Call reports and analytics
• In-network calls
• CRM integrations
• Call monitoring
• Campaign tracking

How Can Outbound Dialers Benefit Your Business?

It’s easy to see the opportunity and benefits that outbound dialers offer businesses. At a basic level, these tools work to simplify your business’ outreach efforts and enhance your team’s performance. With that being said, let’s review outbound dialers’ 4 key benefits.

1. Increase Operational Efficiency

One of the biggest benefits of this technology is that it streamlines your calling processes by allowing reps to dial numbers faster. And since outbound dialers typically integrate with other business applications, there’s no need for employees to switch between apps or devices to place calls. This means your teams can avoid unnecessary workflow disruptions and increase available time, leading to a more efficient call process.

2. Boost Employee Productivity Levels

By optimizing your agents’ time, teams can connect with more prospects and customers daily, boosting their productivity levels. And since integrated web dialers minimize and, in some cases, eliminate menial tasks, your employees can focus on nurturing leads, driving conversions, and closing sales.

3. Work From Anywhere

Most outbound dialers are cloud-based. This means you can access them from any location or device. All you need is a stable internet connection and the proper login credentials to use these tools. This flexibility and mobility allow you to work from anywhere, making dialers a great solution for distributed and remote teams.

4. Craft a Better Caller Experience

Many providers offer users access to call detail records and call recording with their dialer software. These advanced communication features allow you to evaluate employee performance, caller experience, and overall service quality. This way, you can adjust your outbound services as needed to craft an even better experience for callers.

Where to Get an Outbound Dialer

To get started with this technology, you simply need to find a cloud communication provider that offers the type of outbound dialer you need.

Global Call Forwarding is a leading IP telephony provider. We deliver a multitude of cloud-based phone services, including our own outbound web dialer – the GCF softphone. You can get and use our softphone by signing up for an outbound calling plan with us.

Ready to get started? Call us at +1 (561) 908-6171 or sign up online!

As a business, the difference between a good and bad service is being accessible and reachable at all times. So, needless to say, the best way to build trust in customers is to be available whenever they need you.

This means keeping those phone lines working at all times.

In this post, you will learn about the importance of building fail-safes within your business phone system and how to set up SIP failover.

SIP Failover for Business Phone Systems

In an IBM study on planned vs unplanned downtime, 49% of IT directors listed data recovery as a top technical challenge, while 53% ranked loss of revenue as a top business challenge. As you can see, there is no upside to a system shut down, even if it’s for a few minutes.

Phone systems powered by voice over IP (VoIP) and session initiation protocol (SIP) are cloud-based. This gives them flexibility and mobility, as they are not limited to one physical location or device. But since SIP phone systems rely on the internet, it is important to keep your IT processes running.

Thankfully, SIP and VoIP phone systems provide users with backup phone lines and routing mechanisms to allow business continuity.

To better understand SIP failover, we will look at:

• What is SIP Failover and Why Do You Need it?
• SIP Failover Solutions
• How to Prevent Phone System Failure?
• Phone System Disaster Recovery
• How to Set Up SIP Failover?

What is SIP Failover?

SIP failover is a backup operation that activates when your main SIP phone system fails. In other words, your phone service will fail over to the backup system or setup you have in place.

There are a few different reasons why your SIP phone system may fail:

• Power or internet outage
• Natural disasters
• Crisis or conflict
• Cyberattacks or DoS attacks, to name a few.

When disaster strikes, SIP failover automatically kicks in to ensure your business continues providing voice support with little to no downtime. Other terms for this action include SIP redundancy and VoIP failover.

Why Do You Need SIP Redundancy?

We are not always trained to consider creating backups for every process or system. But when it comes to your business, not having backup support in place can prove detrimental.

In the event your phone system fails, your business won’t be able to communicate with employees and customers — especially if they are all over the world. This will lead to significant downtime and delays if you don’t have SIP failover in place.

Consequences of business phone system failure include:

• Service and productivity interruptions where customers cannot reach out for support and employees may not complete essential tasks
• Inflated call volumes and hold times once your system is back up
• Diminished customer and caller experience
• Loss of consumer trust and business reliability
• Missed business opportunities
• Reduced sales and revenue overall

Benefits of Building Failover within Your Business Phone System

When you plan in advance, you can reduce the instances of your business phone system experiencing any interruption. SIP failover and redundancy strategies ensure your communication system has:

• Access to a proxy so you can maintain business continuity
• Reduced downtime and service interruptions
• Seamless caller experience
• Ability to offer reliable support to customers, even in the face of crises.

SIP Failover Solutions (Prevention and Recovery)

So, how do you create a reliable and redundant VoIP phone system? Let’s look at different SIP failover solutions available at the prevention and recovery stages:

How to Prevent Phone System Failure?

The first step is to prepare in advance so that you experience little to no downtime during an emergency. You can do this by building redundancy into your phone system itself.

So, how to set up SIP failover?

Here are some ways to prevent business phone system failure:

1. Set up backup systems, devices, and teams

Ask your in-house IT and operation teams to create and maintain backup systems and equipment. Build redundancy into your network via alternate routers, switches, access points, and so on. Support your LAN infrastructure with the needed backup power and include secondary connections. You can also add call groups and remote teams to function as backups in case your primary team is unavailable.

2. Use a provider with multiple layers of redundancy

A high-availability provider can offer continuous cloud phone service with 99.999% uptime. This is because they have multiple geo-redundant data centers spread globally – letting them route calls via different channels if one channel is unavailable. So, you can rest assured that your calls will still run through their network if there is a crisis.

3. Set up geo-redundancy with business calling features

Your provider should also offer you SIP failover capabilities to create custom backup solutions for your needs. For instance, you can set up routing strategies that automatically kick in if calls do not connect to the primary or secondary destination. Look for top features such as VoIP failover and sequential ring.

4. Create a recovery plan beforehand

Finally, create a plan that outlines what will happen in case of a disaster. This should be quickly implemented when the time comes. You can plan for different disasters or crises and have backup solutions in place. Check out our disaster recovery plan templates to get started.

Phone System Disaster Recovery

The best way to protect your business phone system against downtime is to build a resilient system and create a disaster recovery solution. Recovering from a phone system failure depends on the reason for failure: natural disasters, internet outages, security breaches, etc. Let’s look at how you might recover from SIP failures in these situations:

1. Natural disasters

If SIP failover is already set in place, calls should automatically forward to the next location or device in your list. If your business is in a location prone to natural disasters, it’s a good idea to have teams spread across different locations. You can also add a call center BPO as a backup option. This way, the other teams can continue conversing with clients while your main team stays safe.

2. Network and internet outages

Access your cloud-based phone service from other locations and devices. For example, you can log into your Global Call Forwarding control panel from any smartphone or internet-enabled device. You can then change forwarding and routing rules or update your greeting message to adapt to your current situation and apply them in real-time.

3. Security breach

Activate your incident response team. Identify the threat and take the necessary action. Refer to your disaster recovery plan and contact your VoIP provider for crisis support. In this case, it may be best to halt your service to keep company and customer data safe.

How to Set Up SIP Failover?

As you can see, there are a few different ways to set up failover for your business phone system. But while utilizing all may seem daunting and expensive, you don’t need to do everything.

If nothing else, you should have at least the following three failover solutions in place:

1. Redundant and reliable cloud phone service provider
2. Advanced routing and forwarding strategies
3. Phone system disaster recovery plan or solution

Voice Continuity with Global Call Forwarding

As a global cloud telephony provider, we understand the importance of remaining accessible at all times. This is why we have written extensively about VoIP reliability, SIP trunking best practices, and more. Our business voice redundancy guide provides actionable steps about how you can create a highly redundant phone system with multiple failover options.

Our goal is to help ensure your business can communicate with customers without any interruptions. Have questions about our failover solutions? Call us to learn more or chat with our experts today!

More and more businesses are adopting cloud phone systems for more flexibility and mobility. Cloud phone services, powered by VoIP and SIP, bring you high-quality voice that is manageable from any location and device.

Here, we’ll look specifically at SIP termination services and why you should upgrade your phone system with SIP trunks.

Understanding VoIP and SIP Termination

Before we get started, let’s quickly recap the basics of SIP. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol typically used to transmit voice and other unified communications via an internet connection. VoIP systems use SIP to send voice calls from one destination (your business) to another (customers). The only requirement is that your VoIP system remains connected to the internet.

To understand how SIP trunking works, we’ll go over:

• What is SIP Origination?
• What is SIP Termination + Benefits?
• How to Identify the Right SIP Termination Provider?

Let’s start by understanding what these terms mean.

What is SIP Origination?

SIP origination — like voice origination — refers to the process of handling an originating call and successfully delivering it to the destination.

In the case of a business, the originating call is an incoming call, while the destination it will be delivered to is your company. Your global SIP provider receives incoming calls made to your phone number and then routes them to your system without any interruptions.

What is SIP Termination?

SIP termination is the process of sending phone calls from one provider (usually a SIP trunking provider) to another PSTN or VoIP provider.

In this case, you use SIP trunks to initiate and make outbound calls to customers wherever they are located. SIP termination comes with standard VoIP and SIP trunking features such as outbound calling, advanced routing, caller ID management, and more.

But what is SIP trunking, and how does it fit within your business phone system?

SIP trunking is a cloud phone service that initiates and transmits voice messages from one destination to another. You simply plug these virtual SIP trunks into your existing PBX or traditional phone setup.

SIP then adds high-quality VoIP capabilities to your phone system so that you can make and receive calls from any location and device. It also enables you to use advanced communication features as mentioned above.

Related: What is VoIP Termination and Why Do You Need it?

Benefits of SIP Termination: Capabilities and Flexibilities

So, why does your business need to consider SIP termination as a part of your phone system?

From small businesses to large corporations, voice termination is a major part of providing proactive customer service and sales support. Your business requires a cost-effective and reliable way to connect with customers and prospects wherever they are located. So, you need a phone service that supports your team’s communication requirements.

Here’s what makes SIP termination, along with SIP trunking, a cost-effective and reliable business phone solution:

• Cost-effective for local and long-distance communication
• Competitive international calling rates
• High deliverability and crystal clear audio quality
• Large inventory of local, toll-free, and international phone numbers to choose from
• Access to call management and advanced routing features
• Eliminate the need for traditional PSTN or legacy phone systems
• Low cost of additional hardware and maintenance
• Added flexibility with access from any location or device

How to Identify the Right SIP Termination Provider?

While there are multiple SIP trunk providers out there, not all offer the same level of quality. So, it is important to take the time to understand which provider is a good fit for your needs.

When choosing the right SIP termination provider for your business, consider the following:

1. Research

Look at different global SIP trunk providers. Understand the scope of their service and features. Ask about network availability, reliability, and what makes them offer uninterrupted services.

2. Analyze

Compare providers based on pricing, plan capabilities, features, customer support availability, and so on. Look through customer reviews and case studies to see what current customers are saying about the service.

3. Reach Out

Contact sales to understand how they can help support your business’s specific needs. If you have a requirement or need that the business does not advertise, ask if they have any flexible or customizable solutions. Some businesses may be able to accommodate your request.

4. Test

Finally, ask if they offer a free trial, so you can test the service and experience the quality for yourself.

Related: 10 Best USA SIP Trunk Providers

SIP Trunking with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding proudly offers carrier-grade global voice service, including SIP termination. You can use our SIP trunking solution to expand your business’ reach in various countries around the world, and take advantage of our selection of call management features.

Want to learn more? Chat with our experts today!