Category: Technology

Telecommuting jobs have become a quickly growing trend amongst businesses. Remote workers are being hired in droves and even people you see around the office are choosing to work from home multiple days a week. The change seems to have staying power, too. Allowing workers to stay at home has increased employee productivity. This may have something to do with cutting out time otherwise spent commuting, and distractions like coworkers and the water cooler. Because of this flexibility and ease of working at home or around the corner at a favorite coffee spot, workers have escaped the mundane feeling of having to come into an office each day. Perhaps it is the freedom that is boosting creativity.

Working from home has become possible because of the introduction of cloud technology. Cloud technology can take many forms, one of which is telephony. If you work from home you might already use a softphone; if you do not you might want to consider getting one. There are several benefits to using a virtual phone and not just because it helps to keep your professional life separate from your personal life.

It’s Inexpensive

If you’re not already using a virtual phone system because you think it might be too expensive, it should be reassuring to know that there are virtually no up-front costs and because everything works through cloud servers, they cut out the cost of hardware and IT services. They also won’t take up any space in your house because it’s virtual.

You’ll Be More Productive

Using a virtual phone system means you can use your own device to access phone calls and messages from anywhere. Your cellular phone, your tablet, your home computer, or a traveling laptop are all possibilities. Anywhere you go, you’re connected to your business if you want to be. You can even convert audio files to fax documents or email messages if you need to. You can also make use of other tools that enable remote working such as online content and project management systems, chats, etc.

It’s More Professional

Your home phone will not be displayed on a caller’s ID so they will never know that you are working from your home and not an office. Also, you can create a professional voicemail message for when you are away from your connected devices. There are also many professional options that are available when you opt for a virtual phone system. These options include being able to transfer calls, put people on hold to music, and automatically forwarding calls over to other people within your field to take calls when you are away.

Your Virtual Phone System Is Prepared To Grow With Your Business

Extensions can be added all the time. It doesn’t matter how fast your business grows, a virtual phone system is ready to take on your needs, as needed.

There’s No Cost To Call Internationally

Virtual phone numbers get to bypass the heavy costs associated with long-distance calling. Simply purchase an area code in any country that you need and you can make as many calls as you need without incurring the charges. Plus, your customers will never have to pay outrageous international fees which will, in turn, build a customer’s trust in your company.

No Spam Callers

Your virtual phone system is equipped with PBX which can help you keep track of your phone calls. It also sorts out blacklisted callers so you won’t have to worry about spam making its way into your business.

You Can Switch Over To The Right Department

If you get a phone call that you are not prepared to deal with, you can easily transfer the call to the person who is equipped to deal with certain phone calls. For example, if you work in sales and the person who has reached you is trying to reach someone in customer service, it is very easy to transfer them to the correct place. At the same time, if you are dealing with an unruly customer, you can quickly transfer them to a member of your management team.

If you don’t already have a virtual phone system for your company, it may be time to try one out. It is an affordable and professional way to grow and manage your business from home.

Obtaining a vanity toll free number is a smart move for your business and paves the way for many more opportunities. The ease of remembering a vanity number offers a business the chance to expand its branding and advertising efforts using only a highly versatile phone number. It’s like adding just one extra level of cushioning to a facet you already need and use. A vanity number can be extremely beneficial in advertising campaigns that utilize visual media such as commercials, flyers, and billboards.

Toll Free Numbers: Ideal for Billboard Advertisements

When companies use their vanity numbers in advertising and marketing campaigns, they have the ability to increase response rates and lead generation is known to increase substantially. If you decide that you are going to market your company using visual advertising on billboards and magazines, this study found that there was an 84% improvement in consumer recall rates when a vanity number was featured at the forefront. Displaying a toll free number on a billboard is a smart move for businesses because there is an immediate spike in calls because of how simple they are to remember for customers. Unforgettable vanity 800 numbers and easy to remember toll free numbers are also perfect for boosting your company’s bottom line because your customers know exactly why they’re calling 1-800-PLUMBER. Also, at that desperate moment, they need a plumber, 1-800-PLUMBER is impossible to forget. A vanity number asserts your company as the industry leader, offering customers the invaluable benefit of instant recall.

Not only are vanity 800 numbers unforgettable to your customers, they provide results. If you have a vanity 800 number, it is important that you showcase it widely. In addition, 800 numbers are toll free and the customer knows that when they call a toll free number it will be completely free for them, which encourages them to place more calls.

Billboards Get Noticed

Many attorneys use 1-800 numbers in their billboards to attract clients to their practice. Advertising with a toll free number on a billboard can be beneficial for many companies, not just attorneys.

Displaying your toll free number prominently on a billboard in front of the right location and the right audience can bring in many new clients. Billboards on popular local highways that thousands of people commute through each day is the ideal location for your billboard campaign. Contacting an advertising agency to create the best message for your brand is the next step after you have found your perfect billboard location. Make sure that your slogan is catchy, easy to read, and includes your company’s toll free number prominently. Once you have your perfect billboard displayed prominently in front of your target audience you can sit back and wait for the calls to start rolling in, as your marketing team tracks the new generation of income.

Invest in Advertising and Watch Your Numbers Grow

The price of a billboard varies from city to city. In rural areas, it can be as low as $250 compared to as much as $14,000 in New York City. A sizable amount of your business’ budget should be allocated for advertising needs, and a billboard is an affordable way to reach a broader audience. The use of a prominent 800 number will increase the response rate. Of course, it is quite hard to monitor billboard conversions. It is possible that a million people will see your billboard, but if you are an attorney and someone remembers your number from the ad and they do not have a legal situation that needs to be handled at the present time, they may call you months later.

To make certain that you can accurately calculate your ROI from billboard conversions there are certain steps that you can take. For instance, if the toll free number displayed on your billboard is only being advertised from the billboard, then you can peruse your phone records to monitor the increase in call rates since the time the billboard went up.

The next step is to ask every single caller how they heard about your firm. All businesses should ask this question at some point in a conversation with a customer as it is an easy way to track your current marketing strategies. If all of your calls are coming from your billboard advertisements and you receive zero phone calls from the people you targeted with door hangers, you can easily cut that marketing effort from your budget.

Advertising with toll free numbers on billboards is a powerful marketing tool that will yield amazing, and often proven results. Multiple studies have confirmed that companies who utilize their toll free number in media displays for advertising see high increases in response rate. If you already have a toll free number, a billboard campaign is a great next step towards growing your business.

What makes a data center amazing? It could be size or whether the data center has an environmentally friendly, green design. Aesthetics like beauty, uniqueness, or coolness could make it amazing.  Amazing is in the mind of the beholder. However, this article will begin with size.

World’s Largest Data Centers

On August 30, 2017, Hannah Williams reported on the 10 largest data centers by square footage in COMPUTERWORLDUK. The following table lists the centers and their sizes.

The Citadel

The global technology company Switch owns the Citadel. The Citadel’s connection time to Los Angeles is 9 msecs via the Switch Superloop. Then, from LA to the Core Campus takes an additional 7 msecs via fiber link. The Campus, including all data centers, has a design capacity of 650 megawatts of power. It also delivers 100% renewable energy, making it the largest and greenest data center in the world.

Kolos

Kolos is located north of the Arctic Circle. It will have computing power capacity of 1,000 megawatts, which will get electricity from Norway’s abundant hydropower capability. The project represents a significant milestone in hyperscale cloud infrastructure, offering unprecedented computational resources in an environmentally strategic location. It will have a unique hyperscale data center designed with sustainability and security in mind. The site will open in the fourth quarter of 2018, will full completion by 2027.

Range International Information Group

Public and private funds financed this data center that services the IT sectors of private enterprises and the Chinese government. Construction began in 2013 and finished in 2016. IBM provided design services, technology, business applications, training, and support as needed.

Switch SuperNAP

The Switch SuperNAP site delivers data to Reno in 7 msecs, which allows 50 million people to access data within 14 msecs. This site has planned expansions in 2020 and 2025.

DuPont Fabros Technology

DuPont Fabros Technology consists of 7 buildings in Ashburn, Virginia that operate as a data center campus. The size of the campus is 160 acres. Each of the data center elements accommodates 10,500 servers. The campus total critical load is 208 megawatts operating with a medium voltage distribution system. It also uses isolated parallel power supply topology. During the latter part of 2017, Digital Realty acquired DuPont Fabros Technology, which ceased operations on September 14, 2017.

Utah

This site is a data center for the National Security Agency (NSA). It has a power capacity of 65 megawatts at an annual cost of $40 million. Its Tier 3 data center occupies 100,000 sq ft, administration and technical support, 900,000 sq ft, and the total campus, 1.5 million sq ft. Utah uses 1.7 million gallons of water per day, and its near-term data storage is between 3 and 12 exabytes. (An exabyte equals 1018 bytes.).

Microsoft

The facility occupies 200 acres at a projected cost of $2 billion. This is Microsoft’s largest data center. It will employ 133 persons. The data center is situated in 3 West Des Moines, Iowa locations to reduce the risk from natural disasters like tornadoes.

Lakeside Technology Center

Digital Realty Trust owns Lakeside Technology Center. It used by IBM, CenturyLink, and Facebook, among others. The data center has three electric power feeds to provide 100 megawatts of power, and there are 53 power backup generators. It uses 8.5 million gallons of cooling water per year. Its infrastructure space has four fiber vaults.

Tulip Data Center

Tulip is India’s largest data center. Tulip Telecom owns the site, and IBM assisted with the design of power, cooling, rack layout, and technology. There are 12,000 server racks back up by 100 megawatts of power. Tulip meets Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold standards and is an Uptime Institute Tier IV facility.

QTS Atlanta-Metro

Quality Technology Services (QTS) owns and operates this data center, which has an on-site Georgia Power substation and fiber access to several carriers. QTS offers its clients flexible solutions, secure facilities, real-time visibility, and expert support. The ATS Atlanta-Metro site features ample office space with suites, cages, and rack cabinets, along with dedicated servers, virtual servers, and remote hands.

Greenest Data Centers

The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions including 0.3% from data centers. US data centers consume 1.5% of the country’s electricity. Therefore, many data centers feature designs to maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact. A list of five of the greenest data centers in the world follows.

• Green Mountain Data Center – There are two Green Mountain Data Centers in Norway; one in Stavanger and the other in Telemark. Both have achieved ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and Uptime Institute Tier 3 certifications. Stavanger is located deep inside a mountain at a former NATO site, and Telemark is near multiple hydropower plants. The data center serves finance, IT, government, health, O&G (a heavy civil construction firm), and others.

• Verne Global Keflavik Facility – This carrier neutral, colocation data center is in Keflavik, Iceland. The site uses 100% carbon neutral power and natural cooling. Verne Global offers scalable solutions to address power requirements. Their clients include BMW, VW, DeepL, and the Earlham Institute.

• HP’s Wynyard, England Data Center – This site was a conversion of an existing 30,000 sq ft warehouse. A design goal was to increase energy efficiency without sacrificing quality and reliability. This data center has a pressure free cooling system with minimum use of chillers. This required wider operating conditions for the IT equipment. Air plenums, to permit large volumes of low-velocity air to cool the equipment, sit below the data halls. The cooling fans use less than 5% of the total facility load.

• General Electric’s Louisville Facility – The GE data center, built in 2011, has a LEED Platinum certification. The data center is 34% more efficient than similar facilities. High-density servers reduced space by 50%, and ultra-low-flow fixtures reduced water consumption by 42%.

• Apple’s Maiden, NC & Prineville, OR Facilities – Apple’s data center in Maiden, NC is a 500,000 sq ft facility. It uses 100% renewable energy from its 300-acre site containing three solar farms and a 10-megawatt fuel cell installation. In April 2017, Apple disclosed a deal to buy 200 megawatts of power for its Prineville, OR data center from the Montague Wind Power Project in Gilliam County. It also purchases power from a 56-megawatt project called Solar Star Oregon II and it generates hydroelectric power from a project on the Deschutes River. In addition, Apple uses treated water from the Prineville sewage system to cool equipment.

Beautiful Data Centers

Datacenter Dynamics listed these beautiful data centers in its February/March issue of DCD Magazine.

• The Switch Pyramid near Grand Rapids, Michigan occupies a building the former Steelcase design center. The 225,000 sq ft data center uses the lower two floors.
• The Bahnhof data center in Stockholm is in a former nuclear bunker. It features waterfalls, a saltwater fish tank, and live plants. Submarine diesel engines generate backup power.
• The Barcelona Supercomputing Center occupies a 19th century church, the Torre Girona. It houses the MareNostrum supercomputer, an IBM project with the Spanish government.
• Located in Google, Oklahoma, this data center has murals on the outside walls. The murals represent data center activities and images from Google Maps. Jerry Odell was the concept artist who worked with 15 painters to create this marvelous project.
• Naver is South Korea’s leading web portal. The data center is at the foot of Mount Gubong in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province.
• Green Mountain, Norway – The data center listed above is both beautiful and environmentally efficient.
• The NGD Newport data center is in a former LG semiconductor plant in Wales. Electricity from the Dinorwig hydroelectric facility powers the site.
• Digital Reality owns the Amsterdam Data Tower in The Netherlands. Rosbach Architects of the Netherlands designed the building.
• AQL built its headquarters and data center in the 18th century Salem Chapel in Leeds, UK. The data center has a glass ceiling, and it occupies the ground floor of the chapel.
• The LuxConnect data center in Bissen, Luxembourg has grass on its roof to minimize environmental impact. Steel mesh walls act as a Faraday cage for security.

Coolest Data Centers

Some of the coolest data centers in the world include the following:

• Google’s Floating Data Center
• Ozark’s Data Center in the Missouri Mountains
• Sun Microsystem Data Center Bat Cave
• The Bahnhof data center is extremely attractive
• The Barcelona Supercomputing Center is a marvel of design

Hackers are smarter and more capable than ever before, leaving virtual phone lines, computers, and smart home technology susceptible to hacking. Just as software and internet programs are created to help better society and assist us in carrying out daily tasks, there are also people using technology to invade the privacy of others, manipulate information, and steal sensitive data.

Imagine how a system could be developed with no coding errors or weaknesses in the system. This would change the future of wireless communication as we know it. Hackers and malware would be detected so easily that secure networks would be virtually unhackable. This high level of security would change the way telecom functions and protects its users. Enter the technology of quantum communication.

As quantum communication continues to be studied and understood, countries that are at the forefront of technology and thought leadership are looking to implement quantum technology into the operation of various business sectors.

In order to understand the important relationship between quantum communication and telecom, we must understand how each system functions.

What is Quantum Communication?

Quantum communication uses Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to operate. This distribution enhances security because its innovative system instantly alerts someone when they are being listened to or observed. QKD uses cryptographic keys that are heavily encrypted and difficult to decipher. Entangled photons are the basis of quantum communication and they aren’t bound by geographical limits. As photons move under unexpected observation when a hacker successfully enters a quantum system, it will immediately break the entanglement of photons and create obvious changes.

This is a game changer for national security and information protection because most security systems attempt to block hackers before they can enter a network, or they can try to clean up malware after an attack happens. Quantum communication would be the first technology to instantly detect and alert users of security threats. This instant alert happens because it changes the information once it is accessed by an outside party.

What is Telecom?

Telecom is the most common way we transfer information in the modern world. It encompasses diverse types of technology that allow us to talk to one another, listen to the radio, and use the internet to connect over short and long distances.

Any time you use a cell phone or landline telephone, you’re using telecommunication. If you use a virtual phone system for business purposes, remote work, or to stay in touch with friends and family from a distance, telecom services are connecting you and the other party.

The telecommunications industry provides service to millions of individuals and companies on a daily basis. Because so many individuals rely on these services to gain access to people in various regions of the world, telecom service providers must always be considerate of personal security for their customers. The majority of business professionals and individuals discuss private matters, contract, and payment information. Therefore, a conversation that is held over a phone or powered by an internet connection should be protected by the latest technology that prevents others from secretly listening in.

While efforts to increase security are ongoing, cyber hacking remains a major threat for telecom professionals. Even with updated security measures in place, internet-savvy criminals are finding ways to break through protected systems. As more businesses transition to cloud communications, they must also be defensive by staying up-to-date on the latest hacking techniques that allow security invasions in all networks.

The Effects of Cyber Attacks on Businesses and Consumers

When businesses are hacked, it can be detrimental to the success of the organization. The cost of damage repair following a data breach is usually estimated be over a million dollars. Fixing the breach and implementing more security measures will require the use of company funds and may result in a loss of company time because employees might be unable to work until systems are secure. If you are an IT company, valuable work hours may have to be exhausted in an attempt to correct system errors, which would delay the time needed to meet other company goals.

The reputation of the company is also in jeopardy after a hacking incident. Many potential customers refuse to do business with an organization after it is successfully attacked. Current customers will take their business elsewhere out of fear that you will be hacked again in the future.

If you work with sponsors or investors, or you’re looking to partner with other businesses, the respective parties might back out of the agreement to protect their reputation and prevent the possible loss of funds from affiliating with your company. All of these scenarios will result in significant losses of money and trust that many small businesses cannot recover from in the future.

Businesses suffer from hacking, but the effects on individuals do not go unnoticed as many customers are affected for years following a cyber attack. When hackers gain access to private information, people often fall victim to identity theft. Identity theft isn’t just emotionally upsetting, it negatively affects credit scores and personal bank accounts. Some consumers may not realize when their private information has been compromised. By the time they discover that their identity has been stolen, cybercriminals have already shared their payment information and made purchases. At this point, victims must prove that someone else used their information illegally and wait until companies and credit organizations assess and rectify the damages.

What may be worse than the sharing of account information is the distribution of personal images and conversations that are meant to remain private. When this happens, it can destroy a person’s reputation at school, home, and work, and the stolen information becomes a lingering source of shame and embarrassment.

Quantum Technology Will Provide Advanced Security

Quantum communications can be the answer to the rising security risks involved when using telecommunications because the network encryption will be almost impossible to decipher. If a cyber breach does occur, the hackers will be stopped in their track to prevent damages. Using the quantum approach, telecom providers will be able to secure the privacy and protection of their customers and protect their business from revenue losses and a damaged brand. As consumers, we will be able to feel secure when speaking with business associates or discussing private matters.

Scammers have a history of buying local and 800 phone numbers, using free Google numbers, and pirating phone numbers to conduct fraudulent verifications and other scams. The following article discusses the applicable Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation, telephone verification, two different legal apps for spoofing telephone numbers, a process known as orange boxing, guidance on scams from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and additional information on avoiding scams.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Consumer Guide

Spoofing is the deliberate falsification of information transmitted on caller ID displays. However, blocking a number is not spoofing. The federal regulation governing spoofing is the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, which prohibits the transmission of misleading caller ID information in instances that will:

• Defraud
• Cause harm
• Wrongly obtain anything of value

Illegal spoofing can result in penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation.

Under this regulation, telemarketers are required to transmit or display their telephone numbers or that of the entity on whose behalf they are making the call. Furthermore, if possible, the caller should display the name of the company for which it is selling products or services. They must also display the telephone number that people can call and request the cessation of calls.

FCC Citation for Scamming

In June 2017, the FCC issued a citation to a Miami individual and his associated companies for violating the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009. The proposed fine is $120 million based on 80,000 calls, which the FCC can verify. The FCC alleges that the scammers made 96 million illegally spoofed calls. “Neighborhood Spoofing” was the technique used by the scammers whereby the caller ID displayed the area code and first three digits of the recipients’ telephone numbers. Consequently, the recipients think the calls come from a neighborhood caller.

Telephone Verification

Telephone verification is a process where a website calls a consumer on their phone to verify their identity. Other names for this process are Phone Verification, Automatic Call Back Service, and Verification Service. Here is how it works. When a person makes a request to a website, that site automatically initiates a call or a text to the person’s phone that contains a randomly generated PIN. Upon receiving the PIN, the person enters it on the website, verifying their identity. However, as shown in the next two sections, spammers can use this process to get information from unwary persons.

Account Verification Scam

If an account holder has a phone tied to their account in the event of a forgotten password, and the scammer knows the victim’s email address or credit account number and their phone number, the account verification scam works as follows.

1. The scammer initiates a password reset on the victim’s account and requests the sending of a verification number to the victim’s phone.
2. The scammer sends a text to the victim posing as the email or credit provider saying, “We have noticed unauthorized activity on your account. Please respond to this text with the verification number being sent to your phone.”
3. If the victim responds with the verification number that they subsequently receive, the scammer will have access to their account.

Double-Digit Google Phone Scam

People that have posted classified ads with their phone number should be wary of this scam. Scammers use it to maintain their anonymity with Google Voice numbers. Since Google requires a valid phone number to be associated with new Google Voice numbers, the scammer picks a victim from published ads and sends them a text. The text may say, “I am interested in your ad.” Text back when you’re ready to talk.” When the scammer receives the response, he or she calls Google Voice and specifies the victim’s number as the link to the new number. Google Voice responds with a double-digit verification code. The scammer then texts the victim saying, “I am on a Google Voice line. When you receive a call, enter the double-digit code to connect.” If this happens to you, do not hit the code.

SpoofCard

SpoofCard is a mobile phone app that changes the caller name and phone number that displays on outgoing calls. The SpoofCard website claims that it works on any cell phone. Your identity is anonymous using SpoofCard caller ID spoofing. Users can also get downloadable recordings of their spoofed calls. In addition, calls can go directly to voicemail making receivers think they missed your call. SpoofCard has a feature to change your voice to a man or woman, or it can add background noise to disguise your identity. SpoofCard also sends anonymous text messages. The following table shows rates for SpoofCard packages.

SpoofTel

SpoofTel is another company that provides spoofing services. Users of the service must first establish a SpoofTel account. Use the spoofing service either through the SpoofTel website, the SpoofTel app, or by calling 1-866-SPOOF-ID (1-866-776-6343). To place a call follow these steps.

1. Log into your account.
2. Enter your telephone number in the top field.
3. Enter the receiving telephone number.
4. Enter the desired display number on the receiver’s display.

The features provided with the SpoofTel account are as follows.

• Short Message Service (SMS) Spoofing and SMS history
• Spoof Fax and Fax History
• Voice Alteration – use higher pitch for female voice or lower pitch for male voice
• Answering Machine Feature – If an answering machine answers the call, SpoofTel can send an uploaded message automatically.
• Auto Redial Option
• Time Limit for Calls
• Call Back URL

SpoofTel offers two different apps, a desktop app, and an iPhone app. The iPhone app requires a jailbroken phone or compatible device. Jailbroken refers to the practice of removing restrictions that Apple places on a device’s operating system.

The cost for caller ID spoofing is $0.10 per minute. SMS costs $0.50 per message. Voice changing costs $0.25 per call. Recording a call costs $0.50 per call. The use of soundboards is free.

Orange Boxing

Orange boxing is a term for call ID hacking. An orange box emulates a caller ID signal to spoof the caller ID display. The following three methods accomplish this emulation.

• A tape recording of a real caller ID signal
• A software program to generate a caller ID signal
• A hardware device that generates the caller ID signal

Follow these steps to use the orange box. First, make the call and wait for an answer. Then, send the caller ID signal. The orange box can also send a caller name and falsified date and time. When using an orange box, the answering phone displays the actual caller ID before receiving the spoofing caller ID signal. This limits the usefulness of the orange box.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) Advice for Dealing with Scammers

1. Do not send money to persons you have never met face-to-face.
2. Beware of unsolicited emails, and do not open links or attachments in them.
3. Question everything that you see.
4. Purchase online using only secure transactions.
5. Be cautious of people that you meet online.
6. Refrain from sharing personal ID information such as banking and credit card information, your birthdate, and your social security number.
7. Avoid acting under pressure.
8. Make all payments using secure, traceable transactions.
9. Whenever possible, work with local businesses that have proper identification, licensing, and insurance.
10. Be cautious when sharing personal information on social media.

Related: How to Prevent Your Numbers from Being Flagged as Spam or Scam Likely

When you have a mobile phone connection, you know you’re going to have to resort to calling customer service at some point. It could be for information related to your account or for help with an issue, but what you always seek from your wireless carrier is prompt and accurate service. However, when it comes to customer service, mobile carriers usually rank the lowest out there.

Mobile service providers have earned a bad name for their lousy customer service. Poor network and high tariffs aside, mobile service providers are often known to be rude and ill-tempered. Although, that scenario seems to be changing, as mobile companies are realizing the competition. Many have been upping their game in order to retain customers.

Every year, mobile providers are ranked according to the quality of customer service they provide. The ratings keep changing every year, based on the feedback from customers. This year’s survey proves that humans are still more popular than AI-powered robots. Mobile companies, who use robots or other means of automatic customer service, are found to be artificial and less personal by customers. As a result, they tumble in the rankings.

Let’s take a look at the five mobile companies ranked from best to worst according to customer service.

1. Verizon

Verizon is one of the largest mobile carriers with over 147.2 million subscribers. What makes this company so highly rated is its network coverage and reliability. Aside from that, Verizon ranks as having the best customer service among all major carriers. Online support, social media, and phone communication are some of the areas aced by Verizon. They also have a vast range of online resources that answer all questions customers may have about a phone or service.

2. T-Mobile

The country’s third largest mobile carrier right now, with over 73.9 million subscribers, T-Mobile is a strong contender to Verizon. Not only is the service fast and reliable, but the customer service is also decent. The customer service representatives are prompt and helpful, but there are a few issues that keep the company from the top spot. The links to helpful resources on the website are hard to locate, and the representatives often make their responses difficult to understand.

3. AT&T

What made AT&T tumble on the list is the use of automated operators. Customers prefer talking to a human being, and their use of AI automation tools are deemed too artificial by customers. To their benefit, AT&T has a website full of helpful resources where customers can find answers to questions. AT&T is one of the strongest mobile carriers in the country, with over 136 million subscribers.

4. Cricket

Cricket is one of the best prepaid carriers when it comes to customer service, owing to a very helpful website. It is also one of the few carriers to provide an online chat system. Cricket is also responsive – albeit, brief – if you ask questions on social media.

5. Sprint

Finishing at the fifth spot is Sprint, with over 60 million subscribers. In terms of customer service, the company is helpful, responsive, and easy to reach, both through email and on social media. What keeps it from the top spot is the fact that Sprint representatives are known to continuously provide inaccurate information.

The Importance of Customer Service

Customer service forms an essential part of every business. But not every business thinks “the customer is always right.” Not every company is concerned with customer satisfaction, yet it’s those who don’t put profit over the customer’s experience are the ones who ultimately succeed in this competitive market. Consider Verizon’s success in being the most popular service provider.

Any business that is serious about succeeding knows the importance of solid customer service. It’s about treating your customers like one of your own. Top-notch customer service just doesn’t happen when your only aim is extracting more money from your customers. It happens when you go out of your way to provide your customers with a little extra every time.

There are a number of reasons why customer service is so important to a business. Some of them are:

Customer retention is less expensive

Compared to customer acquisition, retaining customers is far less expensive. There are a number of expensive strategies involved in generating new business, but existing customers can easily be retained by providing excellent customer service. Even if your products are expensive, your customers will stay if they get quality service. It is very hard and expensive to get new customers, and a business should do whatever it takes to retain them.

Customer service builds trust

When you hold a track record of providing great customer service, you build the reputation of being a company that values its customers. These days, people will stick with a company only if they have good reason to. If they are dissatisfied with one business, there are many others they could easily move to. As a result, businesses have to work harder to keep customers and build trust in the brand. Quality customer service could be the key to customer loyalty.

Customer service reduces problems

When customers are dissatisfied with your service, a number of problems can arise. You will get a barrage of complaints from all corners, you will probably earn bad reviews online, and even legal cases. When you provide excellent customer service, take your customers’ feedback to heart, and solve their issues quickly, there will be far less problems for your business. Customer service prevents friction between a business and its customers, ensuring both parties remain happy.

Word-of-mouth advertising

Customer service results in word-of-mouth advertising for your business, and it’s something money cannot buy. When customers have a good experience with your company, they are more likely to recommend it to others. This results in new customers for your business, who are more keen to trust your business, simply by the power of word of mouth. This proves there really is no end-point for great customer service; you have no way to gauge the long-lasting effects!

Customer service increases the life of a business

With quality customer service, a business will keep generating new customers. When a business keeps getting new customers, while retaining the existing ones, the longevity increases and the business can last for years.

It is true that mobile carrier customer service has always had a reputation for being below the mark, but with rising competition, companies have realized they need to work hard to keep their customers. Some mobile carriers have been ahead of the game when it comes to providing great customer support, and they are reaping the benefits. For others who haven’t, hopefully they will up their game in order to remain in business and alongside their competitors.

Written descriptions of telecom or telecommunications topics use technical jargon and words not in most people’s day-to-day lexicon. Therefore, the following glossary gives definitions of some of the terms most frequently used in telecom discussions as an aid to non-technical readers.

Application Programming Interface – An Application Programming Interface (API) is software that facilitates communication between two computer programs. Global Call Forwarding’s voice API gives customers an interface between their software and Global Call Forwarding’s network. The API allows customers to obtain information such as call detail records and monthly usage.

Bandwidth – Bandwidth is the data transfer rate of a network in bits per second (bps) where “bit” is a binary digit (either 0 or 1). Messaging conversations require a bandwidth of fewer than 1,000 bits per second (Kbps). Modern networks operate at millions of bits per second (Mbps) or trillions (giga) of bits per second (Gbps).

Broadband – Broadband is a term for a high-speed internet connection, usually having a bandwidth greater than 256 Kbps.

Call Forwarding – Call forwarding is a service provided by Global Call Forwarding (GCF) for the local or international toll-free numbers that it sells. When a call is made to those numbers, GCF forwards those calls to subscribers’ numbers located anywhere in the world.

Cloud – The cloud is a network of servers each having different functions. Some of the servers run applications while others store data. Cloud-based services, like Google, Amazon or Facebook, own the servers.

CPaaS – Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) is a cloud-based delivery model that allows organizations to add real-time communications capabilities to software and applications.

Fiber-Optic Communication – Fiber-optic communication occurs by passing light signals through optical fibers. This method of communication is favored for transmitting telephone signals, internet communication, and cable television signals because of its immunity to electromagnetic interference.

4G LTE – “4G” stands for the fourth generation of mobile data technology, and “LTE” stands for Long Term Evolution. The radio sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) set the standards for 4G bandwidth at 100 Mbps for mobile use (smartphones and tablets) and 1 Gbps for stationary use (hotspots). Since the standards were unreachable, LTE indicates that the technology is in pursuit of the standards.

5G – “5G” stands for fifth-generation mobile networks or wireless systems, and 5G systems will provide improvements over LTE for coverage, efficiency, and reduced latency. It should deliver bandwidth over 10 Mbps for tens of thousands of users, 100 Mbps in metropolitan areas, 1 Gbps simultaneously for workers in the same office, and simultaneous connections for thousands of wireless sensors.

Interactive Voice Response – With Interactive Voice Response (IVR), a computer answers incoming calls, prompts callers for information, and forwards calls to their proper destinations. This is a free feature to businesses buying virtual numbers. The feature is programmable and customizable to suit business needs.

Internet – The internet is a network of billions of computers. Cables or wireless signals connect these computers to form the network through various service providers.

Millimeter Waves – Millimeter waves (mmWaves) have wavelengths between 10 and 1 millimeters (mm). They travel at extremely high frequencies from 30 to 300 GHz where Hz stands for Hertz or cycles per second, a unit of measure for frequency. Because of their ability to transmit large amounts of data, mmWave technology is a candidate for 5G networks.

Modem and Router – A router connects your network to the computer and wireless devices, and the modem connects the network to the internet. Many internet service providers distribute combined modem–router units to their customers.

MMS – MMS stands for multimedia messaging service, which permits the sending of messages composed of text, slideshows, videos, and single images.

Net Neutrality – Net Neutrality is a principle whereby Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all data on the internet equally. They cannot discriminate or charge differently based on application, attached equipment, communication method, content, platform, user, or website. With net neutrality, ISPs cannot intentionally block, slow down, or charge money for specific websites and online content.

PBX – PBX is an acronym for Private Branch Exchange. A private branch exchange is an internal telephone network for businesses or enterprises. A number of external lines connect into the PBX, which switches calls to and from the company’s extensions.

Sequential Forwarding – After a set number of rings, this feature forwards unanswered calls to a maximum of four sequential numbers.

SMS – SMS stands for short message service, commonly known as text messages. The maximum length of an SMS text is 918 characters. However, if a message is over 160 characters, it is broken down into separate messages of 153 characters or less.

Telecommunication – Telecommunication is the transmission of content, including messages, images, and data. Electromagnetic systems, such as wire, radio, or optical, are the transmission methods. Electromagnetic systems operate because of physical interactions between electrically charged particles.

Time-of-Day Routing – Time-of-day routing forwards calls based time of receipt. For example, the feature may route calls between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm to a business number. For all other times, it may forward calls to home numbers, voicemail, or mobile numbers.

Vanity Phone Numbers – A vanity phone number is one with an easily remembered number or character sequence. For example, a memorable sequence of digits could be 1-888-888-8888. An easily remembers character sequence may relate to a business such as 1-800-TSHIRTS for a tee shirt store.

Virtual Phone Numbers – The local numbers, which GCF sells, are virtual phone numbers. They differ from standard local numbers because GCF forwards the incoming calls to phones anywhere in the world. The virtual local number gives any company a virtual office in the community where the number is located.

VoIP – VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which is a phone service that transmits calls over the internet as opposed to transmitting through a traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). VoIP systems are particularly attractive to companies that have under-utilized network capacity.

Web – The web or World Wide Web consists of web pages on the internet computers or servers. The code for the web pages uses Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Universal Resource Locators (URLs) make up the addresses of the web pages. Persons that wish to visit a web page enter the URL in their internet browser, which connects to the site.