Unique International Telecommunication Services and the Internet are Shrinking the Business World
Published on: 10/28/2009
• A woman in Oslo Norway dials a local number in Oslo. The number rings to her husband’s mobile phone on a train in Paris.
• A man in Madrid Spain wants to inquire about a trip to New York City USA he has viewed online at a website for a US based travel agency. He sees a toll free number listed for use from Spain at the website and dials. He is connected to the travel agency in Miami Florida at no cost to him.
These are just two examples of unique calling possibilities made available in the past decade. This report is meant to only introduce these newer services and examples of how they are used.
Call forwarding is not a new concept. Even before divestiture of AT&T in 1984 one could call the phone company and request calls be forwarded to another number while you were on vacation or your business was closed for renovations.
Now, with far more expanded phone usage and far more sophisticated phone capabilities we wanted to learn how this great feature of call forwarding can be used.
Recently, a German conference company bought a local number in New York City that forwards 24/7 to its conferencing switch in Germany. This allows its customers in the US to more easily and cheaply call to join its conference calls. US conference call companies with both local and toll free numbers in non-US countries to link their non-US users has been prevalent for more than a decade. What makes this unique is the fact that it is a European conferencing company expanding internationally. The world of international telecommunication is shrinking the world.
• In 2000 a new online travel agency was founded that had no offices anywhere other than its home office in Florida. Of course, the company knew that the internet would be its primary means to both communicate and grow the company by booking resort stays, and airfare to properties in Latin America and the Caribbean.
BUT people like to talk with people when they need answers that online access seems impersonal or simply delayed in providing answers. So, how could they offer customer service and build its brand with more traditional means, but without opening numerous extremely costly offices? The answer was simply to expand its phone network, Today this company has USA/Canada toll free number, a local number in New York City, and toll free numbers that forward to the home office from Mexico, United Kingdom and Australia.
Here is how they distributed the number. First, they created custom landing pages on their consumer website. Refining their Google AdWords campaign, the company shows the phone number that most appropriately serves the viewer based on their IP address.
Note: the home office did need to hire more customer service and sales reps, but only to handle the growth of business and handle non-English speaking callers!
• A large global video game publisher wanted to boost sales and improve customer relations for its worldwide market.
There answer was toll free numbers in more than 12 countries - USA/Canada, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, parts of Asia and South America.
The company included their numbers in the packaging and in the actual introductions and tech support links in the actual video games. They also prominently listed their international toll free numbers as often as possible on numerous video game blogs.
• An American based airline has routes primarily between the US and Latin America. There plan to improve service and grow their market share against even larger carriers serving these routes could have meant opening offices in each of the 6 countries in South America and Mexico – the countries to which they fly.
They decided that an actual walk-in office in Mexico City was a worthwhile option, but also included in their plan a Mexico Toll Free number so anyone in the country could easily reach them. So they now have toll free numbers that forward to headquarters in Texas from each of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, El Salvador, and Venezuela.
An interesting feature of today’s call forwarding is that numbers can now be programmed to terminate (ring to) different numbers at different times. This airline has their Mexican phone number set up to ring to the office in Mexico City at times the office is open. But after hours and on weekends and Mexican holidays it rings to the home office in the US where the phones are manned virtually 24/7.
Not only do customers appreciate use of the airline’s toll free numbers, but travel agents love them too.
• A Malaysian based company that provides ring tones worldwide found that over 90% of their ring tone downloads were downloaded from the USA.
To expand this obviously strong customer base they decided to market in US specialty magazines for gamers and others who liked their unique mobile phone ringtones. They, of course, listed their contact information via online form and email. But most prominent since they are offering ringtones for PHONES is their new toll free number that forwards from anywhere in the US and Canada to Malaysia. The number can handle up to 99 simultaneous phone calls. This is hardly needed, but having this capability to handle multiple calls is just another innovation offered now that offers business advantages unavailable just 15 years ago.
The company now mans their phones with English speaking customer service and sales reps 24/7 except Sundays.
• A large global law firm headquartered in Singapore not only provides counsel for companies, but also manages corporate affairs for many of them.
With business primarily in the USA and Australia they use local forwarding numbers in New York City and Los Angeles to offer their customers on both the east and west coast the option to contact them more cost effectively than an international call to Singapore. Rather than provide a toll free number and be responsible for full call, they only pay for the link from New York or Los Angeles to Singapore. The caller pays for the cost of the call to each of New York or Los Angeles. In Australia they do the same with local forwarding numbers in Sydney and Brisbane.
In addition to receiving calls more efficiently and cost effectively, the same global law firm also uses a unique telco service to make its international calls. This type service is available in many major world cities and many cities in both the US and UK. What the telecommunication provider offers is a local number in Singapore that is free for the firm to reach. Once anyone at the firm dials that specific local number, they then dial the intended international call – effectively bypassing the local Singapore carrier whose rates are higher.
This unique plan allows people in many parts of the world to make outbound international calls more cheaply than with their respective home country phone companies (often still government monopolies). Users need to compare their individual country and carrier cost. There can be no guarantee that all calls will save money. Often calls to neighboring countries or calls with the home country could actually cost more. That said, most international callers will save money by accessing the low American cost and quality for their international calls.
• A major fishery in Costa Rica now has the ability with tremendous improvement in speed and quality for international shipping to market outside their home country. They really wanted to gain access to the huge American marketplace. But they are not, nor did they want to staff for 24/7 callers.
The newer technology for international call forwarding (both toll free and local numbers) allows for voice messaging (voicemail). The customer has a Virtual PBX without new hardware required. So this fishery was able to establish a toll free number that offered callers from the USA and Canada the ability to make a free call that effectively reached Costa Rica during open hours or no later than the next business day. Callers receive a professional greeting and instructions that are customized by the fishery. The messages can even be accessed online by any employee trusted with a log on and password.
Again, all this is completed with absolutely no need for the fishery to buy any hardware. So the customer effectively has a PBX with all the features for only a small monthly fee and the cost of the calls they would need pay anyway.
• A German parts supplier wanted to the first company called when parts were needed by it manufacturing customers. They had competition right in the US and also in the UK for most of their higher end parts. The company had already taken care of the shipping time and cost differentials and made arrangements to be paid in US dollars. Their only need was to make it as easy for their customers to call them as it was for them to call their completion.
The use of a virtual PBX filled the bill for them. They established the account with a toll free number that could be reached nationwide from anywhere in the US and Canada. Then they were able to create separate extensions as needed for various departments with a professional greeting for each.
When people were available to answer, they did. After hours the extensions were set to voice mail and orders could be taken or customer service issues reported.
The cost was only $14.99 for a professional plan with 10 extensions and the modest cost of about 5 cents per minute US.
The Virtual PBX service leveled the playing field for this international company.
So, the world is shrinking as the internet and 24 hour television news bring other parts of the world ever closer to all. And now we know that telecommunication efforts are helping to facilitate this shrinking world by linking individuals more efficiently and more cheaply.
Joseph Horton
Founder/Owner Namada.com
jh@namada.com
http://namada.com
Unique US and International Calling Plans
• A man in Madrid Spain wants to inquire about a trip to New York City USA he has viewed online at a website for a US based travel agency. He sees a toll free number listed for use from Spain at the website and dials. He is connected to the travel agency in Miami Florida at no cost to him.
These are just two examples of unique calling possibilities made available in the past decade. This report is meant to only introduce these newer services and examples of how they are used.
Toll Free and Local Number Call Forwarding.
There is a burgeoning market for international business owners that want toll free and local numbers in other countries to communicate with their customers and clients AND establish a professional presence in globally.Call forwarding is not a new concept. Even before divestiture of AT&T in 1984 one could call the phone company and request calls be forwarded to another number while you were on vacation or your business was closed for renovations.
Now, with far more expanded phone usage and far more sophisticated phone capabilities we wanted to learn how this great feature of call forwarding can be used.
Recently, a German conference company bought a local number in New York City that forwards 24/7 to its conferencing switch in Germany. This allows its customers in the US to more easily and cheaply call to join its conference calls. US conference call companies with both local and toll free numbers in non-US countries to link their non-US users has been prevalent for more than a decade. What makes this unique is the fact that it is a European conferencing company expanding internationally. The world of international telecommunication is shrinking the world.
• In 2000 a new online travel agency was founded that had no offices anywhere other than its home office in Florida. Of course, the company knew that the internet would be its primary means to both communicate and grow the company by booking resort stays, and airfare to properties in Latin America and the Caribbean.
BUT people like to talk with people when they need answers that online access seems impersonal or simply delayed in providing answers. So, how could they offer customer service and build its brand with more traditional means, but without opening numerous extremely costly offices? The answer was simply to expand its phone network, Today this company has USA/Canada toll free number, a local number in New York City, and toll free numbers that forward to the home office from Mexico, United Kingdom and Australia.
Here is how they distributed the number. First, they created custom landing pages on their consumer website. Refining their Google AdWords campaign, the company shows the phone number that most appropriately serves the viewer based on their IP address.
Note: the home office did need to hire more customer service and sales reps, but only to handle the growth of business and handle non-English speaking callers!
• A large global video game publisher wanted to boost sales and improve customer relations for its worldwide market.
There answer was toll free numbers in more than 12 countries - USA/Canada, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, parts of Asia and South America.
The company included their numbers in the packaging and in the actual introductions and tech support links in the actual video games. They also prominently listed their international toll free numbers as often as possible on numerous video game blogs.
• An American based airline has routes primarily between the US and Latin America. There plan to improve service and grow their market share against even larger carriers serving these routes could have meant opening offices in each of the 6 countries in South America and Mexico – the countries to which they fly.
They decided that an actual walk-in office in Mexico City was a worthwhile option, but also included in their plan a Mexico Toll Free number so anyone in the country could easily reach them. So they now have toll free numbers that forward to headquarters in Texas from each of Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil, El Salvador, and Venezuela.
An interesting feature of today’s call forwarding is that numbers can now be programmed to terminate (ring to) different numbers at different times. This airline has their Mexican phone number set up to ring to the office in Mexico City at times the office is open. But after hours and on weekends and Mexican holidays it rings to the home office in the US where the phones are manned virtually 24/7.
Not only do customers appreciate use of the airline’s toll free numbers, but travel agents love them too.
• A Malaysian based company that provides ring tones worldwide found that over 90% of their ring tone downloads were downloaded from the USA.
To expand this obviously strong customer base they decided to market in US specialty magazines for gamers and others who liked their unique mobile phone ringtones. They, of course, listed their contact information via online form and email. But most prominent since they are offering ringtones for PHONES is their new toll free number that forwards from anywhere in the US and Canada to Malaysia. The number can handle up to 99 simultaneous phone calls. This is hardly needed, but having this capability to handle multiple calls is just another innovation offered now that offers business advantages unavailable just 15 years ago.
The company now mans their phones with English speaking customer service and sales reps 24/7 except Sundays.
• A large global law firm headquartered in Singapore not only provides counsel for companies, but also manages corporate affairs for many of them.
With business primarily in the USA and Australia they use local forwarding numbers in New York City and Los Angeles to offer their customers on both the east and west coast the option to contact them more cost effectively than an international call to Singapore. Rather than provide a toll free number and be responsible for full call, they only pay for the link from New York or Los Angeles to Singapore. The caller pays for the cost of the call to each of New York or Los Angeles. In Australia they do the same with local forwarding numbers in Sydney and Brisbane.
Dial-Through Numbers Worldwide
In addition to receiving calls more efficiently and cost effectively, the same global law firm also uses a unique telco service to make its international calls. This type service is available in many major world cities and many cities in both the US and UK. What the telecommunication provider offers is a local number in Singapore that is free for the firm to reach. Once anyone at the firm dials that specific local number, they then dial the intended international call – effectively bypassing the local Singapore carrier whose rates are higher.
This unique plan allows people in many parts of the world to make outbound international calls more cheaply than with their respective home country phone companies (often still government monopolies). Users need to compare their individual country and carrier cost. There can be no guarantee that all calls will save money. Often calls to neighboring countries or calls with the home country could actually cost more. That said, most international callers will save money by accessing the low American cost and quality for their international calls.
Virtual PBX Toll Free Numbers
• A major fishery in Costa Rica now has the ability with tremendous improvement in speed and quality for international shipping to market outside their home country. They really wanted to gain access to the huge American marketplace. But they are not, nor did they want to staff for 24/7 callers.
The newer technology for international call forwarding (both toll free and local numbers) allows for voice messaging (voicemail). The customer has a Virtual PBX without new hardware required. So this fishery was able to establish a toll free number that offered callers from the USA and Canada the ability to make a free call that effectively reached Costa Rica during open hours or no later than the next business day. Callers receive a professional greeting and instructions that are customized by the fishery. The messages can even be accessed online by any employee trusted with a log on and password.
Again, all this is completed with absolutely no need for the fishery to buy any hardware. So the customer effectively has a PBX with all the features for only a small monthly fee and the cost of the calls they would need pay anyway.
• A German parts supplier wanted to the first company called when parts were needed by it manufacturing customers. They had competition right in the US and also in the UK for most of their higher end parts. The company had already taken care of the shipping time and cost differentials and made arrangements to be paid in US dollars. Their only need was to make it as easy for their customers to call them as it was for them to call their completion.
The use of a virtual PBX filled the bill for them. They established the account with a toll free number that could be reached nationwide from anywhere in the US and Canada. Then they were able to create separate extensions as needed for various departments with a professional greeting for each.
When people were available to answer, they did. After hours the extensions were set to voice mail and orders could be taken or customer service issues reported.
The cost was only $14.99 for a professional plan with 10 extensions and the modest cost of about 5 cents per minute US.
The Virtual PBX service leveled the playing field for this international company.
So, the world is shrinking as the internet and 24 hour television news bring other parts of the world ever closer to all. And now we know that telecommunication efforts are helping to facilitate this shrinking world by linking individuals more efficiently and more cheaply.
Joseph Horton
Founder/Owner Namada.com
jh@namada.com
http://namada.com
Unique US and International Calling Plans
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