Understanding the TRAI Guidelines that Govern Mobile Number Portability

Acefone Editor

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Contact Center

May 7, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

India is a massive country with a diverse population and a vast user base of mobile devices and networks. With the market offering such immense potential, it isn’t surprising that the competition between telecom operators is booming.

This is a boon for users who have access to new and more affordable telecom plans every day. They can easily move from one network to another when they want to save money and avail better offers. If you wish to do the same, you need to understand the mobile number portability (MNP) rules provided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The authority came up with new rules and guidelines in December 2019, intending to facilitate hassle-free porting for mobile users across the country. Before explaining these rules in detail, we shall talk about number portability and how it works.

What is mobile number portability?

Essentially, mobile number portability (MNP) refers to the facility that allows users to switch from one operator to another. You may do it to get a better offer from another service provider or simply because you are not happy with your current provider.

The best part about the service is that it only changes your network provider, not your mobile number. This means that you don’t have to worry about sharing your new number with all your contacts; they will probably not even know about the switch. Additionally, you can change operators regardless of geographical location.

How you can port your mobile number

Now that you are well aware of mobile number porting, you will want to learn about the actual process. According to the latest TRAI guidelines, you will have to use a unique porting code (UPC) to be able to complete the process.

You will have to apply through your telecom provider, and they will generate the code after validating your account. The regulator will first verify your eligibility as a subscriber to port your number. Here are the eligibility criteria:

You are an active user of the current network and have been using it for at least 90 days.
You have cleared all your pending payments to the provider if you are using a postpaid service.
You have no pending contractual obligations according to the exit clause in the subscriber agreement.
Porting of the particular mobile number is not prohibited by the court of law
You will not be allowed to port the number if it is sub-judice
You will not be eligible if you have already applied to change the ownership of your mobile number

Steps to port your mobile number

Once eligibility is sorted, porting your number is pretty simple. Here are the steps you will have to follow.

Step #1:

You will have to start by sending an SMS to 1900, with the text “PORT” followed by a space and your ten-digit mobile number.

Step #2:

After step 1, you will get a UPC via SMS. It is valid for four days in all Licensed Service Areas (LSAs), except for Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and North East LSAs. It remains valid for up to 30 days.

Step #3:

Visit the nearest customer service center of the new operator within the validity period. You will have to fill up the Porting Form and Customer Acquisition Form (CAF) here and submit your KYC document(s) as well. These include your ID proof, address proof, and photographs. Corporate connections require a NOC on the company letterhead, duly signed and stamped by the authorized signatory.

Step #4:

After you submit the forms and documents, pay a transaction fee of Rs 6.46.

Step #5:

You will get a new SIM and a message confirming the submission of your request.

How long is the process?

The new TRAI guidelines state that porting within the same circle or LSA will be done within three working days. Conversely, porting to another circle takes five days. It is a considerably shorter process now, as compared to the initial 15 days. However, there is an exception here as you can expect the process to take 30 days for Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and other states in Northeast India.

It is important to note that you can experience a service disruption of four hours during the night when porting is done. You can also withdraw your request if you change your mind.

The process is simple––you only have to send an SMS to 1900. The text this time will be “CANCEL”, followed by space and your ten-digit mobile number. But you can send the withdrawal message only within 24 hours of your porting request.

Mobile number porting is the easiest and most hassle-free process to move to another provider without having to change your number. The new TRAI guidelines have made it quicker and all the more stress-free. You only need to follow the procedure, and everything will be done within a few days.

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Acefone Editor

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Acefone provides a broad range of cloud communication services to businesses of all sizes, which includes Hosted Phone Systems, Free Phone Numbers, and Cloud Contact Center Solutions. Being the UK's leading provider of VoIP service provider, we always strive to provide excellent customer service and high-quality custom solutions to our customers.

Brand Building Elements That The Cloud Offers

Acefone Editor

Author

Contact Center

May 5, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

The business landscape is a competitive one. And building a strong positive reputation for your brand is integral to staying ahead in the race. Cloud communication solutions provide businesses with plenty of branding opportunities. You can create a truly strong brand irrespective of the size of your business, simply by installing a cloud phone system.

Cloud solutions give you control over your branding efforts. You can add different elements to your phone system to customise the look and feel of your business, and control how it appears to customers––in everything, from caller ID on your customers’ phones to your agents’ phone number and much more in between.

The technology gives you the tools that help you build a professional identity, without having to burn a hole in your pocket. This article will show you all the elements that can help you build and maintain a positive professional brand.

Vanity number

Firstly, a vanity number is a special type of toll free number that uses alphabets instead of digits. These numbers can go a long way in making your brand memorable to customers. How many times have you had a catchy radio jingle stuck in your mind, even weeks after hearing it?

This power of vanity numbers is similar. They can easily fit into your marketing campaigns and help customers remember your brand and recall your phone number without much trouble.

For example, let’s assume you have a business that deals with bird supplies. You can ask your provider for the number 0800-BIRD-SHOP, which essentially on the keypad would translate to 0800-2473-7467. This way, you will be able to represent your brand and contant number in an unforgettable manner.

Another example of a vanity number boosting your marketing and enhancing your brand is of Hastings Insurance company. They created a phone number, 0800 00 1066, directly relating to their brand so customers would have more chances at remembering the number. The “1066” refers to the year of the battle of Hastings, so this vanity number was a clever way to keep their branding consistent and their number at the forefront of their customers’ minds.

Vanity numbers are a fantastic way to enhance branding and give your business that professional look you need to appeal to customers. The beauty of cloud communications is that any business of any size can use this. You could be a one-person business and still have a strong brand and a vanity number to make your business stand out.

Audio and text broadcasts

Sending voice and message broadcasts through your cloud communication system is an easy way to keep in touch with your clientele at once. This can be built into your omnichannel marketing campaign, with your cloud system sending out mass messages through calls, SMSes, and more.

Your broadcasts could be anything––from emergency notifications to sales promotions, customer surveys or appointment reminders. Broadcasts not only save time for your customer engagement team but also enhance your branding, and ensure you are effectively communicating via all channels.

Omnichannel marketing is important for modern-day consumers, who expect you to be available wherever and whenever they need you. By sending out a broadcast, you are able to communicate with them on multiple platforms. You can even use the data in your cloud solution to personalise this message and cut through the clutter of the many marketing messages people receive on a daily basis.

Personalised messages show that you have invested in your customer service, and therefore, give you a more professional look which customers are much more likely to respond positively to.

Caller ID

With a cloud system, you get access to a plethora of features that let you control all aspects of your business, including how you appear when you call a customer. By customising your caller ID, you can ensure that your brand is represented appropriately on your customer’s devices.

For example, if you’re dealing with customers across the UK, you might not want to appear from just one location––making your brand look more national rather than regional. You can set your caller ID to appear as a private number or a vanity number so your branding is consistent and your customers will know who is calling.

You can also deploy virtual numbers which will enable you to use local area codes to connect with your regional audience. Another option is to have a different caller ID for different departments; so, have a dedicated sales number, press enquiry number, customer service number, and so forth.

VoIP caller ID makes sure that your customers will always recognise your brand, so, they are more likely to pick up the call from a known source compared to a random number.

Another benefit of using a caller ID is that you can keep your contact details safe. Maybe, for some reason, you don’t want your customers to know the number of a certain department in your business. In such a situation, you can use a caller ID to mask your number during outgoing calls while also making sure that they recognise your brand.

0800 phone number

A free phone number is an ideal way to create an easily recognisable brand. If you are looking to appeal to customers across the United Kingdom (or even the world), then an 0800 or 0808 number is for you. These numbers give a highly professional look to any brand and can make even the smallest companies appear much larger and more professional.

0800 numbers don’t just remove geographical barriers and open you up to opportunities across regions, they also remove barriers to customers calling you. Since calls to these numbers are free, customers will have less to lose by reaching out to you. Thus, you are likely to see an influx of incoming calls and get more opportunities to sell to customers.

In terms of brand building, an 0800 number is favoured by bigger and more established organisations, so having a free phone number will naturally present your business in a good light. These numbers are economical to run through your cloud communication system, and all calls to them are directed to a device of your choice.

Ultimately, customers will just enjoy crystal clear communications whenever they contact you, at no cost to them and minimal cost to you. This is great for your company’s image. Your customer thinks of your business as a professional one that doesn’t shy away from direct customer communication.

When you open up communication lines to deal with customers’ issues and create a relationship with them, they are much more likely to trust you as a brand over someone with a premium number who is trying to make money from customer calls.

Virtual assistant

With a cloud communication system, you can have a virtual assistant to take messages when you aren’t available. Virtual assistants help your brand in two ways––first, you’ll never miss a message from a customer and will always be able to get back to them in a timely manner. Secondly, a virtual assistant makes your business appear very professional.

A lot of businesses are now taking advantage of a virtual assistant for customer interactions. After all, if you don’t have one in place, your clients will be unable to leave a message during your off-hours. This brand-building element of your cloud communication system leaves a highly professional impression on callers, and they will know you are serious about not missing a customer call.

With a virtual assistant, you also don’t need to worry about lost voicemails––you are sure to receive them with the message being forwarded directly to your email address.

Virtual assistants can also promote self-help for the customers. They can be fed with FAQs and the simple touch of a number on the keypad will allow the customer to resolve minor issues without the need of a service agent. They can also redirect the customer to the right department, eliminating the need for an additional agent to do so, while also saving valuable time on both ends.

Enhance your brand with the amazing features of cloud communication

If you’re looking to enhance your brand reputation and performance, clearly, cloud communication is the way to go. With plenty of amazing features, it makes your business appear more professional, established and reliable, streamlines work processes, and benefits customers. It is easy to strengthen your brand image in the eyes of your customers without shelling out too much!

All of these features don’t just enhance your brand, they also make it easy to run omnichannel marketing campaigns. You can broadcast messages across different channels, or use the online portal to ensure customer notes are up-to-date and your agents can deliver truly personalised service to customers on any platform of the latter’s choosing.

By using the features of a hosted phone system you can simplify and strengthen your communications and deliver smooth customer service experiences from start to finish every time.

To find out more about cloud communication and how it can help enhance your brand, connect with one of our experts today at 1888-859-0450 or drop us an email at [email protected].

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The A to Z of IVR Number

Acefone Editor

Author

Contact Center

May 3, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

Customer service plays a critical role in the success of a business. Excellent customer experience can drive retention and give your organisation a competitive advantage. When it comes to meeting customer expectations, a lot depends on the impression you make at the first point of contact.

An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) might be the first thing your customer encounters. It comes as no surprise then that businesses are willing to go the extra mile to enhance IVR operations.

Let us start from scratch and explore how an IVR system helps your business irrespective of the industry.

What is the IVR number?

Essentially, the IVR number means a tool that facilitates business communication through self-service technology. It enables callers to navigate your business phone system and connect with a human operator best suited to handle their query.

The automated IVR facility routes the caller to the right department, depending on their input via the device keypad. Moreover, an IVR system is also able to answer FAQs of customers with pre-recorded messages.

While the traditional IVR system relied on dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones, it has come a long way over the years. Now, next-gen systems incorporate speech input and artificial intelligence. This enables callers to connect with relevant agents without being limited by a menu. IVR numbers go a long way in enhancing customer experience and showcasing business professionalism, making it a worthy investment for any business.

Features of IVR

Typically, IVR systems come with a range of features and integrations that empower a business in more than one way. Here are some you can explore to take your customer service a notch higher:

IVR number features

Inbound calling: With this feature, the system handles all incoming calls on the IVR-enabled number automatically. There is no manual intervention in the process. The system asks the caller to select an option in the IVR menu and routes them to the relevant agent or department. The caller can leave a voicemail if an agent is not available to address their queries at that time.
Outbound calling: The outbound calling feature enables the system to place calls to specific phone numbers automatically. It connects the call to a live agent when a caller selects a menu option for the same. The same feature can also be used to conduct surveys and gather customer feedback.
Customised voice message:A business can leverage a customised voice message feature to greet callers with when they dial the business number. The best part is that the greeting can be created in different languages based on the selection of the caller. What’s more––you can use the text-to-speech feature that comes with the IVR if you don’t want to record the message yourself.
Automatic call routing: Incoming calls can be routed to the best-suited agent or department, reducing customer frustration, enabling faster on-call resolution, and bolstering efficiency while also saving time for the agents.
Call barging and whispering: Managers can assist agents with customer interactions by barging or whispering during an active call. This helps improve the quality of interactions between agents and customers, reducing the chances of any conflicts.
Live call monitoring: Another feature that empowers call centre managers is a live call monitoring dashboard. It lets them keep track of individual agents and assess their performance with details of their active, on-hold, and historic calls.

Benefits of IVR

An IVR number is a worthwhile investment for any organisation because IVR offers numerous benefits, both from the customers’ and agents’ perspectives. Here are some you should know about.

IVR Number benefits

Professional brand image: A well designed IVR enhances your brand image by making your business accessible and available whenever a customer connects. Incoming calls are swiftly and accurately forwarded to the right agent, without any time and location constraints. This is an advantage in pandemic times when agents aren’t available in call centres but are working remotely.
Enhanced caller experiences: A personalised voice message in the customer’s language goes a long way in enhancing their journey. Further, it is more impactful when they can directly reach out to an agent or department that is most capable of resolving their queries right away. The interaction is uninterrupted as the callers are not made to hold calls or talk to different people along the way.
Better handling of large call volumes: Handling multiple calls at once during peak hours can be stressful for call centre agents. An IVR number enables the team to attend multiple calls simultaneously. Additionally, it offers missed call information that agents can use to follow up on customers and resolve their concerns.
Higher agent productivity: An IVR number can maximise agent productivity as well. It empowers them to do more with less. It can automate routine tasks that do not require human intervention. Thus, agents have plenty of time and space to invest in high-value customer interactions to facilitate higher satisfaction and retention for the long haul.
Increased first call resolution: Since callers are routed directly to the concerned agents and departments, your business can witness a significant boost in first call resolution. It translates into extensive time savings for the business and higher customer satisfaction.
Reduced call centre operation costs: As callers can resolve a majority of their queries with self-service IVRs, your business can reduce call centre operations costs significantly. Fewer people are needed to handle calls, and agents can focus on calls that really matter, yet there is no compromise with customer experience at any stage of the interaction.

Industries and use cases of IVR

IVR-enabled numbers are ubiquitous to customer-facing businesses across diverse domains. Here are some industries where they are widely used along with domain-specific use cases.

use cases of IVR number

Banking and finance: Checking account balance, transferring funds, bill payments, branch locators, loan follow-ups, insurance claim queries, and customer support.
Real estate: Connecting with real estate agents, enquiring about loans, sales and billing, customer support, and other contract-related services.
Telecom: Queries on new products and services, billing inquiries, customer complaints, plan upgrades, technical support, and various sales-related concerns.
Hospitality: Bookings and cancellations, front desk inquiries, information and room service, housekeeping services, sales, delivery follow-ups, complaints and support.
Travel: Airline and transport bookings and cancellations, cab inquiries, billing and refunds, itinerary changes, and customer support.
Energy and utilities: Bill reminders, complaints, customer self-service, surveys, technical support.
Healthcare: Appointments and cancellations, online consultations, billing, diagnostics, patient queries, report inquiries.
Education: Information, student services and support, fee payments and accounting, tutorials, admissions, exam queries.
Retail and E-commerce: Billing and exchange, delivery issues, returns and refunds, customer service and support.

IVR best practices

Having an IVR number up and running is only half the work done. You also need to follow some best practices to avail all of its benefits. Here are some that deliver the best outcomes for organisations.

Make that best first impression on callers, with a clear, warm, and personalised welcome message
Keep the IVR menu simple and use fewer levels and options
Minimise friction by making it easy for callers to connect with agents
Pay attention to the callers’ preferences and adhere to them for subsequent interactions
Reduce the time between call answering and agent availability
Inform the caller about expected wait times during hold intervals
Be mindful and non-intrusive during interactions
Make the IVR system a part of an omnichannel experience

The Takeaway

An IVR system is a simple offering with many benefits, so no organisation should miss out on it. Integrating it into your business communication programme can elevate your brand’s reputation and take caller experience to the next level.

It is best to collaborate with an IVR solution provider that offers reliable, full-featured, and budget-friendly solutions. Acefone is a name you can trust because it has been serving high-end IVR solutions to organisations of all sizes and scales across diverse domains.

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How An Omnichannel Contact Centre Provides Better Customer Services To SMBs & Large Enterprises?

Himani

Author

Contact Center

8 mins read eye

Table of content

Even in these tough times, where no one knows when the pandemic is going to end, the key to success for the contact centers is still the same—good customer service.

No matter whether they’re an SMB or a large enterprise, many organisations delivered exemplary customer service consistently and survived well even in the crisis. This shows the importance of delivering positive customer experiences.

What is an omnichannel contact center?

Omnichannel contact centers are cloud-based contact center solutions wherein customers are free to interact with the business across multiple channels, allowing them to switch back and forth among these channels freely. These channels comprise phone calls, chats, SMSes, video conferencing, emails, and social media platforms as well.

These contact centers offer superior customer service that not only allows you to successfully capture more leads but it also helps with customer retention. Not just that, they make work easier for representatives as well, considering that they can deliver seamless customer experiences irrespective of the platform the customer contacts them from.

What is the difference between omnichannel contact centers and multichannel contact centers?

A multichannel contact center is a customer services approach that includes multiple communication channels such as text, voice, website, social media and enables communication where customers spend their most time. Companies these days are shifting towards multichannel options for their contact centers such as SMSes, social media, etc.

But, not many contact centers are using omnichannel yet.

The main difference between both models is that of integration. When multichannel contact centers receive any query from a customer, they often assign it to an agent. The agent answers the query through a phone call or digital channels such as text, email and social media.

However, these channels often work in silos. Thus, the agent won’t have any knowledge of the customer’s previous interactions with other agents that may have happened via other channels. This does not help in providing seamless customer service as, should the agent require, they would not be able to access important information

Au contraire, in the case of an omnichannel contact center, all customer interactions across various channels are integrated into one platform. All customer history and background information is available to the agent for every conversation.

As per the Intelligent Customer Engagement Research conducted in 2019-20 by Nemertes, a study of 518 organisations stated that the use of omnichannel contact centers increased from 8% to 31% from 2016 to 2019.

How does an omnichannel contact center provide better customer service

In the era of smart technology, businesses cannot fail at delivering smart and seamless customer experiences. An omnichannel contact center is a sure-shot way to do so. Not only are you able to reach clients via platforms of their choices, you’re also able to service them through channels that they prefer.

So, if you have a customer reach out to you via email, then follow up on social media, and then ask for a resolution via WhatsApp? No problem! Your agents will always be in the know of previous interactions with other agents and the conversation will flow butter smooth.

You will be known for your professionalism, your consideration towards your customers, and your reliability.

Let’s discuss some of the best ways in which an omnichannel contact center provides better customer service to businesses.

1. Gather customer data and insights

Whether it’s small or large, every business knows the importance of customer data and insights. Using the omnichannel approach, you can have a better understanding of your customer’s demands and behaviour. This understanding will help you to deliver the best customer service to your customers.

Being a unified system, an omnichannel contact center is able to gather customer data on one dashboard. You can set 10+ KPIs and monitor various metrics. For instance, if you’re wondering which service or product on your website gets the most number of clicks, you’ll easily be able to identify the same via detailed and visually appealing reports.

When you have all the customer insights in one place, you can create better and effective business strategies. Needless to say, when you’re deciding on marketing strategies, these insights play an influential role.

Omnichannel solutions follow client interactions across all channels and collect vital data. This data is helpful in identifying trends and patterns, eventually enabling proactive discovery of issues and effective resolution. This results in effortless communication along with a better customer rating and brand reputation.

2. Intelligent routing

The omnichannel approach integrates your cloud-backed phone system with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools. These tools collect all customer data and information from all the previous interactions. This data helps businesses set intelligent routing strategies that ensures clients are connected to the right agents in a quick and efficient manner.

3. Improves customer experience

As the world moves towards new and advanced innovations every day, customer expectations are also increasing accordingly. Businesses should focus majorly on understanding customers’ needs and expectations in-depth. Once you have the data, you need to convert these insights into actions.

Your business strategies should meet both––your business objectives and customer expectations. Through omnichannel contact centre solutions that offer actionable insights, it’s easier to achieve the same while proactively eliminating bottlenecks.

These insights will help you determine customer behaviour so that you accordingly tailor your offerings and provide the best customer experience to your audience.

Omnichannel contact centers allow your customers to engage using any device. In this way, you can focus on retention and enhance the emotional connect between the company and the customers.

4. Engage with customers in real-time

Customers expect their queries to be answered as soon as possible. And it is your duty to ensure first call resolution. If you fail to provide real-time answers to their queries, your customers may be inclined to switch to a competitor.

Via omnichannel contact centers, you can engage with your customers in real-time through chats, videos, co-browsing and screen-sharing as well. Not just that, you can interact with them via irrespective of their and your device.

Providing real-time solutions to your customers creates a good impression not just on your existing audience base but also on potential clients. This is one of the best ways to enhance your organic word-of-mouth marketing efforts.

Summing it up

In the customer service sector, omnichannel contact center will be the trend in the upcoming decades. It reduces the workload of the contact center agents, improves first call resolution, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction with complete efficiency. In this approach, all the communication channels are kept open until the customer’s issues get resolved.

Omnichannel has been proved to be the faster, simpler, and more customer-friendly approach in providing better customer service to businesses of all sizes.

If you're interested in improving your business communication solution

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Himani

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Himani is a content writer at Acefone. She is an avid blogger and Youtuber as well. She loves to explore the miraculous world of technology. Connect with her on Linkedin

How Cloud Cryptography Helps You Transfer Content Safely?

Saurabh Sharma

Author

Business Communications

April 30, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

Cloud cryptography uses encryption techniques that protect the data stored within the cloud. It protects your data from cloud operators, ensuring that it isn’t manipulated or saved on unauthorised servers.

To prevent this breach of data, cryptography in the cloud employs encryption techniques that allow users to access cloud services securely. The data hosted is safeguarded and helps protect sensitive data without delaying the delivery of information.

There are majorly two methods used to code and decode the data:

Symmetric algorithm – In this algorithm, the encryption and decryption keys are the same. It is primarily used for bulk data encryption and is suitable for both closed systems and individual users.
Asymmetric algorithm – In this algorithm, two different keys are used (public and private). The keys are not alike but paired with each other. The private key is kept secret, and you can share the public key with anyone.

How does cloud cryptography work?

Cloud cryptography uses encryption techniques in which algorithms scramble text into a code known as ciphertext. With the help of an encryption key, you can change ciphertext into plaintext by decoding it with a series of bits. With access to cryptographic keys, anyone can retrieve the servers with ease and safety. Encryption can secure three types of data.

Information at rest – When data is being stored electronically through the cloud. Example mobile devices, computer hard drives, etc.
Information in transmits – When information is being moved through connections online. Example applications, emails, browsers, etc.
Information in use – When one or more applications are processing data and it is not stored in any external storage device such as a hard drive.

Data encryption takes place in the following ways.

Full disk encryption – It is a cryptographic method that safeguards the data on your computer’s hard drive including program files and operating system. It protects all the files saved on the hard drive and automatically encrypts any file saved in the external drive or on the hard disk.
End-to-end description – In this cryptographic method, we can secure data at both ends of the communication. It prevents third parties from accessing it while being transferred from one system to another. It is the most secure way to communicate online. Example: Facebook messenger
File encryption – In this cryptographic method, data is being encrypted within the file and can be decrypted only with the correct password or an encryption key. So any unauthorised person who tries to intercept the file would not be able to access the information.
Pre-encrypted data synced with the cloud – In this cryptographic method, data is being pre-encrypted before transferring to the cloud. It prevents hackers and anyone with malicious intent from reading or accessing the data.

Cloud encryption, security, and crypto management

Cloud encryption is the simplest way to avoid the breach of data. Different companies implement data security solutions and techniques to protect sensitive data through cryptographic key management.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more companies are investing in cloud computing services. While cloud services do improve the efficiency of an organisation, they are also susceptible to cyberattacks. To prevent such attacks, better encryption techniques and authentication tools are used, which would prevent hackers from exploiting a weakness in the cloud computing system.

Some companies choose to encrypt data before uploading it, while others encrypt data upon receipt.

Role of cloud cryptography in securing content

Cloud cryptography plays a significant role in securing content within the cloud by encryption techniques and safeguarding the data against online threats. It also issues cryptography keys that allow users to access the data. Anyone who does not have the key will not access the data and keeps it safe from unauthorised users.

An excellent way to protect data is to store it cryptographically with users maintaining control of the keys. Two types of encryption methods are

Symmetric encryption – In symmetric encryption, one key (secret) is used to encrypt and decrypt data. In this method, one can convert data into a form that is not readable for external parties. Anyone who has the cryptographic key would be able to decrypt the message into a readable format. In order to communicate via symmetric encryption method, one would need to exchange cryptographic keys.
Asymmetric encryption – In asymmetric encryption, two keys (public and private) are used to encrypt and decrypt data. These cryptographic keys are separate but are mathematically connected. The private key is kept secret or hidden, while you can share the public key with anyone.

Security in the cloud using cryptographic techniques

Security in cloud computing depends on different factors, including what type of encryption method is used, what type of key is used to encrypt or decrypt data, the key length, and type of data being encrypted, etc.

Some of the most common cryptographic techniques are –

Advanced encryption standard (AES) – It is the most commonly used symmetric algorithm. It is used to encrypt a fixed block of data (128 bits). To decipher the text, the keys may be -128, -192, and -256 bit long.
Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) – RSA is an asymmetric algorithm that generates a pair of keys. You can share the public key while the private key is kept as a secret. These keys are numerically linked together and generated via a one-way function.
Triple Data Encryption Standard (TripleDES) – TripleDES is a symmetric encryption technique in which three instances of double encryption standard are used on the same plain text. It is used to encrypt ATM pins and UNIX passwords.
Twofish – Twofish is a symmetric key block cypher which blocks data of 128 bits. It works slower than the advanced encryption standard (AES) and encrypts data in 16 rounds irrespective of the key’s size.

Wrapping up

Cloud cryptography uses encryption techniques that prevent the breach of data and keeps your content safe. Cryptography in the cloud issues encryption keys, thus limiting the number of people who access the data. Hackers and users with malicious intent would not be able to access the data without the keys.

Get in touch with us at 1888-859-0450 or send an email to [email protected] anytime to get started with cloud solutions.

If you're interested in improving your business communication solution

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Saurabh Sharma

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Saurabh is a content writer at Acefone. He is a fan of standup comedy, football, and Hindu mythology. He is fond of travelling to unexplored places, meeting new people, and having newer experiences that enrich his soul. Connect with him on Linkedin

How Parties and Politicians Can Use Cloud Telephony for Better Campaigning?

Yukti Verma

Author

Contact Center

April 28, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the way businesses operate, yes. They have adopted remote work and implemented several state-of-the-art technologies to emerge from this pandemic successfully.

Apart from businesses, however, other entities are also striving to overcome challenges imposed by the pandemic. With elections around the corner, how do political parties gear up for campaigning amid a lockdown?

Here’s how: cloud telephony is not just for businesses, in the current scenario, even political parties can utilise its capabilities to interact with the people.

With COVID-19 cases on the rise yet again, several states have begun to impose lockdowns with stringent rules on social distancing. Political leaders have been advised to limit public exposure and avoid gatherings.

So, how is cloud telephony being implemented by leaders this political season? Here are a few ways:

1. Provides voice broadcasting options

Automated cloud telephony solution is an emerging trend. This medium of communication is being used in a myriad of areas and the political arena is no exception.

Let us understand more about voice broadcasting as a part of cloud telephony solutions.

Voice broadcasting is a medium wherein you can record customised messages and send them to your contact list. Let us see the steps in detail.

Political leaders may record messages about their agenda
A list of recipients is prepared. This is similar to a contact list that includes the recipient’s information
An appropriate time to send the message is scheduled

The rest is taken care of by the cloud telephony service provider.

What are the benefits of this solution?

2. Helps track performance

Voice broadcasting and smart dashboard application enable performance tracking for various campaigns. Individual campaign managers can gauge the number of recipients who have heard the message and shown interest. The service providers also offer advanced analytics and important campaign management data via the interactive dashboard.

3. Provides flexible options

Voice broadcasting campaigns can be scheduled at varying time slots. This is a great advantage for political parties because they can trigger the campaign at a particular time of the day when people are active and willing to listen.

Furthermore, scheduling campaigns based on time will ease the process of categorising them based on performances. Also, this solution offers last-mile connectivity, all a potential voter needs is a phone connection to attend and listen to the call.

4. Is cost-effective

Unlike other communication techniques that need additional manpower and time, voice broadcasting does not need extra resources. The text-to-speech feature allows easy recording which can be instantly broadcasted to potential voters. This saves funds and time for political leaders.

5. Enables feedback

It is pivotal for every enterprise, political or otherwise, to be able to receive feedback from their target audience. Voice broadcasting enables the same. This service can be coupled with an Interactive Voice Response (IVR). The target audience may use this option to send their feedback to the political leaders. This way, stakeholders can understand their campaign performances and gauge voter preferences.

6. Facilitates personalised messages

Different people will relate to different approaches during a political campaign. Some voters might prefer soft and heartfelt speeches whereas others may like agendas or statistics in the manifesto.

Multiple voice broadcasting campaigns will help tweak the message based on different requirements and target the voters.

7. Supports SMS marketing

Sending text messages is one of the most direct and effective mediums of communication for political parties. All they will need to do is frame their text message, prepare a contact list with telephone numbers, and send out the message.

This medium allows political parties to reach thousands of voters in a single click. Moreover, smartphones have now become a prerequisite across age groups.

When people receive this text message, they will easily understand your political message. Furthermore, you can add a call-to-action with the message. By clicking on this link, the receiver will be able to register his/her support for your political party. This way, you will be able to gauge support from different areas.

Moreover, SMS marketing does not involve any specific equipment or device that needs to be employed. It can be simply triggered with the help of the cloud telephony system. Therefore, it proves to be cost-effective as well.

8. Utilisation of UCaaS and CCaaS

Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) focus on streamlining communication. They are both based on the cloud and offered by service providers.

When considering UCaaS, it intends to break through internal silos and facilitate the free flow of information across the various departments in an organisational setup. On the other hand, CCaaS improves customer experiences by integrating multi-channel communication.

Beginning with UCaaS will help maintain a centralised repository of voter information, campaign contact list, and other important details. This will eliminate individual dependencies.

In the case of CCaaS, it will provide a holistic view of the performance of different communication channels used by the politicians to contact their voters. This will include social media platforms, email, automated calls, and text messages.

Moreover, both CCaaS and UCaas offer comprehensive data related to analytics. These reports will detail individual campaign performances and constituencies that support particular politicians. This information will enable political parties to revisit their election agenda and target their voters in a better way.

Next, a combination of UCaaS and CCaaS can help conduct large scale town hall meetings. This pandemic has ruled out the chances of addressing people in person. The capabilities of UCaaS and CCaaS together can enable virtual meetings that will help politicians create a personal impact on the electorate.

In order to conduct said meetings, the stakeholder will need to inform the service provider about the virtual town hall meeting and its agenda. An appropriate link will be created. This link can be circulated across social media accounts of the political party, emails can be sent, recorded voice messages can be triggered, and the response can be measured.

While UCaaS facilitates a better collaboration of internal components of the political party, CCaaS will ensure that audience interaction is dealt with effectively. Organising these townhall meetings empowered by technological tools will help gauge the support of the voters and thereby sense their pulse.

9. CRM integration

Voice broadcasting solution readily integrates with tools like Customer Relationship Management (CRM). This supports the campaign managers to personalise messages based on receiver information. They may include the name of the receiver and could catalogue a tentative political inclination of the voter.

This cloud-based system includes toll-free numbers or vanity numbers that can be used by the political parties to either send messages or make outbound calls to reach out to their supporters. When a unique toll-free/vanity number is used in integration with the CRM, it improves the way the political party is perceived, a pivotal aspect during election campaigning.

This way of campaigning will strike the right chord among the people and help political parties win support.

Wrap up

Technology has always been the lifeboat during an unprecedented crisis. Even during this pandemic, politicians can rely on state-of-the-art, cloud-based solutions to back them during elections. These tools will help politicians reach out to their voters, strike the right chord among them, and emerge victoriously.

If you're interested in improving your business communication solution

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Yukti Verma

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Yukti is a content marketing enthusiast with a soft spot for Saas. She loves weaving complicated concepts into simple stories. When not at work, she is found reading books or watching movies.

How Cloud Telephony Can Aid the Social Service Sector

Acefone Editor

Author

Cloud Telephony

April 27, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

There’s a good chance that you will roll your eyes if we say organizations active in the social service industry need just as rigorous tech support and streamlined communications systems as their counterparts in corporate sectors do.

A lot of us often imagine not-for-profit organizations functioning with threadbare operational systems in their offices. News flash: Institutions and companies within the social service sector in the modern-day work with the same go-getter professionalism and result-driven approach that you often associate with other fields. How else are they expected to reach a wider customer base and nudge prospective customers into turning clients?

Communicating well is vital to creating and expanding a consumer base across industries—more so for organizations that depend solely on funding and investors. The cloud telephony, a no-fuss system, helps those in the social service sector not only achieve this but also save on other potential costs.

Here’s how it simplifies operational issues and maximizes potential.

Helps spend way less money on outbound calls

In the social sector, organizations have to constantly be in touch with funders, prospective partners and charities. Without the solutions provided by cloud telephony, costs could go through the roof very quickly, especially in the work-from-home era.

Need we tell you that blown-up costs are, no matter what the situation, the absolute opposite of what a social service organization is looking to do?

Calling via the Internet is a lot cheaper than traditional communication systems. All cost concerns are eliminated—make all the calls that you have to. Moreover, cloud communication ensures that you don’t miss out on leads if you happen to miss any calls. The system sends out missed call notifications in real-time so that you can track and connect with such clients.

In fact, the technology allows you to give customers missed calls and create a whole campaign to track responses. Or simply deploy a click-to-call button on your website and maximize leads by offering potential clients the ease of not having to dial a number.

Scale up. Or down. Without hassle

Another important feature of cloud telephony systems is scalability, with the help of which organizations can spend in the right areas for better ROI and targeted amplification of features.

For instance, if you’re looking to ramp up the features suite based on a client’s requirements, cloud telephony has you covered. You could add or remove extensions, add an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system, artificial intelligence-based support, voice or keyword analysis, and lots more.

Scaling their business as soon as possible helps social service organizations attract funding. You may need to expand or downsize operations as and when required, and cloud telephony can help you do it in a matter of a few hours.

Cloud telephony also makes internal communication a breeze

Honestly, great communication with clients and partners won’t mean much with chinks in your internal channels of collaboration, especially since the latter are critical for social service sector organizations. The cloud offers solutions precisely for these perennial pain points.

For instance, if you simply want to connect with a colleague, just dial an extension. Don’t want your team to undergo intensive training to familiarize themselves with some alien technological force? Don’t fret over it—just pick a service provider that offers an easy-to-use dashboard for real-time analytics and agent monitoring.

Tired of all the lags and stops causing constant delays and gaps in communication? Well, with the power of the Internet, you can put your worries to rest.

The pandemic has shown us the power of remote work, and the rather underappreciated feature of conference calling has really come into its own with cloud communications. Through this feature, not only can you have teams communicate without a hitch among themselves, but also enable collaboration between volunteers, clients and funders.

The system has great applicability for NGOs and NPOs also because of the group calling feature. For instance, if a team member needs to discuss a problem with not a colleague but an entire department, cloud telephony offers an innovative solution: just call the concerned group without setting up a conference call.

Improves time management, ergo higher productivity

With cloud telephony, you are optimizing time every step of the way, but let us throw more light on a feature that you will particularly love.

Often, administrative work like simply inputting information into a database eats into the larger part of employees’ valuable time. With cloud telephony, which has access to your CRM, you can stop devoting the majority of your time to this process by automating it and start putting it into responsibilities suited to your domain expertise.

This feature also eliminates the human errors (often omission of important details) that come with inputting information into the CRM manually.

Travelling staff? Not a worry

Being able to work in transit doesn’t make the desirable skills list on resumes anymore—it makes the essentials column. Even before the pandemic, telecommuting and flexibility with working hours on an as-needed basis had emerged as hot demands. Round-the-clock operations are imperative for organizations that service clients and stakeholders that are part of the global market.

If yours is a nonprofit, you will often have staff deputed to meet prospective and existing funders. They could also be at an event, networking; or might simply need access to important customer data while they’re on the move.

All of this is made possible by cloud telephony. The data, be it forms, documents, brochures or the like, is stored on a centralized repository which can be accessed from anywhere, anytime––all your staff needs is a smart device and a stable Internet connection.

Seamless collaboration on client servicing

Always wanted a way to easily manage and track your office phone system? Often, your cloud telephony service provider will give you the convenience of an online portal. Using this, you can not only manage call costs, but your employees can also store customer information that other authorized team members can access.

This helps iron out any gaps in customer servicing when accounts shift between employees, since in-depth information on client preferences, support and previous correspondence is available and accessible easily.

Summing it up

By tapping into cloud communication solutions, one can combine a digital-first approach with the much-required personal touch—a combination that is key to tailoring communications to local audiences and real contexts, as suggested by The Guardian.

The technology is of exceptional importance, especially for the work-from-home era when information-sharing might not be as regular or in as much detail. And if you, too, are looking at fine-tuning your communication and client servicing systems with a host of features, Acefone is here to help.

If you're interested in improving your business communication solution

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Hosting A GIG Isn’t What It Used To Be. It’s Online Now!

Ratnam Sinha

Author

Interaction Hub

April 26, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

The show must go on! We’ve all heard that statement at least once in our lives. However, when CoVID-19 hit the world, it seemed to no longer hold true––after all, everything came to a complete standstill.

This was especially true for the entertainment industry. Shows and events that were scheduled way in advance were cancelled in an instant. Public gatherings became prohibited and not only were performers locked in along with everyone else, they suddenly had no means of earning a living.

Despite all the roadblocks though, the show did go on.

Cloud communications, powered by the Internet, enabled artists across the globe to take their gigs online and entertain their fans without leaving the safety and comfort of their homes. Considering the Internet is already a huge part of our daily lives, this solution seemed natural.

Cloud technology offers not only a great way to connect with people but helps artists communicate with the audience better.

Let’s take a look at some features that make online gigs possible and are guiding the industry through this situation.

1. Audio and video conferencing

One of the most popular features of cloud communication is conferencing, both audio and video. With audio conferencing, the artist can initiate a group call with the selected audience and deliver performances such as stand-up comedy shows even without a video.

Video conferencing takes these capabilities a step further. Audiences can enjoy musical performances, dance shows, comedy acts, and even virtual parties with unique games and magic shows. The possibilities are endless.

Cloud conferencing was one of the first features to come to artists’ aid. Even when they couldn’t get on a stage, they could still perform for a live audience.

These gigs emerged like saviours, raising everyone’s morale. There was a way to connect and communicate seamlessly again. Not only could people see and talk to each other in an almost lifelike manner, but they could also hold one-on-one conversations via in-meeting chat during ongoing events without disturbing others.

2. Secure virtual waiting rooms

Suppose you want to host a gig for a special audience––an exclusive event. You obviously wouldn’t want someone uninvited to join your show. The cloud has you covered. You can share invite links with the people you want to include and keep everyone else out.

And if they invite someone you don’t wish to include, there’s a solution for that too.

With virtual waiting rooms, every participant will join a waiting channel or room at first, and only after the host’s approval will they gain access to the real event. This eliminates the chances of anyone misusing the link. Even if someone unwanted joins, you can filter them out with just a click of a button and the show remains unaffected.

3. Screenshare

It is not uncommon for artists to include a presentation in their events. They often present some photos and videos or even add a light show (which is very cool honestly) to their gig. However, CoVID-19 seems to have made all this cool stuff impossible.

Although light shows still have to wait a little longer, with screen sharing performers can present visual media during their gig. Additionally, with unlimited meeting duration, even if the gig doesn’t conclude in the allotted time, artists can stretch their shows a little longer to entertain their audience without any interruptions.

4. Reminders for upcoming gigs with SMSes and voice broadcasts

Cloud technology offers various ways to make sure your audience never misses out on any of your virtual shows. Schedule reminders, block calendars, and send notifications via emails, texts, or even missed calls, in a jiffy.

Voice broadcasting allows you to connect with a large number of people at once. You can personally record an exciting message and automate the delivery process to save time and labour.

Also, out of sight does not have to mean out of mind. Stay connected with your audience online to deliver timely updates and keep the connection going. This is especially helpful for people who anticipate a gig but never get to know the when and where.

Use voice broadcasting or SMSes, quick and easy ways, to communicate and ensure your audience never feels left out or ignored.

5. Easy transactions and identification with OTPs

Providing your customers with a safe portal for transactions is crucial for the success of any event and, eventually, the business. If people don’t trust your payment mediums, they will hesitate to take any monetary action.

Cloud offers various security features, such as end-to-end encryption and Bcrypt hashing that enable safe transactions. Also, a part of this list is One-Time Passwords (OTPs) that help with identity authentication. Coupled with 24×7 availability and 99.99% uptime, these features make your portal trustworthy and customer queries can be handled like a breeze.

Another easy way to safely communicate with your audience is via email. Provide them with a booking link within the email or instructions to guide your customers straight to the payment gateway. This will help avoid any possible frauds.

Not to forget, emails are a more professional and organised way to communicate that can help make events look more white-collared and well-curated.

Wrapping up

The global pandemic has been a phase of suffering for artists and audiences alike. Going online was the only option left for many to even survive in the industry. However, cloud technology came in like a ray of hope in dark times, offering a plethora of features that enabled seamless communication and helped keep spirits high.

People like to watch gigs on their laptops and mobiles now more than ever. That would explain all the specials Netflix is churning out and the number of concerts being held online. Even magicians have found ways to virtually entertain people with their tricks and games.

This just shows the power of the cloud and how it has redefined our world.

If you also wish to take your business online and remain connected with your customers even through the toughest times, look no further than Acefone. We provide the best-in-class cloud solutions, customisable plans, and features that are unique to your needs at unbeatable prices.

Connect with our experts today at 1888-859-0450 and explore the realm of possibilities on the cloud.

If you're interested in improving your business communication solution

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Ratnam Sinha

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Ratnam is an SEO enthusiast and content writer working as a Digital Marketer with Acefone. He is fond of traveling and new experiences. He is a huge Marvel fan and is always open to learning.

Why Your HR Department Can’t Do without Cloud Tools?

Acefone Editor

Author

Unified Communication

April 23, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

For every organisation, the HR department is like the heart of the business. Undoubtedly, the human resources sector is an integral part of companies.

This particular department impacts the minutest aspect of businesses. From managing people, hiring and onboarding employees to employee exit processes. Needless to say, HR plays a cardinal role in the seamless functioning of business processes.

Despite its significance, HR departments are not fully modernised or equipped with smart tools to automate processes.

They are usually provided with a portal that demands manual entry of employee information. This system is, of course, highly prone to errors. Moreover, these portals do not support centralised access and nurture the habit of working in silos.

So, how can companies overcome these challenges and make it easy for the HR department to function?

Undoubtedly, cloud tools are the lifeboat for businesses aiming to offer centralised access to data and automating business processes. They break through silos and motivate an independent work culture.

Let us see in detail how HR departments can’t do without cloud tools.

1. Streamlines recruitment processes

One major role of the HR department is hiring and onboarding employees. This involves tedious processes like shortlisting resumes, contacting candidates, registering their responses, and sending interview invites and many more.

Previously, these processes were carried out manually. However, by adopting cloud-based processes, employee hiring and onboarding can be fully automated. Data can be fed into a centralised cloud-based system from anywhere across the globe.

Furthermore, this system allows simultaneous access by multiple people which means several people can work on the same document remotely. This ability to access business-critical information boosts productivity for the HR department especially in times like the ongoing pandemic where we are forced to work remotely.

2. Helps in training, learning, and development of employees

Implementation of TLD (training, learning, and development) has become a prerequisite for the growth and development of employees. In the current competitive scenario, individual training methods have become a passe. Instead, cloud-based HR systems include training material to equip employees with the knowledge about latest technological skills.

This way your employees can simply log into a centralised cloud-based system and access video presentations, audio files, VR videos, recorded sessions, and other training material.

This particular approach of maintaining a centralised repository of training materials has several advantages.

It drastically cuts costs that go into individual employee training and all you need to do is ensure that all employees participate in the training. With cloud-based systems, your employees have unlimited access to training material. They can use this material as and when required. This will motivate employees to make the most of training material, thereby boosting their existing skills.

3. They are secure

Yet another important aspect of maintaining cloud-based systems is data security. When you involve a third party to streamline business operations, you should keep in mind the risk to business-critical information. Therefore, you should ensure that data security is maintained at all costs.

With a cloud service provider in place, all your data security concerns are taken care of. Your service provider will implement data security measures to step up protection and prevent cyber risks.

4. Strict password protection policy

Your cloud service provider will implement a stringent password protection policy wherein employees are educated about maintaining strong passwords that aren’t easily tracked. They are also trained to change passwords periodically. Reports reveal that 44% of users change their passwords only once or twice a year; cloud providers ensure that isn’t the case.

Multi-factor authentication is an additional layer of security. Usually, you need a password and username to access an account. However, these are highly prone to theft and data leakage, therefore security is amped up by incorporating another layer in the form of a thumbprint or facial recognition. This improves security and safeguards critical information.

5. Installation of firewalls

Software firewalls can be installed on devices or hardware firewalls can be installed on network entry points. Firewalls monitor incoming network traffic and block access to unauthorised and corrupted content. They also help identify suspicious malware and restrict access. This protects the system and the network as a whole from cybersecurity risks.

6. Incorporation of anti-virus and anti-malware software

Your cloud service providers will protect your system by installing appropriate anti-virus and anti-malware software. These will check the entry of malicious entities like malware and trojans into the system, thereby preventing it from getting corrupted.

7. Capability to scale-up

Cloud-based systems come with an in-built capability to scale up and down your resources. This will help you meet your emerging business requirements and facilitate unhindered productivity.

For example, consider a scenario where your cloud-based HR system is designed in a way that allows 10 users to access the system simultaneously. Due to a seasonal spike in hiring, you will need to scale up the number of users. With a cloud provider in place, you simply need to inform them and they will comply instantly.

The best part is that this is a pay-as-you-use model. This means you will need to pay extra only for the additional resources utilized for the stipulated period. You may scale back to the original number of users once your demand is met.

This capability of cloud-based systems will help you meet sudden spikes in demand. When you have the freedom to scale up and down, SenseHR and factoHR will help in the process & will function uninterruptedly thereby positively impacting your entire business ecosystem.

8. Offers centralised access to information

HR department bridges between the several other departments in the organisation. Your HR system must have centralised access along with the ability to communicate with other departments seamlessly.

Let us understand this with an example. Consider a couple of new hires joining your company. You will need to onboard them, provide them with a suitable seat, laptops, ID cards etc. Now, each of these processes is interlinked. While the allocation of the seat is done by the administrative department, laptops are provided by the IT department. So, when each of these duties is interlinked, centralised access to information comes into the picture.

It may not be possible for a siloed environment to succeed in this scenario. What if the IT person is on leave? Will the complete onboarding process come to a halt?

Organisations usually adopt the Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) model to break through this siloed structure.

UCaaS facilitates the seamless flow of information within different departments in the organisation. This eliminates the chances of individual dependency and offers centralised access to information. With this kind of holistic view of critical data, stakeholders can function effortlessly with unhindered processes.

In the scenario mentioned above, with a UCaaS implemented, none of the departments are dependent on the other. They will function irrespective of other departments doing their job. Tasks that are pending will be put on hold but will not impact the functioning of other business processes.

Therefore, HR systems that are implemented in organisations should be necessarily based on the cloud. Implementation of Unified Communication as a Service becomes mandatory due to its capability to initiate the uninterrupted and secure flow of information across various departments.

Wrap up

A competent HR system is the backbone of every organisation. In a siloed structure, HR systems may not be able to function independently, reducing the department’s efficiency.

With a cloud-based HR system and incorporation of the UCaaS, you can provide a holistic view of employee data thereby unifying the whole organisational setup.

Call us up at 1888-859-0450 or drop an email at [email protected] to know more.

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Here is What Smart Offices Will Look Like with IoT and VoIP

Yukti Verma

Author

Voice - VoIP

April 22, 2021

8 mins read eye

Table of content

To say that technology is advancing at a terrifyingly rapid pace would be an understatement.

It seems like yesterday when we would need data top-ups to be able to chat with our friends online.

Now we can talk to them via a video call in real-time even when we’re in different continents.

This has been enabled by something that the tech gurus like to abbreviate as VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol.

Also, remember all those frustrating times when we would get into bed and pull up the covers only to realise that we left the lights on? Now, we’re equipped with the sheer brilliance of our favourite ‘Alexa’ or ‘Siri’, which can be configured to control the lights at the sound of our voice. This is an example of IoT or the Internet of Things.

So, what are these technologies exactly? We shall dissect these terms below and answer some of your questions about them.

We shall also discuss the future of these technologies, which lies in their integration and their impact on our lifestyle, whether in our homes or our offices.

Let’s get started.

What is VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP refers to the collection of hardware components as well as software parts that allow data packets to travel over a network. In layman’s terms, VoIP enables voice, images and other data to travel from the transmitter to the receiver via the Internet. The technology replaces the heavy telephone lines that existed for legacy systems.

Since the development of VoIP and its foray into public usage in the early 2000s, VoIP has had a massive impact in terms of the advantages it offers:

Cost savings as the technology runs via the Internet and one only incurs ISP (Internet Service Provider) charges as opposed to the infrastructural and maintenance costs of the multiple phone lines in a traditional phone system
Remote access to VoIP phone services that allow employees to communicate and collaborate with their colleagues and counterparts from anywhere around the world, instead of only from within their boardrooms
Extensive features offered by VoIP services in addition to the basic requirement of voice transmission over an IP network. These include caller ID, virtual numbers, contact lists, voicemail, etc.
Ease of usage whether in terms of installation, configuration, integration, or maintenance of the IP network without the need to install any other infrastructure to the existing system

And this is only the beginning. If one were to go into detail, there are plenty of beneficial features and overall advantages of this technology.

What is IoT?

The term IoT or ‘Internet of Things’ refers to everything that is connected to the Internet and each other. This mutual connection helps these things ‘talk’ to each other. Currently, the scope of IoT has extended from just laptops connected via Intranet to the connection between additional devices such as sensors, smartphones, and wearables.

The scope of IoT now extends to connected cars, smart homes and smart office spaces, and even smart cities. Hewlett Packard predicted that the number of connected devices would grow from 9 billion in 2013 to at least 1 trillion in 2025.

The ramifications of a digital ecosystem capable of collating, analysing, and acting upon huge data loads are immense.

Following are some of the real-world ramifications of IoT :

Smart homes encompassing connected lights, air conditioners, washing machines, smartphones and much more to make your life simpler and comfortable
Connected cars that enhance the in-car experience for the passengers through temperature sensors, in-car support center, and more
Smart office spaces to improve the productivity and efficiency of employees with an increase in the ease of work
Industrial internet to empower industrial manufacturing and engineering through cutting edge analytics and innovative software
IoT in healthcare includes connected healthcare systems and smart medical devices for better diagnosis and prognosis

IoT presents a rather diversified portfolio, and if researchers are to be asked, we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface.

The need for IoT-VoIP integration

VoIP systems have been a staple in smart office spaces for quite some time now, replacing the legacy analogue PGX systems. With the advent of IoT, there is an exciting opportunity to emboss VoIP phone systems with a layer (of IoT) and improve workspaces and employees’ lifestyle.

But what prompts this integration now?

It could be attributed to various factors that have made this time and this scenario ‘ripe’ for the integration to gain its foothold in present-day offices.

Firstly, it is attributed to the success of Industry 4.0, or what we called Industrial Internet. Industry 4.0 has revolutionised how industrial giants go about their business––incorporating big data analytics into everyday processes of manufacturing and production.

This use case wasn’t too far away from the confines of the office space, and these technological improvements are slowly finding their own niche in smart offices.

Secondly, both technologies are dependent on a common requirement for effective functioning––the IP-enabled core network. This natural synergy allows us to combine VoIP and IoT quite easily and effectively.

Very simply speaking, my calendar could be connected to my alarm over the same IP network, thus automating the activation of the alarm functionality whenever an important meeting or event is around the corner.

Thirdly and lastly, the pandemic has left the ‘normal’ office practices in shambles. As we gear up to go through the second wave, most of the companies worldwide are adopting a hybrid WFH policy for their entire employee base.

As per industry reports, over 75% of employees could end up working remotely by the end of this decade. This scenario demands innovative ways to ensure effective and real-time collaboration between employees, irrespective of whether they are at home or in the office.

Check it out our blog : VOIP for Remote Workers

Smart offices

Now that we have established the need for smart office spaces, we shall discuss the role played by IoT and VoIP integration in these set-ups and how they have a clear-cut advantage over the existing configuration.

Efficiency and performance

Integrating IoT with VoIP has a direct impact on those innumerable manual tasks that are important and, yet, quite redundant in themselves. Like, keeping your eye on the clock at all times so that you don’t miss that important meeting with the boss which is not even confirmed yet. Ring any bells?

Now, all you need to do is connect your email to your phone alarm system so that the required email from the relevant stakeholder sends a beep to your phone, and the alarm rings off to bring the meeting to your attention. No longer do you need to keep a constant watch on your watch, and you can focus on the more important things at hand––your work for the day.

The automation of such tasks shall reduce all that time you spend on manual interventions to nil, and your productivity shall be amplified automatically without any significant effort.

Connectivity and collaboration

VoIP had already created an ecosystem of collaboration between teams sitting miles away from each other by enabling voice transmission as well as video conferencing. The introduction of IoT shall maximise this ability by introducing more multi-faceted tools into the foray.

One such example would be the incorporation of augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) tools into the office space. Consider businesses with offsite client meetings.

In a standard scenario, an employee would need to carry all their resources for a meeting at a client location, However, with the integration of AR tools, any employee could access their office desk from any location via their phone and save the hassle of carrying those resources.

While this might sound a bit far-fetched, the possibilities are endless, and it is only a matter of time before holograms replace the old desktops gathering dust on our desks.

Maintenance and upkeep

Office maintenance is one of those underrated aspects of efficient smart office spaces which often tends to be overlooked by most of us. However, it is an essential requirement that needs proper implementation.

No one would like to work in an office where the thermostat constantly malfunctions, the printers are always running out of ink, and the water coolers can’t be trusted for a clean water supply.

This is where IoT and VoIP can play a significant role. Imagine leaving for the office and setting the thermostat to the required temperature on the way via your phone so that when you reach, the internal temperature settings are perfect for you to start your work––neither too hot nor too cold!

Similarly, printers and water coolers can be configured to send an alert to the correct person in case of repairs or refills. Cleanliness is Godliness, and rightly so.

Running out of necessary office supplies shall become a nightmare of the past as all the required repairs and refills shall be scheduled well ahead of time.

Summing it up

While VoIP and IoT are important technological advancements in themselves, their integration presents unparalleled opportunities to improve the lives of everyone who utilises them.

A smart workspace is such an avenue wherein the efficiencies of each employee can be multiplied without impacting their original work style. In fact, the cloud telephony integration allows them to function as effectively from the comfort of their homes as they did while sitting in the offices.

Our wish: to kill two birds with one stone!

To know more, get on-call with our cloud experts at 1888-859-0450 or drop an email at [email protected].

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Yukti Verma

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Yukti is a content marketing enthusiast with a soft spot for Saas. She loves weaving complicated concepts into simple stories. When not at work, she is found reading books or watching movies.