Virtual Telephone Numbers are a powerful new communication tool for businesses and personal use. Their origins began as Remote Call Forward (RCF) numbers from telephone companies such as AT&T and Verizon. Although they have many applications and solve many problems, their use was limited by the telephone companies’ practice of extravagantly expensive usage based charges.
Today, many SIP Trunk and Hosted VoIP providers deliver Virtual Telephone Numbers at affordable rates. Hosted VoIP providers also deliver their services under the name of Hosted PBX and Virtual PBX. Most VoIP providers furnish their service with flat rate pricing as opposed to the telephone companies that can charge per minute rates several times greater than their long distance packages. Some VoIP providers allow their customers to use Virtual Telephone Numbers as their outbound CallerID.
With the advent of affordable pricing and greater flexibility of Virtual Telephone Numbers from VoIP providers, here are their top 7 uses:
1. Virtual Telephone Numbers can be forwarded to mobile phones.
Privacy and adequate down time is protected by supplying virtual numbers instead of mobile telephone numbers to key customers.
2. Virtual Telephone Numbers help a company retain control of the contact numbers that callers use without having to supply mobile phones to employees.
Positions similar to inside and outside sales as well as real estate are examples where mobile phones are essential to the job. Few employers provide mobile phones leaving the employee to give out their personal mobile number. When they leave their position, their customers will still call them. With Virtual Telephone Numbers, the company can easily redirect calls to any number they choose and retain control of who the customer calls.
3. Virtual Telephone Numbers can be published in remote markets without needing a physical presence.
These numbers can ring to almost anywhere allowing home office employees to answer most calls and leave the remote employees to do their specific jobs.
4. After closing down an office, the local published telephone numbers can be converted to a Virtual Telephone Number and forwarded to another office or someone’s home.
Offices can be closed and money can be saved without sacrificing the local feel to servicing the remaining customers in the area.
5. While keeping the remote office open, local published telephone numbers can be converted to Virtual Numbers and ring to the main office or any other number of choice.
Remote employees who wear many hats and may be stretched thin on resources can have the burden of answering the phone relieved thus freeing essential personnel to handle other pressing matters.
6. In some instances, major telephone line providers force their customers to change phone numbers when moving.
Virtual numbers can be forwarded to the office’s new telephone number.
7. Advanced Hosted PBX and Hosted VoIP providers route calls to virtual numbers based upon the time of the day.
Calls can be automatically shifted to personnel on the West coast or to staff members assigned to work later hours.
Virtual Telephone Numbers are a powerful communication tool that delivers many flexible call handling options to business users. Businesses can easily close and expand operations with their use as well as adjust duty assignments of remote personnel. Advanced Hosted VoIP providers have the ability for their users to place calls using the Virtual Telephone Number as the outbound CallerID. And finally, almost any number can be converted into a Virtual Telephone Number.
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