Frontier Communications Enters into Partnership with Zipwhip

Frontier Communications Corporation has partnered with Zipwhip, Inc. to become the first tier one operator to text-enable their landline numbers.

Zipwhip, a Seattle-based technology provider, pioneered the concept of utilizing the cloud to enable existing mobile, landline and toll free numbers to send and receive text messages from virtually any connected desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Thanks to Frontier Texting powered by Zipwhip, businesses will now have the ability to connect with customers who choose the convenience of text messaging as their preferred means of communication.

Frontier Texting gives Frontier customers facility to text, or receive a text from, a business' existing landline or toll free number. The message is then pushed at the same time to the business' Internet-connected devices, such as a laptop, desktop, smartphone, or tablet.

A business user can then reply back from whatever device they're on using a Frontier Texting app powered by Zipwhip.

“Adding text messaging to a voice-only line helps businesses handle orders, remind customers of appointments, and answer customer inquiries through a medium that is both familiar to and popular with their customers,” said Ann Burr, president, new product trials and integration for Frontier, in a statement.

“Best of all, the messages go straight to the customer's texting app on their mobile phone--eliminating the need to download and manage a new app,” said Burr.

Burr said that it's a competitive advantage for businesses that maximize the technology they already have in place, combining the reliability of a landline, and the 'reach me anywhere' nature of a mobile device.

“Frontier Communications recognized the need for an industry shift to support texting, and we're committed to driving that innovation with Zipwhip while expanding the value of reliable landlines,” said Burr.

John Lauer, CEO of Zipwhip said that Zipwhip's vision has always been that every phone number should be textable. While 330 million U.S. mobile numbers are text-enabled, 200 million fixed line numbers are not.

Lauer said that this is a huge opportunity for businesses and their customers to deliver texts from mobile subscribers to existing business landline and toll free numbers.