Voxbone Extends SMS Support to Phone Numbers

By Jai C.S., TMCnet Contributor

Voxbone, a wholesale provider of international numbers and call-origination services, launched a new one-stop support of short messaging service (SMS) for its direct inward dial (DID) numbers.

This new support service, according to the company, is aimed at enabling end users with phone numbers in foreign markets to receive text messages, as well as voice calls, at local rates. It also takes further advantage of Internet protocol networks’ capacity to converge voice and data. Also, it replaces a multi-step, multi-contract process for Voxbone’s (News - Alert) carrier and enterprise customers.

“Previously, Voxbone customers wanting phone numbers in foreign markets to accept text messages needed to go to third-party SMS providers perform separate configurations and sign separate contracts. Through Voxbone, phone numbers can be provisioned instantly, along with all the services they might be dialed to deliver: voice, fax and SMS to date, and video in the near future,” commented Rod Ullens, chief executive officer at Voxbone, in a press release. “On traditional mobile networks, voice and text messaging use completely different systems, requiring different switching equipment and different technical teams,” Ullens added.

Voxbone’s support of SMS is starting with phone numbers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Numbers in other countries within Voxbone’s 50-country inventory will be added in the next few months. Using the long-haul transport mechanism of Voxbone’s voice service, an SMS message texted to a DID will be routed to Voxbone, which then will deliver the message over its IP network to the end user’s provider for ultimate termination, at local texting rates.

Ullen also mentioned that in Voxbone’s IP network, voice and text become two features of the same number, configured once. This, as he believes, makes it possible to add features, which eventually is the company’s ongoing goal of helping customers get optimal use and/or revenue from their number assets.

In related Voxbone news, the company announced the availability of its local number service in a 50th country: South Africa.

(source: http://ipcommunications.tmcnet.com/topics/enterprise-voip/articles/105142-voxbone-extends-sms-support-phone-numbers.htm)