Despite digital communication in its various forms being the core of any business operation, it’s become incredibly fragile. People don’t trust phone calls or text messages anymore. It comes from the convergence of a variety of factors, including frequent data breaches, privacy concerns, increasingly sophisticated phishing scams, and a general lack of transparency.
Think about your reaction every time your phone rings or you get a text message. How often are they from an unrecognized number or person? How often do you decide not to answer a call or respond to a message because you don’t know the sender, don’t recognize the caller, or simply believe it to be a malicious communication? Countless reports over the past several years have clearly shown how little trust people have in existing communications systems. There are simply too many spam and scam calls every single day, and it impacts people in both business and personal communications. Nobody wants to answer the phone any more – yet voice is still arguably the most important communications medium for achieving many objectives.
Collectively, though, all these and other drawbacks have combined to erode what was once a very trustworthy activity, and it highlights a need for communications solutions that prioritize security and user control. That’s what Phound set out to create with its communications platform, which combines voice, text, and video, all with a privacy-first and verified identity mindset.
“Privacy and connectivity shouldn’t be mutually exclusive,” said Phound co-founder Eugene Tcipnjatov. “Our goal is to provide users with the tools to manage their digital lives on their terms – where privacy isn’t an afterthought, but a cornerstone of every interaction.”
At the core of the Phound platform is the idea that privacy and identity verification are absolute necessities.
“Trust isn't optional anymore,” emphasizes Tcipnjatov. “Whether it’s a business transaction or a message from a loved one, people need to know the person on the other end is who they claim to be.”
Through a set of granular controls and real-time privacy settings, Phound gives its users control over how, when, and by whom they can be contacted. This, logically, should help significantly reduce – ideally, even eliminate, the high volume of unwanted calls and messages that constantly disrupt our time days.
Phound’s cloud-based service creates a layer of trust by securing users’ phone numbers – whether they purchase a number from Phound or register an existing number on the platform – with a unique identifier. Phound uses a verified identity system that leverages government-issued ID verification to authenticate callers and senders, ensuring users know exactly who is contacting them. If you have confidence – trust – in who is calling or texting, users will undoubtedly be more likely to answer or respond.
“Imagine never second-guessing whether a call is from your boss, a friend, or a scammer,” said Dave Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Phound. “With Phound, trust is built into every connection.”
The Phound app also includes a persona management feature for easy switching between professional, personal, and public modes – meaning, users can allow (or disallow) different groups of contacts at different times. In addition to reducing spam calls, Phound also makes it easy for users to separate their personal and professional lives.
“Whether you’re in a meeting or spending time with family, Personas put you in control,” Erickson explained. “It’s about aligning your communication with your life’s context and boundaries.”
One element that was missing for businesses, though, was a centralized management capability. I say “was” because Phound recently addressed this need with its new Phound Business Management Portal, equipping organizations with tools to administer numerous Phound accounts from a single interface. This ensures seamless control over crucial aspects such as user identities, access permissions, and overarching corporate communication policies.
“Businesses require flexible and secure solutions to manage their communication ecosystem effectively, and the Phound Business Management Portal is our answer to that need,” explained Dave Erickson, CEO and co-founder of Phound. “The Phound Business Management Portal provides a streamlined way for organizations to oversee multiple Phound accounts, reinforcing trust and increasing efficiency in business interactions.”
Phound Business Management Portal features include:
- Multi-Account Administration: Organizations can effortlessly oversee and manage multiple individual Phound accounts from a single interface. This centralized approach significantly optimizes workflow and boosts overall operational efficiency.
- Persona and Identity Control: Administrators gain granular control over user personas and identities. They can easily assign, reassign, and regulate these personas to maintain role-based communication integrity and ensure clear identification within business interactions.
- Comprehensive Access Controls: IT and HR teams benefit from centralized visibility and control over user permissions. This ensures adherence to company-wide policies and strengthens security by managing who has access to specific communication features and data.
- Privacy-First Security: True to Phound's core principles, the Business Management Portal incorporates integrated authentication safeguards. This ensures that only authorized personnel can access and manage their organization’s business communication services, maintaining the platform’s commitment to privacy and security.
- Unified Billing: Streamlining financial processes, the Unified Billing feature consolidates billing for all of a business’s Phound accounts into a single, easy-to-manage invoice.
Phound is on an admirable – and much needed – quest, seeking to reset the trust factor in communications. Now, with its Business Management Portal, it takes a step towards enabling a new level of trust for businesses, helping ensure organizations can manage their communication ecosystem efficiently and make it easier for them to engage both internally and externally.
Edited by
Erik Linask
