Insights

Learn More About the Present and Future of Somos Products and Services!

Oct 16, 2019

The road is coming to an end for 2019, but it’s only the beginning of the journey for 2020! In his Somos product update at the 2019 Toll-Free User Summit, Future Proof Yourself with the 2020 Toll-Free Roadmap, Ryan Karnas, Somos’ Director of Product Management, reflected on highlights from the 2019 Somos product portfolio and discussed 2020 efforts to develop modern and future-proof products and solutions that will ensure the lasting vitality of Toll-Free.

Some of the most exciting highlights and upcoming initiatives include the following:

SMS/800 Toll-Free Number (TFN) Registry Modernization:
With the help of the Toll-Free community, the modernization of the SMS/800 TFN Registry was successfully executed in June 2019. This momentous effort strategically positions the industry for continued growth as we drive full steam ahead into the future of telecommunications.

RouteLink:
Advancements continue to be made to the way authoritative Toll-Free Routing data is accessed. Somos is positioning RouteLink as the distribution point for Toll-Free IP routing, which is becoming a reality through the new Toll-Free Number Registry.

Toll-Free Messaging:
We’ve worked tirelessly with members of the Toll-Free messaging community to centralize and strengthen the industry. Through our partnership with NetNumber, we’re able to provide a more unified provisioning system that utilizes the TSS Registry.

833 Toll-Free Number Auction: 
In support of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) mission to modernize the assignment of Toll-Free Numbers (TFNs), Somos, as the auction administrator, successfully built the 833 Auction system, which is currently taking applications and is prepared to launch the auction this December 2020.

TFN Identity:
To ensure that the industry is always Making the Perfect Connection, we’ve developed a new solution with the support of Telo that provides verified Caller ID information for outbound Toll-Free calls. TFN Identity is currently in beta testing. We invite you to join us in shaping the Toll-Free Caller ID roadmap.

TFN Registry API & UI Enhancements:
Delivering a modern, cloud-based SMS/800 TFN Registry was the first step in preparing the Toll-Free industry for the future of telecommunications. And the next step? The introduction of new features and functionalities that provide ongoing innovation to maximize customer experience. The SMS/800 TFN Registry’s new features and functionalities were developed to increase performance and address customer requests for improved efficiencies. 

WBA and MGI Decommissioning:
To ease the transition to the newly modernized SMS/800 TFN Registry, two legacy interfaces – Web Based Access (WBA) and Mechanized Generic Interface (MGI) – were maintained throughout the system cutover. As technology advances, however, continuing to use these interfaces puts its user’s business continuity at risk. In support of the future of Toll-Free and your business, the WBA and MGI interfaces are scheduled to be decommissioned in April 2021.

Increased Messaging Security:
Somos is currently in the planning stages of an exciting new solution that puts more control into the hands of Toll-Free Subscribers through a Secure PIN that leverages our existing Resp Org review process. This solution will help further streamline activation of texting services, add a new level of security and ownership validation through the TSS Registry and enable new value-added services on Toll-Free Numbers.