Insights

Empowering Business Success with Toll-Free Numbers: Insights from Verizon Business, Twilio, Amazon and Bell Canada

Oct 28, 2024

At the 2024 Somos Summit, telecom industry leaders, experts and innovators joined forces to discuss the future of secure and trusted communications. During the Power Session titled "Future-Proofing Toll-Free Numbers: Empowering Businesses for Long-Term Success,” these key industry leaders focused on the evolving role of Toll-Free Numbers and how they are being modernized to meet future business needs. Moderated by Judy Klein, Director of Products and Services at Somos, the panel featured Leslie Beeson, Toll-Free Resp Org Manager at Verizon Business, Colin Johnson, Business Development Manager at Twilio, Elliot Laughlin, Sr. Tech Business Development Manager, Americas at Amazon, and Sadia Szegedi, Toll-Free, Service Assurance & International Traffic Manager at Bell Canada. Together, they explored how businesses can enhance the utility of Toll-Free Numbers to ensure long-term success in a rapidly changing telecommunications environment.

Judy Klein kicked off the session by introducing the panelists, all members of the Somos User Group, emphasizing their critical role in future-proofing Toll-Free Numbers. She noted that Toll-Free Numbers remain indispensable for businesses but need constant adaptation to keep pace with technological changes.

Elliot Laughlin shared his industry experience with Toll-Free Numbers, highlighting their importance in managing customer traffic through multiple carriers and offering failover options to ensure consistent service. "Somos has been instrumental in helping us scale based on different carriers, and we’re really happy with the results," Elliot said, pointing to the flexibility Toll-Free Numbers offer in customer engagement.

Colin Johnson discussed the role of messaging, explaining that Toll-Free Numbers now serve as a multi-functional tool for businesses. "Messaging is key to Toll-Free," he said. "It’s a one-stop shop for talking to customers via text or voice from a single number, which is critical for boosting brand identity." He emphasized the importance of simplicity and flexibility, noting that Toll-Free Numbers can unify communication without the limitations of traditional numbering plans.

Leslie Beeson highlighted Verizon Business' role as a sole provider of traffic while promoting the importance of carrier diversity. She stressed that Toll-Free solutions must offer flexibility, especially through multi-carrier options, which ensures businesses can maintain operations during outages or service disruptions.

Sadia Szegedi spoke about Bell Canada’s diverse Toll-Free portfolio and the significance of on-demand portals as a redundancy plan. As an international provider, Bell Canada works closely with customers to offer tailored solutions that meet their unique needs, especially regarding carrier diversity. "We hear how important it is for customers to have the ability to switch between carriers," she explained.

As the conversation progressed, Judy emphasized the need for the industry to come together to solve shared challenges, particularly when it comes to carrier diversity and service reliability. "We have to band together. And together, we will get there," she said, urging collaboration across the industry to ensure long-term success. Leslie echoed this sentiment, noting that each company can see different parts of the puzzle but needs to share insights to combat larger issues. "Unless we’re sharing it, we have no way to combat it," she said, stressing the importance of industry-wide transparency.

Sadia added that despite being competitors, telecom companies must unite in sharing knowledge and insights to better serve customers. "As a Resp Org, our customers are also our colleagues — and competitors. But at the end of the day, we have to come together and share industry insight," she noted.

The panel agreed that Toll-Free Numbers will remain essential for businesses, but the industry must continue to innovate and collaborate to ensure these tools remain relevant and effective in an increasingly digital world.

The "Future-Proofing Toll-Free Numbers" session highlighted the critical role of Toll-Free Numbers in business success while addressing the challenges and opportunities that come with modernization. The panelists emphasized the importance of carrier diversity, collaboration and customer-centric innovation in ensuring that Toll-Free Numbers continue to evolve alongside the telecommunications industry. As businesses adapt to new technologies and regulatory landscapes, the future of Toll-Free Numbers will depend on the collective efforts of the industry to stay ahead of the curve.

To learn more about the 2024 Somos Summit and to gain access to on-demand recordings, visit www.somos.com/summit