You can set up ring groups and add hunt groups to your call flow in your Global Call Forwarding Control Panel.
There are two ways to add and use hunt groups with your business phone numbers:
Have incoming calls forwarded directly to members of your hunt group
Include hunt groups within your IVR system (e.g., customer service group, tech support HQ, etc.)
To forward all calls to your hunt group:
Once you sign up for our service, you can easily set up call groups in our online Control Panel. Here’s how to set up a call group within your Global Call Forwarding account:
1. Log in to your Control Panel.
2. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
3. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Advanced Routing.
4. Click on the orange Go to Rules button.
5. Click the green Create a New Rule button. Add the description and select your desired days and times.
6. Select Forward All Calls and add your preferred call group phone numbers.
7. Then, choose your ring strategy under the Call Method section, either Sequential, Simultaneous, or Random.
You can set up ring groups and add hunt groups to your call flow in your Global Call Forwarding Control Panel.
There are two ways to add and use hunt groups with your business phone numbers:
Have incoming calls forwarded directly to members of your hunt group
Include hunt groups within your IVR system (e.g., customer service group, tech support HQ, etc.)
To forward all calls to your hunt group:
Log in to your Control Panel.
Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page, under Services.
Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Advanced Routing.
Click on the orange Go to Rules button.
Click the green Create a New Rule button. Add the description and select your desired days and times.
Select Forward All Calls and add your preferred call group phone numbers.
Then, choose your ring strategy under the Call Method section, either Sequential or Simultaneous.
Click Save Rule.
Now, an incoming call will automatically forward to members in the hunt group, based on your call routing method.
To include a hunt group within your IVR menu:
1. Log in to your account.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page, under Services.
3. Click the Settings icon for the phone number line to create its call flow.
4. Click the Call Forwarding tab and select IVR.
5. Click the Manage IVR Applications to customize your IVR processes in the call flow builder.
6. Next, hover to the right side of the screen to create a hunt group and add phone numbers to it:
On the right, click on the Phones tab and then Add a new phone. Here, you can create a hunt group with multiple destination sip or phone numbers. This can be your sales team in the head office or your remote customer service team located in a different country.
You can also choose what type of Ring Mode you want for this hunt group:
Sequential routing: Route calls down the list, always starting with the first in line.
Random routing: Route calls randomly to people within the list.1. Simultaneous ringing: Route the incoming call to everyone on the list at the same time.
Pro tip: Save the title with a descriptive name, such as Customer service team UK for your service team in the UK. If it is an individual, then save it as [name] + phone number + location. Example: Customer service UK or Peter phone number UK.
7. Once done, Save Changes.
8. Then, click on your existing IVR menu or Create New Application.
9. If creating a new menu, select User Menu from the pop-up box.
10. Fill in the necessary information: select a prompt, max. wait time, etc.
11. Then, assign your hunt group by clicking the arrow for the desired number and selecting Phone Call from the pop-up box.
12. Choose your hunt group in the Destination field and fill in the rest. When done, click Close and then Save Application.
Now, when customers call, they will hear a message with an IVR menu. If they want to speak with a salesperson, they press 1 and the call routes to the main office. If they want to speak with a customer service rep, they press 2 and the call routes to your call center. You can add multiple destinations to either of these hunt groups.
Need more help? Our account management and tech support team are always available to assist you in creating a well-functioning phone system. Speak with your account manager or chat with tech support!
Global Call Forwarding makes phone number management easy with our array of call features and user-friendly online control panel. From phone number ordering to managing features for specific lines, you can conveniently manage phone numbers and control your call flow with our service.
In this guide, we will take you through a few phone number management essentials, such as how to:
Add new numbers to your account
Port a number to our service
Use our phone number API
Change your forward-to phone number
Create custom routing rules
Set up an IVR and call flows for different phone lines
1. Add New Phone Numbers and Lines to Your Account
You can add new phone lines by:
Purchasing phone numbers from our website,
Purchasing numbers from your control panel (log in here), or
Speaking with your account manager.
New customers can purchase new phone numbers from our website by filling out the form on our Pricing page.
Select your new number from the left dialog box — Choose the country, type of number, prefix, and number available.
Then, enter the necessary information in the right dialog box to have your calls forwarded. Note: You can forward calls to any location or VoIP/SIP system.
Click on View Rates and choose from our five different plans.
Add premium services, if desired. We offer Call Recording, Outbound Calling, Rollover Minutes, and an Inbound SMS plan.
Click Add to Cart.
Fill in the remaining information, submit your order, and wait for your service to be activated.
To purchase numbers from the Control Panel:
1. Log in to your control panel.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page.
. Click on the Add Phone Number button on the top-right side of the page. Note: Alternatively, you can click on Add Service Lines from the left-hand panel and choose a Call Forwarding or Outbound Calling line. From there, use the phone number ordering form and follow the prompts to get a new service line.
4. Using the form on this page, you can select the number you want to purchase.
5. From the left dialog box, Select Your New Phone Number, select the country for your desired number.
6. Next, select the type of virtual phone number you want for your business (local, toll-free, international toll-free, and vanity numbers). Pick the prefix and number available.
7. Then, enter where you want calls forwarded in the right dialog box Forward Incoming Calls To.
8. Next, review plans and pricing for this number.
9. Scroll down to add optional features such as Rollover, Call Recording, Inbound SMS Plan, and Outbound Calling.
10. Click Add to Cart.
11. On the Checkout page, review your cart. Here, you can choose to Add More Numbers or Submit Order.
Want to add an existing phone number to the Global Call Forwarding network? You can port a number to our service by filling out a number porting request form or speaking with your account manager.
3. Using our phone number API
With our Voice and Phone Number API, you can look up numbers available for purchase. With a few lines of code, you can get a list of countries and cities where local, national, or toll-free numbers are available and directly purchase numbers you need.
4. Change your forward-to number
With time, you may need to change or update your ‘forward-to’ number. You can easily change this information within the control panel:
Log in to your control panel.
Click My Phone Numbers on the left side.
Click on the Settings icon of the service line you want to change.
Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Basic.
Change the number in the field under Forward calls to, and click Save.
5. Add routing rules
Need to send calls to multiple teams and users at the same time? Or, want to route calls to different locations during certain times of the day? You can customize the way calls are routed within your phone system with advanced call routing.
Here are some routing strategies you can use with our service and how to set them up within the control panel:
6. Set up IVR and call flows for different phone lines
You can configure IVR (auto-attendant) to greet callers, offer a predetermined list of menu options, and route callers to the appropriate extension — all with our call flow builder.
Here are the steps to configure IVR:
Log in to your account.
Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page.
Click the Settings icon on the phone line you would like to modify.
Then, select the Call Forwarding tab, and under that, click on IVR.
Click the Manage IVR Applications to customize your IVR processes in our IVR call flow builder.
Here, you can add voice prompts, phone numbers, and email addresses (on the right side).
Click on Create New Application and select User Menu to start building your IVR menu.
Once you build your IVR application, click Close on the bottom right and then Save.
Need more help? Our account management and tech support team are always available to assist you in creating a well-functioning phone system. Speak with your account manager or chat with tech support!
Ringback tones are the sound the caller hears on the line while the call rings, prior to call being answered. Each international location has a distinct ringback tone. Follow the steps to change your ringback tone.
1. Log in to your Control Panel.
2. From the Dashboard click on My Phone Numbers.
3. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
3. Select the Greeting & Ringback tab in the gold bar.
4. On the right hand side is a dropdown to select a country specific ringback tone.
5. Select the desired tone and click Save Changes.
1. From the 3CX Management Console, select “SIP Trunks” > “Add SIP Trunk”.
2. Select the “Generic” option in the “Select Country” dropdown menu and then choose “Generic VoIP Provider” or “Generic SIP Trunk”.
3. Enter the SIP trunk main number (+15619086171). Click “OK” to create and proceed to configure the SIP Trunk.
4. Enter a name for this VoIP provider account (Global Call Forwarding). Crosscheck the pre-filled “Registrar/Server/Gateway Hostname or IP” : mysipaccount.net
5. Specify the “Number of Simultaneous Calls” your provider allows: 24
“Authentication”, select “Register/Account based” – enter SIP authentication ID (XXXXXXXXX) and password (XXXXX).
Click “OK” to save the trunk settings.
Route Calls Over SIP Trunk
Outbound rules dictate how 3CX routes outgoing calls, i.e. via different SIP trunks or gateways, based on which user or group is calling, the dialed number or the number length. You need to create at least one outbound rule to start calling with 3CX.
1. Go to “Outbound Rules”, select “Add,” and enter a name for the new rule.
2. Specify any matching criteria to trigger this outbound rule in the “Apply this rule to these calls” section:
Add additional protection to your account with two factor authentication (TFA). How does it work? When you turn TFA, you will receive an automated email with a unique code each time you log in to your account. Enter this code in the login screen to access the account.
1. From the Dashboard, click on the name icon and select Account Settings from the dropdown.
2. On the Account Profile tab select the toggle button to turn on or off the two factor authentication.
Geographic routing—also known as location-based routing and geo-routing—is an advanced IVR routing service that lets you forward calls based on the location of the caller.
For example, you can route incoming calls from a certain country (Thailand) to your support center in that region (Asia).
You can set up geo-routing from your control panel in just a few steps. Add unlimited rules for your geo-routing schedule. Here is how to set up geographic routing in six easy steps.
1. Log in to your control panel.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the dashboard.
3. Click on the Settings icon on the line that you would like to modify.
4. Then, click on CallForwarding.
5. Next, click on IVR and Manage IVRApplications. This will take you to our IVR Manager.
6. Click on CreateNewApplication.
7. Then, under AdvancedActions, choose CallerID Routing.
8. Add a Name for this application and action.
9. Click on New Rule to set up a new rule to route calls based on caller ID; i.e., the location of the caller.
Here, you can enter the country codes and area codes of your customers; i.e., caller ID information of customers whose calls you want to forward/route to another location.
For example, if you want to forward calls coming from customers in Florida, United States. Then, you enter the US country code (+1) and Florida area codes (786, 904, 352, 772)
10. Click Next to choose the next action (i.e., what happens to a call with this country or area code).
11. Select Phone Call and:
Add a name for this action
Choose a prompt (if needed) from pre-recorded and uploaded prompts. You can add prompts in the right-side toolbox.
Choose a destination — hunt group or phone number where you want to forward the call.
Pick a Ringback tone — Default or specific to the country where the calls will be routed.
Determine wait time.
12. You can also decide what happens after the call is answered (post-call survey) or if it fails (send the call to another backup phone number or to voicemail).
13. Click Close on the bottom right of the caller ID card.
14. Then, click Save Application to save your IVR call flow.
Benefits of Using Location-Based Routing for Improved Caller Experience
Simplified call process and channels incoming call traffic based on location.
Offer one number for multiple locations.
Provide customer support in their time zone and region.
Offer 24/7 global customer support.
Use an efficient, automated service for improved call management.
Access to call tracking and local call reports.
Directs international call traffic to specific locations.
Easy to use and quick set up through the control panel.
Is Geo-Routing Right for You?
Set up geo-routing if your business to better manage your global customer support system. This way, customers can get help in their time zone and even their language. Want to learn more about call routing strategies, speak with one of our experts today!
You can create custom call flows for your business phone system with the IVR Manager (also known as the Call Flow Builder). This service is included free with our business phone service and can be set up from the control panel. Design how calls move within your phone system to improve caller experience and manage calls more effectively.
Here are the steps to create a call flow for a specific business phone line:
1. Log in to your account.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page.
3. Click the Settings icon for the phone number line to create its call flow.
4. Click the Call Forwarding tab and select IVR.
5. Click the Manage IVR Applications to customize your IVR processes in the IVR call flow builder.
6. Next, hover to the right side of the screen to upload prompts and add or create lists of phone numbers and email addresses in their respective tabs:
To upload prompts and voice messages:
Click on the Prompts tab and then Add a new prompt. Here, you can upload or record a prompt and voice message. This is what customers will hear when interacting with your phone system. You can include greetings, company information and updates, directional or navigational instructions, and more.
Pro tip: Save the new prompt with a descriptive and memorable title. Example: Opening greeting or IVR main navigation menu.
To create phone number groups:
Click on the Phones tab and then Add a new phone. Here, you can create a list or hunt group with multiple destination sip or phone numbers. This can be your sales team in the head office or your remote customer service team located in a different country.
You can also choose what type of Ring Mode you want for this hunt group:
Sequential routing: Route calls down the list, always starting with the first in line.
Random routing: Route calls randomly to people within the list.
Simultaneous ringing: Route the incoming call to everyone on the list at the same time.
Pro tip: Save the title with a descriptive name such as Customer service team UK for your service team in the UK. If it is an individual, then save it as [name] + phone number + location. Example: Peter phone number UK.
To add email addresses:
Click on the Emails tab and then Add a new email. Here, you can create a list with one or multiple email addresses.
Pro tip: Save the title of the new list as [name / department name] + email address. Example: Peter email address or Billing email addresses. This way, you can potentially send incoming fax messages and invoices directly to your Billing directly.
7. Once, you have the prompts, numbers, and email addresses in place, you can click on Create New Application on the top right to start building your call flow.
When creating a call flow, you have multiple trigger options and caller interactions to choose from. Let’s go over each action and its purpose. This will help you determine what you need for your call flow.
**Note: Remember to click Close at the end after entering all parameters for a rule. This will save the action within the call flow.
Standard Actions
Announcement — Play an announcement or instructional voice message.
You must include a prompt for this announcement. Toggle the Interruptable green key to allow callers to interrupt the message. You can also add an action for what happens after the message is played by clicking the trigger button next to Played.
Phone Call — Send the call to a specific destination, individual, or department.
You must include:
Prompt (if applicable): announcement or instructional voice message.
Destination for this action: particular department or agent, voicemail, fax address. Here is where you use the phone number and email lists you created before.
Ringback tone: the tone that the caller will hear as they wait for the call to be answered.
Maximum wait period: how long the caller will wait on line before the Failed action takes place.
Then, you get to decide what happens when the call is answered or fails.
Answered: You can play an announcement or send the call to another agent.
Failed: Click on the trigger button to add another action such as sending the call to another agent.
New Code: Enter a code to direct the call to a different action, including attended transfers.
Voicemail — Send the call to your voicemail inbox.
You must include:
Prompt: voicemail message that asks the caller to leave a message.
Maximum wait period
Destination for this action: send the caller’s voicemail message to a business phone number or email address.
Fax — Send incoming fax to desired email addresses.
Use this feature if you have set fax forwarding. You must include the Destination for where you want to receive the incoming fax. Choose an email address or email address list you created earlier.
Go To — Send the call to one of the previous destinations defined within the call flow. For example, you can make the call go to the main IVR menu so callers can hear the message again.
Caller Interactions
User Menu — Create an IVR menu with voice messages and options for callers to explore. They will need to press certain keys on their phone’s keypad or dial pad.
When creating the User Menu, you will need to include:
Prompt: A main voice message that welcomes the caller and gives them different menu options.
Interruptable option: Callers can or cannot interrupt the message played.
Maximum wait period
Repeat: Number of times the message will repeat
Possible trigger for each key (number on the keypad): Choose from the different possible actions and triggers. You can assign each key (1, 2, 3, etc) to a specific target such as a hunt group, department, voicemail, list of email addresses, etc. Here is where you use the phone number and email lists you created before.
Example: #1 will send the call to the customer service department list. #2 will send the call to the billing department list. #3 will send the caller to voicemail.
Invalid: Choose what happens the caller presses the wrong key or number.
Timeout: Choose what happens when the message has repeated the desired number of times but no key was pressed by the caller.
Example: Caller cannot find the right option within the menu so wait in line instead. You can send the caller to voicemail so they can leave a detailed message for assistance.
New Code: Enter a code to direct the call to a different action, including attended transfers.
User Input — Create an IVR menu with voice messages and options for callers with custom rules.
Prompt: A main voice message that welcomes the caller and gives them different menu options.
Interruptable option: Callers can or cannot interrupt the message played.
Maximum wait period
Repeat: Number of times the message will repeat
Invalid: Choose what happens the caller presses the wrong key or number.
Timeout: Choose what happens when the message has repeated the desired number of times but no key was pressed by the caller.
Example: Caller cannot find the right option within the menu so wait in line instead. You can send the caller to voicemail so they can leave a detailed message for assistance.
Advanced Actions
Time-Day Routing — Route calls during a specific period of time to a different destination (location or list of numbers). This is also called time-based routing and time of day routing.
You will need to include:
Timezone: The timezone of the location or region you want to route calls to. In other words, if you want to route calls from your US head office to Hong Kong, then you need to enter Hong Kong’s timezone, which is Hong Kong (GMT+8).
New Rule: Here you create a new rule for calls coming within specific time periods.
First, select parameters for when this action should go into effect. Select the days and holiday list (if applicable) and the time range.
Then, click Next.
Choose Phone Call from the different actions and triggers.
Then, select the Destination number or list where the calls will be forwarded. Here is where you use the phone number and email lists you created before.
Then, choose a Ringback tone and Maximum wait time.
You can also determine what happens if the call Failed (team didn’t answer) such as sending the caller to another hunt group (team) or Voicemail.
Once everything is set up, click Close.
Caller ID Routing — Route calls to a specific destination based on the caller’s location or caller ID. This is also known as geo-routing, location-based routing, and geographic routing.
You will need to include:
Invalid: Choose what happens when the caller presses the wrong key or number.
New Rule: Here you can create a new rule for calls coming from certain area codes and locations.
Choose Country and Area/State codes for the desired country. Example: if you want to use caller ID routing for calls coming from Canada. Then, pick Canada under Country and enter Canada area/state codes like 778, 780, 647, etc.
Then, click Next and choose what happens to a call with one of these caller IDs.
You can send the call to another hunt group by selecting Phone Call or send it to Voicemail.
You can also determine what happens if the call Failed (team didn’t answer) such as sending the caller to another hunt group (team) or Voicemail.
Use these rules to create a call flow that meets your business communication needs.
8. Click Save Application on the top right corner to save your new rule.
To get started, check out our call flow templates for ideas! Have more questions? Please contact us via phone or live chat. We are happy to help customers with their call flow setup.
Did you know you can forward your calls to your PBX via SIP?
Learn how…
SIP forwarding:
If you have a VoIP PBX or any other VoIP capable equipment, you can receive calls using the SIP protocol. If this is the case, select this option and then enter the phone number (username) you want us to call and specify the IP at which you want your call to be sent. Please note this field only allow for a maximum of 31 characters.Send calls to your SIP server by entering sip:<number>@<ipaddress> where:
<number> is any number you want to use that matches an inbound rule on your PBX
<ipaddress> is the IPv4 numeric representation of your IP address (no domain names supported)
Calls can also be sent via TCP or TLS by entering your destination as:
Global Call Forwarding offers outbound calling with caller ID management features such as Local Caller ID and Call Masking. You can easily update your outgoing caller ID within the Global Call Forwarding control panel:
1. Log into your control panel and adjust your call masking settings.
2. Go to your Outbound Calling.
3. Choose the Outbound Calling line where you want to change the caller ID setting.
4. Click on Settings.
5. Under Outgoing Caller ID, you can choose to “Always Hide” or “Always Display” your caller ID.
6. To display a specific caller ID, select “Always Display” and choose the Country and Lines (phone number) that you want displayed.
7. Click Save Settings and start making local calls with local IDs!
1. Login to you account control panel.
2. From the dashboard click on the small triangle on the top, far right side. This will display the Account Setting dropdown.
3. Click the Account Settings button.
4. From the Account Setting page you can change the account email address or other settings and click Save Changes
1. Login to you account control panel.
2. From the dashboard click on the small triangle on the top, far right side. This will display the Account Setting dropdown.
3. Click the Account Settings button.
4. From the Account Setting page you can make changes to the contact name or other setting and click Save Changes
1. Log in to your Control Panel.
2. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
3. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Advanced Routing.
4. Click on the Holiday Routing button.
5. Click the green Create a New Holiday List button. Add the name of the list, description, and select your days.
6. Then, click on Save New Holiday List. You can set up multiple lists for different holidays.
7. Go back to Advanced Routing and click on Go to Rules.
8. Click the green Create New Rule button. Add a description and select the desired holiday list from the dropdown box on the right-hand side. Then, add the necessary routing rules for this particular holiday list.
When using random forwarding the call is forwarded to a series of phone numbers in random. The first number will ring for a certain number of seconds (you set the desired length). If there is no answer within that time, the call is automatically redirected down to an alternate second preset phone number. If the second number does not answer, the call is again forwarded and so on. Up to 4 numbers can be added to the sequence. If the call is never answered you have the option to send it to voicemail.
Here is how you can set up sequential forwarding:
1. Log in to your control panel at https://newcp.unitedworldtelecom.com/login with your email and password.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left side.
3. Click on the Settings Icon of the service line you want to change.
4. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Advanced Routing.
5. Click the orange Go to Rules button.
6. Click the green Create New Rule button.
7. From here, you can enter all the parameters your wish to ad to your random forwarding rule. Enter description, days-of-the-week, start and end dates, and phone number to forward to.
8. Select the Random tab and add additional numbers that will ring randomly if the previous number does not answer. Click Save Rule.
1. From the old control panel click on the the button “New Control Panel”.
2. From there you will be taken to a new login screen that requires you to create a new password.
3. Once you login from this screen all your data will be brought into the new control panel format. In the future you can login at this address https://newcp.globalcallforwarding.com/login
A VOIP softphone is an app or software you can install on your device which enables you to make calls via the internet. Setup is simple! Just select a device below and your operating system to see detailed step-by-step instructions on installation and connection to your service line.
1. In your control panel, go to My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side
2. Click on the Service Plan on the service line you wish to view.
3. Click on the Activity tab on the top, center navigation, to view details. From here, you can download individual call recordings in the Action column.
When using sequential forwarding the call is forwarded to the first (main) preset number which rings for a certain number of seconds (you set the desired length). If there is no answer within that time, the call is automatically redirected down the sequence to the second preset phone number. If the second number does not answer, the call is again forwarded and so on. Up to 4 numbers can be added to the sequence. If the call is never answered you have the option to send it to voicemail.
Here is how you can set up sequential forwarding:
1. Log in to your control panel at https://newcp.unitedworldtelecom.com/login with your email and password.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left side.
3. Click on the Settings Icon of the service line you want to change.
4. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Advanced Routing.
5. Click the orange Go to Rules button.
6. Click the green Create New Rule button.
7. From here, you can enter all the parameters your wish to ad to your sequential forwarding rule. Enter description, days-of-the-week, start and end dates, and phone number to forward to.
8. Add additional numbers that will ring sequentially if the previous number does not answer. Click Save Rule.
Over the course of time, users may want to change or update their destination or ‘forward to’ number. This is the number where your incoming calls are forwarded to. You can quickly change this information through the control panel.
Here is how you can change the forward-to number on your end:
1. Log in to your control panel at https://newcp.unitedworldtelecom.com/login with your email and password.
2. Click My Phone Numbers on the left side.
3. Click on the Settings Icon of the service line you want to change.
4. Select Call Forwarding from the horizontal menu and click Basic.
5. Change the number in the field under Forward calls to, and click save.
Your changes will be applied immediately in real-time.
Due to a rapidly increasing level of fraud in the telecommunications industry, local regulatory authorities in a number of countries now require to fully identify the owner of a phone number prior to its activation.
When requirements are not met, some countries have completely banned the sale of certain types of numbers while others have disconnected numbers at will. These requirements are introduced mainly to make it harder for fraudsters and scammers to obtain virtual numbers to use in the perpetration of international crimes.
As a result, telecom companies that sell phone numbers for those countries and number types without documentation from the intended owner are risking recall or deactivation of the number(s) sold. Additionally, these companies face the possibility of further local restrictions from those countries.
While we are trying our very best to provide a smooth purchasing experience to our customers, we also want to provide a reliable service with properly approved phone numbers.
If one or more of your numbers require proof of ID and other documentation, we strongly encourage you to provide them to our provisioning team as soon as possible to facilitate the activation process.
Your information is always secure with us and will only be shared with intended local partners and authorities.
Call routing is a telecom service offered with virtual phone numbers to help businesses stay connected irrespective of geographical boundaries. Call routing has been used by multinational companies to communicate across multiple markets as well as small businesses to expand to new markets. Here are some ways companies can use call routing and international call forwarding for international business communication and keeping remote and global teams connected:
1. Time-based routing
Route incoming calls from one location to another during certain times of the day or days of the week. When your main office closes for the day or week, you can provide business continuity by routing calls to employees in a different time zone, remote agents, an offshore call center, and more.
2. Location-based routing
This type of routing forwards calls from one location to another based on the location of the caller. This is a valuable feature for businesses with offices and customers in multiple locations, time zones, and regions. With this type of routing, you can route calls to remote teams or satellite offices in different regions and offer support in your customers’ time zone and language.
3. Skill-based routing
This type of routing helps callers reach the right department and agent. When customers call, they interact with an IVR system that helps determine the caller’s need and then transfers them to the appropriate agent located anywhere. Skills needed include specific languages, customer’s past interactions, agent expertise, etc.
4. Simultaneous ringing
Ring multiple phones with one number with the simultaneous ringing feature. This type of routing rings an incoming call on multiple phone numbers within a predetermined group. You can add and remove users in the group as and when needed. By ringing on multiple phones simultaneously, your business increases the chances of calls being answered and reduces the number of missed or unanswered calls.
5. Follow the Sun customer support model
All these types of call routing make it possible for a company to adopt a Follow the Sun customer service model where your business offers customer support 24/7 irrespective of its location. This is because you can route calls to different locations during certain times or based on the caller’s location and needs.
When working remotely, businesses have to pay close attention to managing remote teams and keeping company, employee, and customer data and privacy secure. So, here are some helpful tips to make remote working secure for your business:
1. Educate employees about cyberattacks and phishing scams. Teach employees how to identify suspicious activity and report it.
2. Use a Business VPN to ensure employees work on a private network instead of public networks.
3. Use a VoIP phone system and adhere to best practices to ensure your communications occur over a secure internet connection.
4. Encourage employees to install antivirus software on their devices, especially the ones used for work.
5. Draft an employee technology or security policy that outlines how to protect data and privacy.
6. Ask employees to use different devices for work and personal use.
7. Conduct security checks every couple of weeks to ensure systems are working properly.
Unified communications bring together all vital business communication tools in one place. Such platforms have many benefits for remote teams.
Unified communication as a service (UCaaS) focuses on internal communication and helps keep distributed teams connected. Therefore, it supports team collaboration and connectivity. So, how exactly can your remote teams use a UC platform?
1. Use VoIP & UCaaS to increase mobility and virtual collaboration. Make and receive calls via the internet no matter the location. Use the GCF Softphone to convert any device into a business phone.
2. Take advantage of the variety of features and services available to make remote communication smooth. Top features include international call forwarding, global call routing, outbound calling with a local caller ID, hosted call recording, SMS and fax options, and more.
3. Maintain productivity and efficiency even with distributed teams. By tracking time, reviewing call records, conducting regular meetings, your teams continue to be accountable for the work they do, even if they are not working out of the office.
Need UCaaS to power global voice coverage for your remote teams? Speak with our telecom experts today to get the right solutions for your company.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to many businesses switching to remote work or work-from-home set-ups. Here we will outline the different remote work solutions businesses can adopt to make work-from-home easier and manageable:
1. Get a Virtual Phone Number
Virtual phone numbers help businesses make and receive business calls from any location and device. This means that your remote teams can make and receive calls through the business phone number, even when they are not in the office. And so, they will not have to use their personal phone numbers for business-related calls. If you don’t already have a virtual phone number, go to our homepage and sign up for a new business phone number or port your existing phone number to our service.
2. Set Up Call Routing
Call routing or call forwarding is a telecom service that enables users to route calls from one line to another. In other words, your customers can call your business number, and the call gets routed to your employees’ home phones or smartphones. You can even set up different call routing rules such as:
Time-based routing — route to various groups, lines, and locations during certain times of the day
Location-based routing — route calls to different groups or locations based on the location of the caller
Simultaneous ring — ring multiple phones with one number at the same time to increase the chances of the call being answered
Sequential ringing — ring phones down a list (sequence) predetermined by managers.
Call routing helps your business continue to offer sales and support even as employees work from home.
3. Get a Softphone or Web Dialer
Equip your remote teams with an easy-to-download and use softphone or web dialer. These are webphones that can be downloaded on browsers, desktops, or as an app. Through a softphone:
Employees can make and receive business calls with customizable caller ID
Convert any device into a business phone
Connect with other employees within the office network
Transfer calls
Update customer information
Access voicemail, and more.
4. Chat and Video Conferencing Tools
For more internal collaboration, consider chat and video conferencing tools such as Google Chat, Google Meet, Zoom, etc., to help your employees easily connect with each other in real-time and work together. This is especially helpful with monthly meetings, handovers, product development, and more.
5. Content & Project Management Systems
You may even consider using a project management system or content management system to track everyone’s projects and tasks, view updates and progress, track work time, and collaborate on projects. Popular examples include Teamwork, Trello, Monday, etc.
Country calling codes, also known as dial-in codes, are telephone number prefixes used to reach telephone subscribers in other countries. Country codes must be entered when dialing a telephone number in another country.
Country calling codes are grouped according to geographical zones.
Members of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) are assigned three-digit area codes under the common country prefix 1. The numbers are displayed in the format +1 + area code + telephone number.
+1 – Canada
+1 – United States, including United States territories:
+1 340 – United States Virgin Islands
+1 670 – Northern Mariana Islands
+1 671 – Guam
+1 684 – American Samoa
+1 787 / 939 – Puerto Rico
+1 Many, but not all, Caribbean nations and some Caribbean Dutch and British Overseas Territories:
+1 242 – Bahamas
+1 246 – Barbados
+1 264 – Anguilla
+1 268 – Antigua and Barbuda
+1 284 – British Virgin Islands
+1 345 – Cayman Islands
+1 441 – Bermuda
+1 473 – Grenada
+1 649 – Turks and Caicos Islands
+1 664 – Montserrat
+1 721 – Sint Maarten
+1 758 – Saint Lucia
+1 767 – Dominica
+1 784 – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
+1 809 / 829 / 849 – Dominican Republic
+1 868 – Trinidad and Tobago
+1 869 – Saint Kitts and Nevis
+1 876 / 658 – Jamaica
Aruba, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and British Indian Ocean Territory are also included in Zone 2.
+20 – Egypt
+210 – unassigned
+211 – South Sudan
+212 – Morocco
+213 – Algeria
+214 – unassigned
+215 – unassigned
+216 – Tunisia
+217 – unassigned
+218 – Libya
+219 – unassigned
+220 – Gambia
+221 – Senegal
+222 – Mauritania
+223 – Mali
+224 – Guinea
+225 – Ivory Coast
+226 – Burkina Faso
+227 – Niger
+228 – Togo
+229 – Benin
+230 – Mauritius
+231 – Liberia
+232 – Sierra Leone
+233 – Ghana
+234 – Nigeria
+235 – Chad
+236 – Central African Republic
+237 – Cameroon
+238 – Cape Verde
+239 – São Tomé and Príncipe
+240 – Equatorial Guinea
+241 – Gabon
+242 – Republic of the Congo
+243 – Democratic Republic of the Congo
+244 – Angola
+245 – Guinea-Bissau
+246 – British Indian Ocean Territory
+247 – Ascension Island
+248 – Seychelles
+249 – Sudan
+250 – Rwanda
+251 – Ethiopia
+252 – Somalia
+253 – Djibouti
+254 – Kenya
+255 – Tanzania
+255 24 – Zanzibar, in place of never-implemented +259
+256 – Uganda
+257 – Burundi
+258 – Mozambique
+259 – Unassigned, was intended for People’s Republic of Zanzibar but never implemented – see +255 Tanzania
+260 – Zambia
+261 – Madagascar
+262 – Réunion
+262 269 / 639 – Mayotte (land / mobile, formerly with +269 Comoros)
+263 – Zimbabwe
+264 – Namibia
+265 – Malawi
+266 – Lesotho
+267 – Botswana
+268 – Eswatini
+269 – Comoros (Mayotte was here but moved to +262 Réunion)
+27 – South Africa
+28x – Unassigned (Reserved for country code expansion)[1]
+290 – Saint Helena
+290 8 – Tristan da Cunha
+291 – Eritrea
+292 – Unassigned
+293 – Unassigned
+294 – Unassigned
+295 – Discontinued (was assigned to San Marino, see +378)
+296 – Unassigned
+297 – Aruba
+298 – Faroe Islands
+299 – Greenland
Zones 3 and 4: Europe
+30 – Greece
+31 – Netherlands
+32 – Belgium
+33 – France
+34 – Spain
+350 – Gibraltar
+351 – Portugal
+352 – Luxembourg
+353 – Ireland
+354 – Iceland
+355 – Albania
+356 – Malta
+357 – Cyprus
+358 – Finland
+358 18 – Åland Islands
+359 – Bulgaria
+36 – Hungary (formerly assigned to Turkey, see +90 below)
+37 – Discontinued (was assigned to East Germany until reunifying with the West. See Germany’s country code +49 below)
+370 – Lithuania (formerly +7 012)
+371 – Latvia (formerly +7 013)
+372 – Estonia (formerly +7 014)
+373 – Moldova (formerly +7 042)
+374 – Armenia (formerly +7 885)
+374 47 – Artsakh (landlines, formerly +7 893)
+374 97 – Artsakh (mobile phones)
+375 – Belarus
+376 – Andorra (formerly +33 628)
+377 – Monaco (formerly +33 93)
+378 – San Marino (formerly +39 549)
+379 – Vatican City assigned but uses Italian +39 06698.
+38 – Discontinued (was assigned to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia until its break-up)
+380 – Ukraine
+381 – Serbia
+382 – Montenegro
+383 – Kosovo
+384 – unassigned
+385 – Croatia
+386 – Slovenia
+387 – Bosnia and Herzegovina
+388 – Discontinued (was assigned to the European Telephony Numbering Space)[1][2]
+389 – North Macedonia
+39 – Italy
+39 06 698 – Vatican City (assigned +379 but not in use)
+39 0549 – San Marino (if calling from Italy)
+41 91 – Italy (This is the dialling code for the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia)
+40 – Romania
+41 – Switzerland
+41 91 – Italy (This is the dialling code for the Italian exclave of Campione d’Italia)
+42 – Discontinued (was assigned to Czechoslovakia until its breakup)
+420 – Czech Republic
+421 – Slovakia
+422 – Unassigned
+423 – Liechtenstein (formerly +41 75)
+424 – Unassigned
+425 – Unassigned
+426 – Unassigned
+427 – Unassigned
+428 – Unassigned
+429 – Unassigned
+43 – Austria
+44 – United Kingdom
+44 1481 – Guernsey
+44 1534 – Jersey
+44 1624 – Isle of Man
+45 – Denmark
+46 – Sweden
+47 – Norway
+47 79 – Svalbard
+48 – Poland
+49 – Germany
Zone 5: Rest of the Americas
+500 – Falkland Islands
+500 x – South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
+501 – Belize
+502 – Guatemala
+503 – El Salvador
+504 – Honduras
+505 – Nicaragua
+506 – Costa Rica
+507 – Panama
+508 – Saint-Pierre and Miquelon
+509 – Haiti
+51 – Peru
+52 – Mexico
+53 – Cuba
+54 – Argentina
+55 – Brazil
+56 – Chile
+57 – Colombia
+58 – Venezuela
+590 – Guadeloupe (including Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin)
+591 – Bolivia
+592 – Guyana
+593 – Ecuador
+594 – French Guiana
+595 – Paraguay
+596 – Martinique (formerly assigned to Peru, see +51 above)
+597 – Suriname
+598 – Uruguay
+599 – Former Netherlands Antilles, now grouped as follows:
+599 3 – Sint Eustatius
+599 4 – Saba
+599 5 – Formerly Sint Maarten – Now included in NANP as code +1-721 (see Zone 1, above)
+599 7 – Bonaire
+599 8 – Formerly Aruba – See country code +297 above
+599 9 – Curaçao
Zone 6: Southeast Asia and Oceania
+60 – Malaysia
+61 – Australia (see also +672 below)
+61 8 9162 – Cocos Islands
+61 8 9164 – Christmas Island
+62 – Indonesia
+63 – Philippines
+64 – New Zealand
+64 xx – Pitcairn Islands
+65 – Singapore
+66 – Thailand
+670 – East Timor (formerly +62 39 under Indonesian rule) – formerly Northern Mariana Islands which is now included in NANP as code +1-670 (See Zone 1, above)
+671 – Formerly Guam – Now included in NANP as code +1-671 (See Zone 1, above)
+672 – Australian External Territories (see also +61 Australia above; was originally assigned to Portuguese Timor, see +670 above)
+672 1x – Australia Australian Antarctic Territory
+672 3 – Norfolk Island
+673 – Brunei
+674 – Nauru
+675 – Papua New Guinea
+676 – Tonga
+677 – Solomon Islands
+678 – Vanuatu
+679 – Fiji
+680 – Palau
+681 – Wallis and Futuna
+682 – Cook Islands
+683 – Niue
+684 – Formerly American Samoa – Now included in NANP as code +1-684 (See Zone 1, above)
+685 – Samoa
+686 – Kiribati
+687 – New Caledonia
+688 – Tuvalu
+689 – French Polynesia
+690 – Tokelau
+691 – Federated States of Micronesia
+692 – Marshall Islands
+693 – Unassigned
+694 – Unassigned
+695 – Unassigned
+696 – Unassigned
+697 – Unassigned
+698 – Unassigned
+699 – Unassigned
+800 – International Freephone (UIFN)
+801 – Unassigned
+802 – Unassigned
+803 – Unassigned
+804 – Unassigned
+805 – Unassigned
+806 – Unassigned
+807 – Unassigned
+808 – Reserved for Shared Cost Services
+809 – Unassigned
+81 – Japan
+82 – South Korea
+83x – Unassigned (Reserved for country code expansion)[1]
+84 – Vietnam
+850 – North Korea
+851 – Unassigned
+852 – Hong Kong
+853 – Macau
+854 – Unassigned
+855 – Cambodia
+856 – Laos
+857 – Unassigned, formerly ANAC satellite service
+858 – Unassigned, formerly ANAC satellite service
+859 – Unassigned
+86 – China
+870 – Inmarsat “SNAC” service
+871 – Unassigned (formerly used by Inmarsat, Atlantic East), discontinued in 2008
+872 – Unassigned (formerly used by Inmarsat, Pacific), discontinued in 2008
+873 – Unassigned (formerly used by Inmarsat, Indian), discontinued in 2008
+874 – Unassigned (formerly used by Inmarsat, Atlantic West), discontinued 2008
+875 – Reserved for Maritime Mobile service
+876 – Reserved for Maritime Mobile service
+877 – Reserved for Maritime Mobile service
+878 – Universal Personal Telecommunications services
+879 – Reserved for national non-commercial purposes
+880 – Bangladesh
+881 – Global Mobile Satellite System
+882 – International Networks
+883 – International Networks
+884 – Unassigned
+885 – Unassigned
+886 – Taiwan
+887 – Unassigned
+888 – Telecommunications for Disaster Relief by OCHA
+889 – Unassigned
+89x – Unassigned (Reserved for country code expansion)
Zone 9: Mostly Middle East and Parts of South Asia
+90 – Turkey
+90 392 – Northern Cyprus
+91 – India
+92 – Pakistan
+92 582 – Azad Kashmir[3]
+92 581 – Gilgit Baltistan[3]
+93 – Afghanistan
+94 – Sri Lanka
+95 – Myanmar
+960 – Maldives
+961 – Lebanon
+962 – Jordan
+963 – Syria
+964 – Iraq
+965 – Kuwait
+966 – Saudi Arabia
+967 – Yemen
+968 – Oman
+969 – Unassigned – originally South Yemen, now covered under 967 Yemen (formerly North Yemen)
+970 – Palestine
+971 – United Arab Emirates
+972 – Israel
+973 – Bahrain
+974 – Qatar
+975 – Bhutan
+976 – Mongolia
+977 – Nepal
+978 – Unassigned – originally assigned to Dubai, now covered under 971
+979 – International Premium Rate Service – originally assigned to Abu Dhabi, now covered under 971
+98 – Iran
+990 – Unassigned
+991 – International Telecommunications Public Correspondence Service trial (ITPCS)
+992 – Tajikistan
+993 – Turkmenistan
+994 – Azerbaijan
+995 – Georgia
+995 34 – South Ossetia
+995 44 – Abkhazia[4][5] – see also +7 840, 940
+996 – Kyrgyzstan
+997 – Kazakhstan, only for SIM cards ICCID
+998 – Uzbekistan
+999 – Reserved for future global service
Black and white lists are a great feature to reduce spam calls. Black lists will block calls from phone numbers on the list. White lists will only allow calls from numbers on the list. Please follow these steps to set up a black or white list.
Log in to your control panel.
Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page.
Click on the line that you would like to modify.
Click on the Settings icon
Click on Restriction List tab.
Enable either Black List or White List and add numbers to your list.
Users may set a customized greeting to professionally answer calls at no extra cost. Custom greetings can be configured in the control panel. You may upload an MP3 or record your greeting from the control panel directly.
Here are the steps to set a custom phone greeting:
Log in to your account.
Click My Phone Numbers on the left-hand side of the page.
Click Settings Iconthe line that you would like to modify.
Click the Call Forwarding tab an select Basic.
On the right under Incoming Call Messages/Recording, you may either upload a custom greeting or record one.
next to Played.
