24 Oct 2022 | CloudHost.One, Company News, Telecoms
Although we’ve been providing some telecoms services since we started, it’s never been promoted much. A lot has changed over the years, with some of the services we once provided becoming redundant, and we’ve been looking to launch new partnerships over the past year.
Our new services will be going live this week and include:
- Virtual Landline – an 01 or 02 number, that’s not tied to a physical desk phone;
- Call forwarding – routing calls to another phone (landline or mobile) or phones;
- Hosted VoIP – a full internet phone system that can use phones or mobile apps;
- Phone Numbers – not surprisingly – a full choice of local, national or freephone;
- SIP Trunks – if you have your own PBX we can provide the SIP trunk connection.
Virtual Landline and Call Forwarding
The simplest option, a Virtual Landline service provides a local number and routes those calls to another phone, often a mobile. This enables you to receive calls when you’re out and about, or to reroute calls to a colleague as needed. If you are wanting to make calls as well, consider a VoIP option instead of forwarding.
Single VoIP extension
A single VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) extension can be used to add a ‘virtual line’ to your mobile using an app, or to replace a traditional phone line (these are being phased out and all ‘landline’ phones are moving to VoIP). This includes a local or national number, allowing you to both make and receive calls on your chosen device.
Hosted VoIP Platform
If you are looking for more features, we have you covered still. Our VoIP system isn’t limited to a simple single phone line: but if that is all you need we’re not going to complicate things. You can also take advantage of…
- multiple VoIP extensions – great for additional staff or devices
- additional phone numbers (eg different areas of the country)
- call routing control – handle calls in different ways as required
- call groups – route calls to a group of people simultaneously
- conference room – callers can dial in and all speak together
- IVR menu – route calls based on selections from a call menu
- voicemail – callers can leave messages, with email notifications
- call recording – record incoming and/or outgoing calls if needed
Phone Numbers
We can provide numbers for any UK geographic code (starting 01 or 02), as well as on the non-geographic 0330 range or freephone 0800 numbers. We may also be able to take over existing phone numbers by porting them to our platform.
We’ll be adding more information about these services shortly, but please contact us to find out more and we can help tailor a solution for your needs.
25 Sep 2018 | Telecoms
Earlier in the year, we setup an SMS Shortcode service for a local charity that we have been supporting. They then simply put “Text SUPPORT MTC to 60777 to find out how you can help us” onto their publicity.
It's currently setup to then respond with a link to a form so that the supporter/donor can provide more information, and forwards their number and info to one of the fundraising team to make contact.
There are several different ways that the service could be setup, but now that we own the “SUPPORT” keyword, we can set something similar up for other charities. We're looking to trial this with a few more charities before rolling this out wider. If you'd like to join the trial let us know and we can chat about your needs and how it might work for you.
The trial will be free of charge, though if you want to send a text message reply we would need to pass on the charges for this. There is no cost for receiving a message, viewing it online, or forwarding it to an email address: only for forwarding or replying via SMS, at 4p per message (160 characters).
S6 Connect currently owns and operates the following Keywords on 60777: CONNECT, SAVE, SHARE, SUPPORT
Other codes and numbers are available, but we can usually provide secondary keywords on the above free of charge.
Want to know more? Send a message to 60777 starting with CONNECT SMS
8 Jun 2017 | Telecoms
Yesterday we announced that we are rolling out a new SMS text messaging service. About an hour after publishing that post we received an email with some interesting figures in it. Whilst we're still trying to verify the source of these statistics, it certainly highlights the value of SMS and matches out findings in our trial campaigns.
98% of text messages are read; compared to just 12% on facebook and 20% of email.
How could you use SMS in your business?
Here are some examples of messages you might send using our SMS Text Messaging Platform…
Text REDLION to 60777 to see our menu and latest offers!
George, don't forget your insurance expires next month. We'll call tomorrow to discus the renewal.
Exclusive offer for Jenny – use code SMS20 to get 20% off your next order 🙂
7 Jun 2017 | Telecoms, Company News
S6 Connect has been trialling a new SMS text messaging platform (also known as bulk SMS service) over the last few weeks, and we're now preparing to roll the service out to customers across the UK.
With all the advances in technology and an ever-increasing array of messaging apps and options out there, it may seem strange to be reverting to SMS, but the big advantage is that everyone has it. We're not doubting that Twitter, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram, and other platforms have their uses – we use several still ourselves – but trying to determine who uses what can be a headache in itself. Email has it's place too of course but – let's be honest – how many of the emails you receive do you actually read?
We've used a number of SMS platforms over the years and found each to have its pros and cons of course. Building on that experience – good and bad – brings us to where we are today, and the launch of our own SMS text messaging platform.
As you can see from the screenshot, despite being a very powerful system with several options available, the interface remains clean and simple. Type in the message, select or enter the recipients, and press send. You can schedule it for later, add some merge fields into the message (the customer's name is always good!) and choose what should be shown as the “Sender”. This could be a phone number or the business or brand name.
Two-way Communication
It's not just about sending messages out though. All accounts have access to the “Simple Reply Service” which allows your contacts to reply to one of the (shared) numbers available on the system, but you can also purchase your own ‘virtual' number. In both cases you can be notified of any replies in a number of ways.
SMS short codes and keywords are also available. You'll no doubt have seen or heard adverts where you can text a message to a 5-digit number, often starting the message with a particular word. We do that too! For example, text CONNECT and a short message to 60777 and we can get back to you with more information about the new SMS platform or any of our other services.
Successful Trial Campaigns with Equal People & 4N
Equal People Performing Arts, a charity in South Essex that we do a lot of work with, recently held their annual ball and an SMS campaign was used to remind guests that there would be a raffle and photographer available on the night… so they should bring cash for this! A follow-up message was sent a few days after the event with a brief feedback survey to help with planning for next year. 80% of the recipients responded.
4Networking (4N) – “the UK's only joined up business network” – has over 250 meetings each fortnight up and down the country. A personalised text message was sent out to members and visitors that had been to the Lakeside Lunch meeting when it launched, but that had not been seen more recently. Within five minutes of that message going out, some of the recipients booked into the next meeting. Coincidentally, we announced the new SMS platform at that meeting and are already working with fellow business owners there to help them further improve their customer relationships via SMS.
Do you use SMS?
We'd love to hear success stories from other business and organisations that have used SMS Text Messaging – whether using our platform or another!
25 Aug 2014 | Telecoms
The use of 08x numbers in the UK has been met with increasing concern and anxiety as, unlike most other numbers, they are rarely included in “inclusive minute” bundles.
Sites like saynoto0870.com became very popular, giving savvy-dialers a chance to save some pennies and find a ‘standard rate' or ‘geographic' number to call instead. Several mobile apps are available to address the same issue, some even taking over your dialling and calling the cheaper option automatically for you.
New regulations mean that post-sales phone lines can no longer be charged at a premium rate – meaning that 0844, 0845, 0870 and 09 numbers cannot be used for these services. They should instead use an 01, 02 or 03 number, or even an 0800 number (though these are usually chargeable from a mobile currently).
You can read the Government Press Release about this at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-cuts-off-costly-calls
So why do Companies use these numbers?
The clue to the main cause of controversy lies in one of the terms used to describe such numbers – “revenue generating”. Yup, some Companies were receiving an income from you calling them.
Very often the ‘revenue' will have done little more than offset the cost of the routing and other processes behind the scenes that helps ensure calls are answered by a particular person in a particular way, but there is no hiding from the fact that many Companies made money from calls.
These numbers were able to be controlled and managed in ways that was not always practical with standard landline and mobile numbers, and this was another part of the attraction, but there is little point in running a helpline that can be routed to different people on different days if no one wants to pay to call it!
This is precisely how many of the 08x numbers that we have provisioned were used, and the Intelligent Call Routing, IVR services, Auto Attendant, Virtual Switchboard, Voice2email and fax2mail services were very popular with these numbers as they were often available at no cost. It made perfect sense for small charities to use such services and to be able to run a professional helpline at minimal cost in this way, but times are changing.
The helplines that are using our telephony services are not affected by the new regulations, and we will continue to support those services, but we still encourage organisations to consider moving to an 03, standard landline or freephone number instead. 03 numbers are charged as any other landline (01 or 02) number, and we were one of the early adopters. 03x are more common now.
We still operate our LiveHelp ‘support-on-demand' service using an 087 number, where calls are charged at 10p per minute normally, but we also operate regular landline numbers and a freephone number, and will accept any call on any number without question.
Our new Telecoms services can be provided from a little as £12 a year, providing a range of services on any are code or an 033 code. 030 is reserved for charities, and we provide these also.
If you have any concerns about your use of 08 phone numbers, or want an honest appraisal as to the best way forward, please contact us on 033 3340 3380.
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