Modern organizations are global. In the past, only the largest of organizations participated in the global economy. Over the past few decades, however, ubiquitous internet access has dramatically changed how and where businesses operate. Today, even small and medium-sized businesses have international customers, locations, and needs.
One of the core needs of a global business is global communications capabilities. Whether it’s a large retail chain that has international offices and customers, or a small mom-and-pop shop that needs to communicate with their international vendors and suppliers, more businesses than ever are buying international numbers today to support their global communication needs.
Why are international phone numbers important?
First and foremost, international phone numbers let companies operate in other countries in a simple and consistent way. Using international numbers, you create immediate familiarity with your customers because you have a local number. In addition, you eliminate any concerns they might have about international calling fees or business costs because they see a number that’s local to their region as your caller ID. With RingCentral international numbers, you’re able to assign a local number to a sales representative who has territories in any given country, making it easier to connect with international prospects and close deals faster. RingCentral allows you to create a local presence with toll-free and local phone numbers in over 100 countries.
Changing international number regulations: How do you keep up?
However, unlike purchasing a local number, purchasing international numbers can be complex and may have additional documents or information to fulfill local regulatory requirements. Laws and regulations vary from country to country and local regulations often require providing adequate identity documentation to carriers or a local regulatory agency. What’s more, as robocalling and spamming become a bigger issue, governments around the world have become stricter and put regulations in place to protect their citizens from unsolicited phone calls.
These regulations are constantly changing. As countries update their telecom regulations, international number buyers must comply so that their numbers are not at risk of getting revoked and so number providers, like RingCentral, can legally operate their local business communications.
How to make ordering international numbers simple
RingCentral stays on top of the latest local regulations and makes international number ordering simple, all through our service portal. Account admins can simply choose from over 100 countries where we offer local and toll-free international numbers. Once the country is selected, the admin is prompted to select the number prefixes and amount of numbers required. They are then prompted to fill out any required data or attached required documents for that particular country, all in one place.
What’s more, customers who have previously placed international number orders have the option to re-use business registrations and proof of address documents until they expire, saving time on having to source this information from their legal or facilities teams.
Once submitted, customers can refer back to check on the status of their order and correct anything that may have been rejected.
How can you get international phone numbers?
International numbers can be purchased for either domestic or global accounts to support local or RingCentral Global Office users. Global Office users are located in one of 40+ RingCentral local PSTN countries, and require international numbers for local users to place external calls with local caller ID. Orders can be placed by account administrators in our service portal, making the process of buying international numbers and submitting the required regulatory information simple and easy.
Originally published Jun 23, 2020, updated Jan 30, 2023
