Technology | Globe Teleservice

Harnessing AI in CPaaS: The Telco Advantage in the Digital Era

In the rapidly advancing tech landscape, few innovations have made as significant an impact as the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Communications Platforms as a Service (CPaaS). Amidst a sea of industry jargon and trends, the synergy between AI and CPaaS stands out for its benefits across various sectors. AI in telecom is transforming business communications, enhancing customer engagement with personalized interactions to improved fraud detection.

The AI technology market is projected to expand significantly, potentially surpassing $1.8 trillion by 2030.

Here’s how businesses can leverage AI within CPaaS to elevate their communication strategies and drive growth:

1. Machine Learning: Adapting for Efficiency

Machine Learning (ML) is a crucial component of AI in CPaaS, enabling systems to learn from data and adapt to evolving communication patterns. By continuously analyzing interaction data, these algorithms fine-tune their responses, leading to optimized interactions and increased operational efficiency. The benefits include improved customer retention, lower operational costs, and a shift from reactive to proactive service models.

2. Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enhancing Human-Like Interaction

Natural Language Processing (NLP) elevates CPaaS by helping the platform understand and generate human language effectively. NLP allows systems to interpret text and voice communications, grasping context, sentiment, and intent. This capability is essential for automating and personalizing customer service, breaking down language barriers, and boosting user engagement. Companies utilizing NLP can provide more intuitive and responsive customer experiences, broadening their market reach.

3. Conversational AI: Continuous, Natural Interaction

Conversational AI is central to Conversational Commerce, facilitating seamless, ongoing customer interactions across digital channels. By combining NLP and machine learning, Conversational AI systems deliver accurate responses, learn from interactions, and integrate smoothly across platforms. The advantages include reduced overhead costs, increased availability, and improved customer satisfaction. Adopting conversational AI enables businesses to improve customer engagement and conversion rates, making it a vital tool for modern CPaaS providers.

4. Bots: Automating Customer Service

AI-driven bots—such as chatbots, voice bots, and video bots—are transforming customer service by automating complex interactions and ensuring 24/7 availability. These bots adapt to user preferences and handle growing interaction volumes without additional human resources. For CPaaS providers, offering sophisticated bot solutions can significantly cut response times and reduce operational costs.

5. Intent Analysis: Insight into Customer Needs

Sentiment and Intent Analysis empowers CPaaS platforms to understand the emotional tone and intentions behind customer communications. By examining text and speech, these AI tools provide valuable insights into customer needs, allowing businesses to tailor their responses and address issues proactively. Integrating sentiment and intent analysis can greatly enhance customer service strategies, leading to better retention and satisfaction.

6. Recommendation Engines: Personalizing User Engagement

Recommendation Engines leverage AI to analyze user behaviors and preferences, offering personalized content, products, or services. This customization enhances user engagement across CPaaS applications, from marketing messages to service offerings. Integrating recommendation engines allows platforms to deliver customized experiences that improve user satisfaction and conversion rates.

Conclusion: Gaining a Competitive Edge with AI

The integration of AI into CPaaS platforms represents a significant advancement in business communication. From machine learning’s optimization to predictive engagement’s proactive approach, AI provides a range of tools that enhance operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and strategic insight. As AI technology evolves, staying current with these innovations is crucial for CPaaS providers aiming to excel in a competitive digital environment. Embracing AI is not just a strategic choice—it’s essential for driving future growth and innovation.

At Globe Teleservices, we are at the forefront of this transformation, harnessing AI to address key challenges and enhance customer experiences. Contact us to discover how our advanced, AI-powered CPaaS+ solution can give enterprises a competitive edge.

Unveiling the Disruptive Impact: How Flash Calling Undermines Telecom Revenue

Missed calls have long been used informally as a signaling method by users. However, their adoption by enterprises as an authentication tool on Android phones has telecom providers concerned about revenue loss. A flash call is a quick missed call used for mobile number authentication, especially during app installations. The mechanics are straightforward: when a user initiates an action requiring verification, such as logging into an account or completing a transaction, a call is automatically placed to their registered phone number. The call typically rings once or twice before disconnecting, and no conversation takes place. The system then verifies the user based on the phone number called, confirming the user’s access to the associated phone. This method leverages the telecommunication infrastructure to provide a quick and cost-effective way to verify identity without requiring manual code entry.

The recent increase in international calling and messaging rates due to immigration has led businesses to opt for alternative authentication methods, resulting in a substantial rise in the volume of flash calls. As these calls offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for authentication, they have become a popular choice among businesses. However, the telecom industry struggles with the rising issue of flash calls, and regulatory bodies have yet to address these concerns comprehensively.

Rising Popularity Among the Users

Flash calls are gaining popularity among consumers due to their convenience and efficiency.

It is expected to reach 128 billion calls globally by 2026, as per Juniper Research. Unlike traditional methods of verification, such as SMS-based one-time passwords (OTPs), flash calls eliminate the need for users to manually enter codes, streamlining the authentication process. This makes it particularly appealing for users who want a quick and seamless experience. Additionally, flash calls are generally more cost-effective for businesses, as they utilize the existing telecommunication infrastructure without incurring SMS charges. This cost-efficiency can be passed on to consumers, potentially leading to lower service costs. Moreover, flash calls enhance security by reducing the risk of interception or phishing attacks associated with SMS OTPs. As a result, more users are turning to this method for a hassle-free and secure verification process.

The Impact on Telecom Operators

While flash calls offer a convenient and cost-effective solution for consumers and businesses, they can impose hidden costs on telecom providers. These costs arise primarily from the increased volume of signaling traffic generated by flash calls, which can strain network resources. Unlike traditional calls that involve a complete call setup and teardown process, flash calls create a surge in signaling traffic without generating corresponding revenue from call charges. This imbalance can lead to network congestion, impacting overall service quality and potentially requiring telecom providers to invest in additional infrastructure to handle the increased load. Additionally, flash calls may lead to an increased incidence of missed call alerts and associated customer service queries, further adding to operational costs. As the popularity of flash calls rises, telecom providers must address these challenges to maintain network performance and customer satisfaction.

Strategies for Combating Flash Calls

To mitigate revenue loss and foster sustainable growth in the face of the emerging challenge posed by flash calls, telecom operators can adopt several strategies:

Invest in Network Optimization: Telecom operators should invest in advanced network optimization technologies to manage the increased signaling traffic caused by flash calls. Implementing intelligent network traffic management systems can help balance the load and prevent congestion, ensuring that service quality remains high without incurring excessive operational costs.
Introduce Flash Call Detection and Billing: Developing systems to accurately detect and categorize flash calls can enable telecom operators to introduce billing models specifically for these calls. By charging businesses for the flash call authentication service, operators can create a new revenue stream that offsets the costs associated with increased signaling traffic.
Enhance Fraud Detection and Prevention: Strengthening fraud detection mechanisms can help telecom operators identify and block unauthorized or malicious flash call activities. By leveraging advanced analytics and machine learning, operators can proactively safeguard their networks and minimize revenue losses due to fraudulent activities.
Expand Value-Added Services: Telecom operators can expand their portfolio of value-added services by offering comprehensive authentication solutions that go beyond flash calls. Integrating biometric verification, app-based authentication, and multi-factor authentication services can provide businesses with a robust and versatile authentication suite, generating additional revenue streams.
Collaborate with Businesses: Establishing partnerships with businesses that rely on flash call verification can create mutually beneficial opportunities. Telecom operators can offer tailored authentication packages, including volume-based pricing or subscription models, encouraging businesses to adopt these services while ensuring a steady revenue flow for the operators.

By implementing these strategies, telecom operators can effectively address the challenges posed by flash calls, mitigate revenue loss, and pave the way for sustainable growth in the evolving telecommunications landscape.

In addition to these strategies, operators can monetize and secure their revenue amidst the increasing use of flash calls by adopting advanced solutions like Globe Teleservices’ flash call blocking service. This innovative solution helps detect and block unauthorized flash calls, protecting network integrity and reducing fraudulent activities.

Contact us to discover how our approach is enabling operators to remain competitive and profitable in the face of this emerging challenge, providing a robust framework for continued growth and customer satisfaction.

Artificial Intelligence – Driving Growth in Telecom

The telecom industry is undergoing a transformative shift with the advent of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is revolutionizing various aspects of telecommunications, from network optimization and customer service to fraud detection and predictive maintenance. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, telecom operators can enhance operational efficiency, deliver personalized customer experiences, and anticipate network issues before they escalate.

As per Juniper Research, the AI technology market is predicted to reach and go over 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars by 2030.

AI and its power to overcome challenges in the telecom industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming a vital tool for addressing various challenges in the telecom industry. Here’s how AI can tackle some of the key challenges:

1. Fraud Detection

Challenge: Telecom operators face significant revenue loss due to fraudulent activities such as SIM card cloning and account takeovers.

How AI Can Help: AI systems detect unusual patterns and anomalies in network traffic, identifying potential fraudulent activities in real-time. By reporting suspicious behavior, AI helps prevent security breaches and lower financial losses.

2. Customer Churn

Challenge: High customer churn rates can affect revenue and growth, especially when customers leave due to service dissatisfaction or better offers from competitors.

How AI Can Help: AI models analyze customer behavior, usage patterns, and service issues to predict which customers are likely to churn. By identifying the risks, operators can implement strategies and personalized offers to retain customers.

3. Customer Service

Challenge: Providing timely and effective customer support can be challenging due to high volumes of inquiries and the complexity of issues.

How AI Can Help: AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants handle routine customer inquiries, provide troubleshooting support, and escalate complex issues to human agents when necessary. This can improve the response times and reduce operational costs to enhance customer satisfaction.

4. Network Planning and Optimization

Challenge: Designing and planning network expansions involves examining various scenarios and predicting their impacts, which can be complex and time-consuming.

How AI Can Help: AI tools simulate different network configurations and analyze their potential impacts. This data-driven approach helps telecom operators make informed decisions about infrastructure investments, optimize network design, and plan expansions more effectively.

5. Data Management

Challenge: Managing large volumes of data generated by telecom operations can be overwhelming.

How AI Can Help: AI tools process and analyze massive datasets quickly and efficiently. This enables telecom operators to gain actionable insights, make data-driven decisions, and enhance overall operational efficiency.

6. Personalized Marketing

Challenge: Developing targeted marketing strategies and offers can be difficult without a clear understanding of customer preferences.

How AI Can Help: AI analyzes customer data to understand preferences and behavior, enabling telecom operators to deliver personalized marketing messages, offers, and recommendations. This approach increases engagement, improves conversion rates, and drives customer loyalty.

In conclusion, AI-enabled solutions have the potential to revolutionize the telecom industry by addressing complex challenges and driving substantial improvements across operations. By leveraging AI for network optimization, predictive maintenance, fraud detection, and customer service, operators and enterprises can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver superior customer experiences.

Globe Teleservices stands at the forefront of this technological transformation, offering a suite of advanced AI-driven solutions designed to address these industry needs. From predictive analytics and real-time network monitoring to intelligent fraud prevention and personalized customer interactions, Globe Teleservices empowers telecom operators to meet the demands of today’s digital landscape.

The Rise of Flash Calling: What does it mean for the MNOs?

In our digital world, almost everything is accessible with a few clicks. Whether you’re shopping online, making payments, or logging into your favorite online services, an OTP (One Time Password) requested via SMS is often the key to completing your transaction. However, the adoption of flash calls for authentication has rapidly become the preferred choice for enterprises, posing challenges for telecom operators in the industry.

What is a Flash Call?

Flash calling is a seamless authentication method that verifies identity without requiring any specific action from the end-user. When a user starts a two-factor authentication (2FA) process, a activation code is delivered by a flash call. Unlike traditional methods that require manually inputting a code or responding to a prompt, a flash call is automatically initiated to the user’s phone.

How Does Flash Calling Work?

When a phone application initiates the authentication process, it enters a state of ‘monitoring’, awaiting a call. The incoming voice call has a specific Caller Line Identification (CLI), where the last 4-6 digits serve as the required activation code. Typically, the code is acknowledged, and the call is seen as a missed call in the device, requiring no manual intervention.

This method is more user-friendly and cost-effective than other authentication methods. As the market sees widespread A2P SMS price increases, flash calls offer a budget-friendly alternative for enterprises and service providers.

Impact of Flash Calls on MNOs

While flash calls benefit businesses and users, it is a source of worry for all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Flash calls utilize their infrastructure but, unlike SMS or calls, do not generate revenue. This shift is significant, as Juniper Research predicts that telecom operators will lose $1.3 billion to undetected flash calls between 2023 and 2027.

How can MNOs Address Flash Calls?

To monetize flash call traffic, MNOs need to act swiftly. They can either:

Block flash calls altogether
Embrace them as a revenue stream

To manage flash calls in real-time, introducing voice firewalls is crucial. These not only detect flash call traffic but also prevent fraudulent activities like robocalling and grey routing of A2P SMS traffic. Firewalls safeguard the revenues and also protect the subscribers from other frauds, such as Wangiri.

Juniper Research predicts that over 90% of flash calling traffic will go undetected by network operators in 2023. However, this figure is expected to drop to 45% by 2026 due to the increasing implementation of firewall solutions.

Finding the Right Partner

Finding the right firewall solution provider is essential for MNOs looking to monetize flash calls and harness new revenue sources. This enables the identification and blocking of flash calling numbers within the network, while also safeguarding end-users from various frauds associated with them.

Gain control over the flash calls in your network and monetize them with Globe Teleservices’ next-gen firewall solution, Armour. Its AI/ML capabilities allow MNOs to monitor, analyze, identify such calls, protect their revenues and deliver superior customer experiences.

Customer Communication Trends in the Evolving Telecom Industry

The telecom industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the need to place customers at the center of its strategies. With advancements in digital innovation, telecom companies are focusing on offering experiences with human-centric interactions. This evolution is reshaping the customer experience, providing new opportunities for businesses to enhance their services and grow.

The Importance of Customer Experience in Telecom

Customer experience is critical for all, be it enterprises or operators in the telecom industry, which faces high competition and customer volatility. Technological evolution means services quickly become obsolete, leading customers to switch brands frequently. Ensuring a superior customer experience is essential to retain customers and stay competitive.

Here are the latest customer communication trends and what they mean for your future communication strategies.

Digital Channels: The Backbone of B2B Communication

Customers increasingly prefer digital channels for communication, seeking quick and accurate responses without waiting on hold. Businesses using digital channels, such as voice, SMS, and chat apps, are ahead in providing efficient customer service. Rich Communications Services (RCS) is enhancing business-to-consumer (B2C) communication strategies, leading to more engaging and conversational experiences. As per Juniper’s findings, the active RCS user base is anticipated to hit 1.1 billion by 2024.

Personalization: The Key to Customer Loyalty

Personalizing customer experiences is a powerful strategy for building loyalty. Telecom companies are developing customized service offerings, utilizing customer data analytics for targeted communication and mapping customer journeys to identify personalization opportunities. Tailored offers, relevant updates, and personalized marketing messages demonstrate an understanding of unique customer needs, fostering loyalty.

Next-Gen Technology: Enhancing Interactions

Incorporating advanced technologies can significantly improve customer interactions and satisfaction:

Advanced CRM Systems:

Manage customer data and interactions effectively.

Omnichannel Engagement:

Ensure a seamless experience across various digital channels, including websites, mobile apps, and social media.

Data Analytics:

Understand customer behaviors and preferences to tailor communications.

A2P SMS: A Pillar for Effective Communication

Despite the rise of rich media channels, SMS remains crucial in communication strategies. The worldwide A2P SMS market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.9%, reaching USD 96.9 billion by 2032. Rich media messaging (MMS and RCS) allows businesses to send more engaging messages, while omnichannel messaging strategies and AI enhance the effectiveness of A2P messaging campaigns by personalizing messages, segmenting audiences, and anticipating customer behavior.

Conversational Channels – The Key to Engaging Interactions

Adding the right digital channels to your communication mix is essential for delivering conversational customer experiences. Voice, SMS, and chat apps are top channels for B2C communication. RCS is paving the way for future strategies, meeting the rising demand for conversational experiences. This has become crucial for enterprises planning to develop their omnichannel strategies, creating hybrid digital-physical experiences.

Conclusion

To perfect your communication strategy, assess current strategies to identify gaps and fill them effectively. Automating AI chatbots and adding flexible channels, like WhatsApp, can improve customer engagement. A cloud contact center can manage conversations across various channels, ensuring access to conversation history and efficient responses.

Customer communication in the telecom industry is evolving rapidly, driven by digital innovation and the need for human-centric interactions. By focusing on digital channels, personalization, next-gen technology, A2P SMS, and conversational channels, telecom companies can enhance customer engagement and stay competitive.

Enable innovations with Globe Teleservices to ensure your customer engagement goes from good to great. Perfect your omnichannel communication strategy today with our next-gen telecom solutions.

Top 5 Ways in Which Modern Telecom Solutions Change Lives

Conversations around the evolution of telecommunications, wireless networks, internet services and more, usually revolve around communications and business applications. While the power of telecommunication has indelibly changed that space, it has also transformed other aspects with a far deeper and life-changing impact.

This blog explores how modern telecom solutions are changing lives.

Fostering socio-economic development

Modern telecom solutions have been instrumental in connecting individuals across urban and rural, and rich and poor segments. These solutions have delivered access to information, markets, and services, where its impact can be felt most significantly by the underserved sections of the society.

Telecommunication solutions have also influenced digital inclusion and equality by giving people from all walks of life access to essential digital technology. This has been instrumental in reducing socio-economic inequalities and fostering inclusive economic growth. Mobile phones have represented the first telecom infrastructure in many places and are proving crucial in driving connectivity.

It is through these solutions that people in the underserved areas delivered tangible economic benefits and improved access to information.

These solutions also create employment opportunities and influence economic outcomes. The mobile industry in the Sub-Saharan region, for example, has created approximately 2 million jobs for people directly and created employment for another 1.8 million people in the wider ecosystem in 2019.

Financial inclusion driven by digital payments and mobile money

The rise of digital payments and mobile money can be credited to the maturing of telecommunication networks and infrastructure. This growth has been further fueled by the expanding number of telecom solution providers, and pursuant innovation in this space.

Financial inclusion prompted by mobile money and digital payments has been a game changer for people. This is felt especially in areas where traditional banking services are inaccessible. Almost half of the world’s mobile money accounts come from the underserved Sub-Saharan region. This region also has more mobile money accounts than bank accounts.

The rise of digital payments and mobile wallets have driven financial inclusion in underserved areas and have made payments faster, simpler, and safer across the world. Innovations in the form of e-KYC have further driven financial inclusion by allowing those operating in this sector to acquire reliable and clear documentation.

Enable Small Business to Make a Big Impact

Modern telecom solutions are the cornerstone of the digital economy. Telecom solutions have helped small businesses remain agile, flexible, and responsive to constant change and market disruptions. These solutions have been instrumental in driving e-commerce and have helped many small entrepreneurs start small businesses from their homes.

These solutions improve connectivity and accessibility, allowing small businesses to expand their customer footprint. They also help them manage their customers, partners, distributors, and supplier ecosystem irrespective of their location.

Robust telecom solutions and internet services are driving cost savings and cutting travel expenses. They are delivering access to talent from low-cost geographies for small businesses using teleconferencing and remote work.

Effective telecom data management and real-time analysis provide valuable insights into markets, customers, and operations of a small business. SMS and social media messaging provide opportunities to engage personally with customers and improve customer experiences.

Telecom solutions have become instrumental in protecting revenues by ensuring greater security from grey routes and challenges like data theft, SIM phishing, and other threat actors.

Effective telecom solutions are helping small businesses enhance operations, creating opportunities to improve customer service, increasing efficiencies, and driving their growth and success.

Revolutionizing Healthcare Access and Delivery

Modern telecom solutions have been instrumental in making healthcare services more accessible and cost-effective, across rural and underserved areas. These segments of societies across different geographies can access medical services and healthcare professionals irrespective of geographical barriers.

Telemedicine, mHealth, remote health monitoring, etc. have enabled people to access quality healthcare, especially in places where it has been limited traditionally. The integration of telecom tech solutions in the healthcare ecosystem has improved medical diagnostics, enabled real-time collaboration amongst physicians and healthcare professionals, and enabled remote patient monitoring to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes.

Telecom solutions have been instrumental in enabling preventive medicine too. These have allowed healthcare professionals to provide personalized care plans and make timely data-driven adjustments. According to a study from the National Library of Medicine, telemedicine is as effective as in‐person visits for reducing 30‐day readmissions in patients with heart failure.

Improve education access

Mobile phones and the internet have been a key driving force in improving access to education and changing the lives of people. Telecom solutions in the education space are bringing classrooms online and improving knowledge access. They are creating pipelines to help learners draw distant information, interact with experts, and engage with students worldwide.

Telecom solutions have ensured that students in underserved areas can access quality information that would otherwise be hard to acquire. These have been instrumental in improving inquiry-based and analytical skills and creating greater access to education.

Wireless connectivity allows learners to access educational content from anywhere and collaborate with their peers and teachers. It democratizes education by increasing learning opportunities and allowing economies to build educated workforces.

Modern telecom solutions have been instrumental in reshaping the world that we live in and have been creating more equity for those in poor, rural, and underserved areas. And technology plays a key role in helping telcos deliver the services that change lives.

For instance, telecom solution providers need to exert caution to prevent incidents like grey routes and ensure greater security of their networks. Small businesses demand greater assurance, low latency, and cost-effectiveness in international voice and messaging services. Telecom solutions providers and CSPs deliver origin-based routing services for dynamic routing, as well as anti-fraud voice solutions for the best and most secure business communications. Real-time call monitoring and anti-fraud checks also become essential to drive seamless connectivity and secure networks for safer, smarter, and faster communications.

Telecom solutions are essential to spearhead the advancement of emerging economies worldwide. They improve communication access across the underserved sections of society and create opportunities. Underserved regions like Africa are now connected to the rest of the world more than ever before thanks to proliferating telecom networks. Today, telecom solutions have been instrumental in promoting health, education, agriculture, entertainment, business and tourism.

Also, more than 300+ hubs have emerged in the African tech startup ecosystem because of the telecom sector. These are creating more opportunities for economic advancement and social upliftment.

Changing the world isn’t easy but someone has to do it. As we can see, telecom services companies are trying to do just that, with a little help from technology!

Security Scares – 5 Stories in the News About Fraud and Risks in the Telecom World

The telecom industry is growing rapidly and becoming a pivotal enabler of the world’s progress. Various factors, like the advent of 5G, remote and hybrid work, rising demand for high-speed data services, etc., are now seen as integral to this growth. Of course, the use of IoT, AI, and edge computing has also catapulted the telecom industry to the forefront in the business innovation stakes.

According to Statista’s research, $1.5 trillion will be spent worldwide on telecom this year alone. While this shows the size and scale of the industry, some concerns remain persistent. Key among those are concerns about rising fraud in the telecom industry worldwide. In 2021, the telecom industry worldwide lost about $40 billion due to fraud.

Let’s find out how fraud in telecom industry has shocked companies, customers, and lawmakers and why a robust fraud management system in telecomis necessary to curb them.

Five Stories of Fraud in Telecom World

To better elucidate the impact of telecom fraud, here’s a rundown of the five security scares that plagued the telecom industry:

1. Why Vodafone Is Issuing Warning About Wangari Fraud

Wangari is a Japanese term that means one and cut. In this scam, the scammers call a targeted list of subscribers and hang up the phone before they answer. They usually call at a time when the subscriber is less likely active. When the subscriber calls back on that number, the call is re-routed to an international premium number, and they are charged for the call.

Owing to the growing number of Wangiri frauds, Vodafone recently released an official security memo, warning users to exercise caution and avoid returning calls to unknown numbers. They added that users who are not careful about such fraud in telecom would be left with a hefty bill without realizing it.

2. How SIM Box Fraud Cost Telecom Companies $3 Billion

A SIM box is a hardware device. It allows operators to manage SIM cards from different service providers and access GSM gateways located in different places. Operators usually use it to route Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls through local GSM networks. This is done to avoid paying international calling tariffs.

Recently, telecom providers have witnessed an increase in SIM Box fraud. In this fraud, international numbers pretend to be local numbers and cost telecom companies the international call fees. According to the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA), SIM Box fraud cost the telecom industry $3.11 billion in 2021.

SIM Box fraud has emerged as the topmost telecom fraud in recent years. Besides losing revenue, telecom companies also lose their reputation as end users suffer from poor service quality. As such, they need to improve telecom security to reduce such fraud.

3. Scammers Steal Bank Information in the Name of 5G SIM Upgrade

As customers mull over upgrading to 5G, telecom companies and state police departments in India are issuing warnings about 5G fraud. In this fraud, customers receive text messages with a link to upgrade their SIM card from 4G to 5G. When the customer clicks on the link, there is a risk of hackers hacking the phone and stealing personal and bank information.

According to police departments, there have been instances of accounts getting emptied due to the 5G SIM upgrade scam. Telecom companies and police departments have clarified that upgrading SIM cards to 5G is not necessary. The 5G connection will work on compatible smartphones with the old 4G SIM.

4. How Mobile Users Lost $58 Billion in 2023 Due to Robocalls

Popularized during COVID-19, robocalls are automated calls where a recorded voice speaks instead of a live person. Robocalls are typically used for selling products, sending reminders, or providing information. However, scammers are also using them to steal money or personal information from customers.

According to Juniper’s research, mobile users lose $58 billion worldwide due to scam calls like robocalls. The report predicts that by 2027, the losses will reach $70 billion globally. North America continues to be one of the most affected regions.

5. IRSF Losses Have Increased Six-Fold Over the Past Decade

International Revenue Share Fraud (IRSF) is a type of fraud where scammers use illegal ways to access an operator’s network. This allows them to perform illicit activities, such as:

Increasing the volume of international traffic to high-cost destinations with revenue-sharing agreements
Generating revenue by using complex pricing structures for international calls and SMS traffic

Recent studies show that IRSF losses have increased more than six-fold over the past decade. Such fraud can also lead to revenue leakage for telecom companies and leave customers unhappy due to unnecessary financial loss.

It’s critical that companies use telecom security solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). They can help detect IRSF patterns early and curb them on time. Otherwise, companies will likely lose more revenue and customer trust in the future.

How Can Telecom Companies Combat These Frauds?

Fraud in telecom industry is not new. However, it has become more sophisticated and widespread in recent times, wiping out unsuspecting customers’ entire savings.

These frauds are not only impacting the revenue of telecom companies, but they are also at risk of losing customers. Trust between customers and telecom companies is eroding due to issues like:

Poor call quality
Identity theft
Overcharging
Charging for unused services

The only way to prevent such fraud is by using an anti-fraud solution. A traditional fraud detection system for telecom may no longer be able to detect and solve such sophisticated fraud. These systems are more reactive than proactive.

What companies need is a modern solution that:

Uses AI and ML to detect fraud and anomalies in real-time
Makes proactive decisions to curb the identified anomalies

At Globe Teleservices, we have built a robust fraud detection solution called Armour Firewall Solution to safeguard customers from fraud like:

Wangari attacks
SIM farming
Robocalling
IRSF
International outbound call fraud

The solution uses AI/ML algorithms to detect such emerging threats and empower telecom companies to stop them before they escalate further. To know more about Armour Firewall Solution and other fraud detection systems in the telecom industry, contact us. We will help you prevent fraud, save your reputation, and improve the trust between you and your customers.

Why A2P SMS Is Back in the News

As more companies switch to digital strategies, it’s expected that they will communicate more with their customers through digital channels. With the increase in mobile subscribers, there is a growing demand for text-based messages (or SMS). As compared to business emails, text messages have a higher open rate of 98%. What’s even better is that 9 out of 10 mobile users open and read their text messages.

These are some of the factors driving the adoption of Application-to-person (A2P) SMS in 2023. According to Juniper Research, A2P business messages are expected to reach 3.5 trillion in 2023. Grand View Research values the global market for A2P messaging at $66.84 billion in 2022. This is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% till 2030.

Latest Trends in A2P SMS Marketing in 2023

In simple language, A2P SMS is any form of text message sent by an application to a subscribed mobile user. Users can opt to subscribe to text messages from business applications.

What makes A2P marketing useful for business enterprises? Besides being cost-effective, A2P messaging is useful for sending different types of messages, including:

Marketing messages or campaigns
Appointment or subscription renewal reminders
Alerts or notifications
Surveys and voting
One-time passwords (OTPs) as part of two-factor authentication

Thanks to technology trends like the emergence of shortcodes, enterprises can now send out a larger volume of A2P messages to their subscriber base. For telecom operators, A2P SMS is beneficial as they know immediately if the message has been delivered or not. This helps them maintain and refresh their database of active mobile numbers.

How can A2P SMS services benefit businesses in 2023? Let’s discuss that next.

Benefits of A2P SMS in 2023

In 2023, enterprises across industry verticals like healthcare, travel, and eCommerce will send A2P SMS messages to build customer relationships. To this end, here is why A2P messaging is beneficial:

1. Cost-Effectiveness

SMS-based messaging is among the most cost-effective modes of communicating with customers. Besides, enterprises can now send the same promotional offers or campaign-based messages to thousands of customers simultaneously.

2. Immediate Delivery

With A2P SMS, digital marketers can now send important messages immediately to their consumer base. On average, 90% of mobile users read their messages within 3 minutes of receiving them. On the other hand, email users can take hours or days to read & respond to their email messages.

Besides, customers are 4.5% more likely to respond or act upon brand SMSes than emails. On average, it takes them 90 seconds to respond to an SMS and 90 minutes to respond to an email.

3. Secure Access

In recent years, issues like data breaches have prompted the development of better security standards for enterprises. As online transactions increase, businesses realise the importance of one-time passwords or transaction alerts for their customers. Due to time sensitivity, OTPs or password resets delivered through A2P SMS mode are most effective.

Besides, methods like two-factor authentication and OTP encourage more mobile users to switch to digital transactions – thus generating more business revenue.

4. On-time Alerts and Notifications

Healthcare and insurance companies are also using the A2P SMS system to automatically send out reminders for medical appointments and payment of insurance premiums.

Likewise, with the growth of OTT platforms, subscribers no longer must check out their subscription renewal date. SMS notifications provide them with ample time to complete the renewal if they wish to.

Challenges Facing A2P SMS in 2023

Despite increasing competition from other marketing approaches, SMS is still the preferred tool for most enterprises. However, the A2P messaging service also has its share of challenges, which make it difficult to realise its complete potential in today’s competitive environment.

Here are some of the challenges that enterprises face with A2P SMS service:

1. SMS-related Frauds and Malpractices

As is the case of any digital medium, A2P SMS messaging also has its share of “bad” actors and fraudulent intermediaries. For instance, intermediary companies do find a way to send fraudulent messages to genuine customers. Besides, bad actors indulge in SMS-related malpractices like grey routing, masking, and SIM farming.

2. Extreme Variations in Price

Global enterprises have to deal with challenges like country-specific regulations and price variations. Depending on the country, local partners can charge different rates, thus making it unsustainable to maintain SMS services.

3. Poor Customer Experience (CX)

Illegitimate SMS traffic can lead to poor CX, which is another challenge in A2P SMS services. Also, a legitimate A2P SMS from an unknown sender can create customer fatigue. Often, mobile users have to deal with issues like poor-quality text and below-par messaging.

The Globe Teleservices Advantage

Despite advanced digital marketing tools, enterprises continue to rely on the SMS medium as a fast, cost-effective, and reliable form of marketing. As outlined in this article, in 2023, A2P SMS offers a host of benefits as compared to business email marketing.

Globe Teleservices provides its customers with effective A2P SMS solutions with features like:

Global or international coverage
Compliance with local or regional industry regulations
Enhanced CX by eliminating any grey routes
Faster and reliable message deliveries

Want to know how to leverage A2P SMS for your business success? Get in touch with us.

Balancing Cost and QoS in International Calls

The advent of high-speed 5G internet presents both challenges and opportunities for global telecom players. In an increasingly competitive market, telecom players are emphasising customer retention more than acquiring new customers. This has put the focus on the importance of Quality of Service (QoS) in international voice communication for enterprises.

High-speed communication in the form of voice, video, and multimedia requires telecom providers to guarantee a consistent level of QoS for their customers. After all, call quality has a direct impact on customer experience (CX). Majority of the consumers view CX as a major factor when selecting their telecom service provider. They are even willing to spend more for an exceptional CX. On the flip side, however, they can be proactive in switching brands after a poor experience.

That brings us to the question – what are the current challenges facing telecom providers in improving their QoS?

Let’s discuss them in the following section.

5 QoS Challenges in International Communication

Despite the advancement in business communication, voice-based communication is still relevant for customer-centric enterprises.

Here are 5 QoS-related challenges associated with international communication:

1. Real-Time Call Monitoring

As a business practice, real-time call monitoring enables organizations to improve call quality as well as measure the efficiency of customer response. For instance, call monitoring in customer support teams is used to ensure quality assurance and train new customer support executives.

Additionally, with real-time call monitoring, organisations can leverage speech analytics to improve the customer experience. However, the challenge lies in implementing a cost-efficient call monitoring solution for overall business success.

2. Fraud Detection

Fraud calls or phone spam is another major challenge in the voice communication domain. In 2022, scam victims in Singapore were duped of S$660.7 million (up from S$632 million in 2021).

In recent years, voice-based phishing (or vishing) has been deployed by cybercriminals to extract sensitive information from the victims. According to a report, in March 2022, organizations experienced the highest number of vishing attacks ever recorded, surpassing the previous record set in September 2021. Vishing is also directed at enterprises and their employees to obtain vital account-related information.

3. Integrating Multiple Communication Channels

For effective customer retention, organizations need to maintain consistency across different communication channels and touchpoints. Besides voice communication, today’s customers have access to other communication channels, including email, chat, social media, and more.

To that end, organizations need to efficiently integrate and coordinate their customer communication channels. Through proper integration, they can ensure consistent CX and avoid any duplication. By leveraging data-driven insights from these channels, enterprises can also improve their communication strategy and personalize customer interactions.

4. High Latency

A January 2021 survey found that business leaders prioritise call latency over speed. 9 out of every 10 business executives believe that business success depends more on low latency.

High call latency can easily impact call quality, thus frustrating both consumers and business executives. More profoundly, it can cause delays in voice communication and adversely impact customer experience.

To improve latency-related challenges, organizations must consider the following measures:

Upgrading their existing call infrastructure and communication devices
Improving their call routing system
Choosing the right telecom service provider

5. Cost Management

The latest telecom statistics stress that 77% of consumers believe a phone call is the best way to get answers to their queries. Also, 65% of consumers prefer to contact a business by phone.

With the increasing adoption of voice communication tools, companies are incurring more costs with their legacy communication equipment and tools.

Here are some of the cost-related challenges that enterprises face:

Upgrading and replacing their communication equipment and hardware devices
Increased time and money spent by enterprises in addressing customer concerns and queries
A shortage of skilled communication specialists adds to an organization’s hiring and training costs

How Can We Help in Balancing Cost and QoS in International Calls

Even with the proliferation of other digital communication channels, voice communication tools remain relevant for customer-facing enterprises. The challenge for enterprises is to balance their QoS with the cost factor.

Globe Teleservices has designed and implemented international voice communications for businesses across the globe. Our voice-based solutions have enabled our customers to centralize their customer communication, integrate with multiple channels, and optimize voice calls anywhere in the world.

Our integrated voice platform offers multiple business benefits, including:

Cost-effectiveness – with affordable international calls at optimum call quality
Quality assurance – driven by global partnerships and dynamic call routing capabilities
Anti-fraud management – achieved by the use of business intelligence (BI) for monitoring network traffic
Dynamic routing and analytics – with low-cost best quality routing (LCBQR) services for both telecom retailers and operators

Are you looking for a cost-effective mode to improve the quality of service in international calls? Let us help you. Get in touch with us today!

The Modern Technologies Coming Together to Elevate Customer Experience in The Telecom Sector

Delivering products and services to the customers of today in a way that best suits them has become a top priority of today’s telecom C-suite. But as customer journeys become increasingly complex and expectations surge, enhancing customer experiences is no longer straightforward.

Read on to know why customer experience has become so crucial and the role technologies play in driving better engagement.

Customer experience has become a competitive differentiator for the telecom sector

In this customer-centric era, enterprises are increasingly recognizing that their businesses must prioritize customer needs.

Customer loyalty is no longer dependent on brand value, product capabilities, or low prices as much as it is on quality of service. As the telecom industry evolves with new trends, norms, and standards, customer experience has become a crucial factor for telecom success.

With users increasingly working from home, they demand high uptime, reliability, and availability of networks. They are quick to change operators if they are not satisfied with the quality or level of service offered. Catering to customer needs offers telecom providers opportunities to meet expectations, deliver services promptly, and preempt challenges affecting customer satisfaction.

Building cutting-edge telecom products, optimizing services, and providing positive customer experiences enable telcos to enhance customer loyalty. A good customer experience also ensures significant economic and strategic advantages for telecom providers. They open doors to better cross-sell and upsell opportunities while introducing new streams of revenue for the business. In the long run, a good customer experience translates into happier customers, better margins, and a stronger market position.

But there are many challenges telecom providers encounter along the way

A high-quality customer experience guarantees better customer loyalty and retention. But for telecom providers, continuously acclimatizing to new and higher expectations from users streaming their favorite TV series on online streaming platforms isn’t easy. With any time, anywhere access and connectivity becoming a requisite, there are many challenges telecom providers encounter along the way:

Addressing security challenges: With telecom customers extremely susceptible to modern-day frauds and attacks, the many shortcomings in enterprise data security initiatives put customer experience at risk. As social engineering threats become increasingly prevalent, the absence of robust fraud detection solutions makes addressing security concerns a huge challenge.
Driving omnichannel consistency: Another challenge telecom providers face in enhancing customer experience is enabling and sustaining omnichannel consistency. With telecom customers using an array of channels for collaboration, work, and entertainment purposes, it becomes difficult to achieve faster, safer, and smarter communication.
Meeting regulatory requirements: The inability of telecom providers to meet evolving regulatory and compliance requirements also impacts the customer experience in the long run. Lack of authentication or tracking makes it difficult to prevent regulatory oversights during communications. At the same time, telcos face a tough time identifying unethical practices by telemarketers and/or recording their activities.

How modern technologies come together to make the customer experience better

New technologies facilitate seamless and consistent telecom customer journeys, allowing for personalized experiences and interactions across multiple channels.

Let’s look at 5 such technologies that can enable telcos to increase agility and provide the intuitive experiences that their customers have become accustomed to:

Automation: Automation offers several ways to boost omnichannel engagement and customer experience. Automating error-prone, mundane, and repetitive tasks can enable telecom providers to focus on strategic initiatives that improve customer acquisition and loyalty rates. From streamlining and tracking conversions to automating customer responses – technology works wonders to remove friction points and nurture relationships. In a February 2022 survey of global marketers, 43% cited improved customer experience as the top advantage of marketing automation.
Data analytics: Data analytics can play a huge role in personalizing customer experiences. According to a report, 90% of executives worldwide leverage data analytics to enhance their customer experience. In-depth customer analytics across social media interactions, past behavior, and current sentiments can enable telecom providers to identify the latest trends and expectations. By knowing what customers love, analytics can empower telcos to build the right products, offer the right services, and craft the right experiences. In the long run, this can help enhance customer lifecycle journeys for the best upselling and cross-selling experiences.
Digital document processing: The use of digital technologies for document processing can streamline the customer onboarding process. Instead of manually entering customer details into digital systems, telecom providers can make use of processing systems to feed and process customer information. This can enable quicker and more accurate information retrieval from customer forms. Intelligent character and pattern recognition using machine learning can further make the customer onboarding process smart, effective, and error-free.
Security: Embracing security solutions that are powerful without being intrusive will also go a long way in enhancing customer satisfaction. With the right security controls in place, providers can address evolving security challenges while keeping their voice channel and messaging environments secure. For instance, state-of-the-art fraud detection and analytics systems allow telecom providers to validate numbers, route calls, and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. This can also help them protect their network subscribers, proactively track frauds, and eliminate threats in time.
Blockchain: Blockchain technology is a great way for telcos to authenticate and track events to prevent regulatory oversights during communications. The technology can be used to identify telemarketers and record their activity across channels. Blockchain can also make audits simple and allow for real-time consent management – thus scrubbing unsolicited commercial communications (UCC) across messaging networks.

For telecom providers, engaging and seamless customer experiences provide the greatest potential to increase profits. If you want to shape the modern telecom landscape, you must integrate technology into your business operations and build the right foundation of quality, efficiency, and security.