Why ENUM
... for VoIP operators
... for companies
... for individuals
VoIP operators
- More attractive offers for new VoIP customers due to the option of free calls.
- Free calls as a method for retaining the existing customers utilizing leased lines.
- Lower fees for termination in other networks.
- Option to offer customers other services together with a VoIP phone, in addition to phone calls.
- Convergence between the classic telephony and the Internet telephony.
- Simple use and easy implementation.
ENUM plus the option to make free calls using the Internet may be a suitable incentive and means for gaining more clients for a company offering VoIP-based phone services. Free calls through ENUM are a good motivation also for using landlines (fitted with VoIP phones), representing a tool to retain existing clients, who are now massively migrating to mobile operators. With ENUM, VoIP customers may be offered additional services, not just phone calls. This in turn increases the income generated by the customers. ENUM can be used to receive SMS or MMS, for example.
Costs relating to the implementation of ENUM to the network and the standard operation of a telecommunication operator are minimized due to the widespread and well-known DNS system, where ENUM records are stored. The DNS system is fast, reliable, easily extendable, and scalable, providing up-to-date data to anyone at any time. Besides, all of these features are proven by many years of the DNS operation in the Internet.
ENUM brings the operators even more substantial advantages for future:
- lower complexity of systems and their administration; multiple systems are replaced by a single one and the management of data in DNS is simple and undemanding
- enables to solve a connection of networks of other operators of IP lines, if they find an agreement.
For more information see Infrastructure ENUM
More about:
- requirements for a VoIP operator to start using ENUM
Companies
- Possibility to make free calls over the Internet.
- Significant reduction of costs generated by calls among offices in different countries.
- Lower fees for operating "color" lines.
- Marketing advantage represented by free calls to the company.
- Low costs bound the implementation of ENUM.
ENUM enables companies to lower call costs by routing a portion of calls, where this option is available, through the Internet. This costs optimization principle has been successfully used by other companies for a longer time – in the form of GSM gateways, routing calls to mobile networks directly, i.e. with lowest costs possible.
Installing a support for ENUM to a company offices exchange will ensure that all calls to phone numbers registered in ENUM will be routed through the Internet (instead of the public telephone network or mobile networks) and therefore it will be free. This applies to numbers in any operator's network, including even foreign numbers, provided that the given number is registered in the appropriate foreign ENUM register. This principle is useful especially for companies with offices in multiple countries as these companies are those, who will benefit from savings achieved with ENUM most. In general, the more a call would cost when using a standard telephone network the more could be saved if the call is made through Internet using ENUM.
Another opportunity to reduce costs applies to companies running "color" phone lines – free green lines (numbers starting with 800) and blue lines with shared costs, when the company pays to the operator for calls, which are free (or partially free) for callers. If the phone number of a color line is registered in the ENUM system, calls will be connected directly if dialed through VoIP, using the Internet and not the operator's network. The company will not have to pay any phone fees for such a call. Company numbers can also be registered to ENUM, making it possible for callers to reach the company via IP for free. This means that all customers, employees, partners and virtually anyone, who uses VoIP, can call the company free of charge. Although the possibility to call your company for free may "only" be a significant competitive advantage now, it may turn to a necessity in the future.
With respect to the positive trend in the Internet communication area, investments in the phone infrastructure supporting ENUM will return faster and faster as the number of subscribers making their calls through VoIP using ENUM will grow. Realizing that the trend of migration to VoIP is strong even on the international level, hesitation seems to be almost a nonsense.
More about:
- requirements for a company to start using ENUM
- ENUM domain registration procedure
Individuals
- Free calls to all subscribers registered in ENUM.
- Possibility to register your family, friends and acquaintances and make free calls with all these people.
- Standard phone numbers are sufficient for identification.
- Calls with ENUM can be made with a wired or mobile IP phone or computer.
The ENUM system is a chance for individuals to be one step ahead and ready. ENUM enables users of VoIP phones to call one another for free in a regular way – by dialing phone numbers. Such phone calls do not require any user names or addresses, used for example by Skype. A caller only needs to remember or find a regular phone number of the person he/she calls. If this number is registered in the ENUM system, the call will be connected using VoIP through the Internet instead of the public phone network the use of which requires payment to its operator.
ENUM brings gradual and ongoing reduction of telephone costs as more and more subscribers join the system and register their numbers here. The reason is the growing community of people, who can be reached through the Internet – for free, in other words. More subscribers using ENUM mean more free calls for you.
More about:
- requirements for an individual to start using ENUM
- ENUM domain registration procedure
