Understanding the uses of a Virtual number

In 2019, gone are the days when application developers were required to negotiate painful agreements with multiple telco operators in order to obtain a regionally-limited phone number at exorbitant rates. Virtual phone numbers are needed to communicate effectively with users and/or consumers. Provisioning virtual numbers that are in the same market as consumers have a greater chance of being read and interacted with.

If an organisation chooses to buy virtual number for sms, it enables an organisation in sending and receiving SMS text messages over the internet without the compulsion of having to use a physical phone. This can prove to be especially useful if one wants to use a software to communicate with telephone networks that would be impossible to connect with on a physical phone, e.g. Zomato notifying a customer that their food delivery is outside or to have local phone numbers in different countries.

Virtual SMS enables a business organisation to use local virtual phone numbers to send messages, enabling recipients to reply to the text without incurring any international charges. There are two major ways to send Virtual SMS text messages, they are as follows:

• API: Using software one can write, send text messages to a rest API over the internet to an API vendor. This approach enables an organisation to deeply integrate Virtual SMS into the systems to achieve maximum results.
• Software: Using software, a purchase includes messages and phone numbers, typically with a graphical user interface (GUI).
• Software + API: This is when you purchase software that sends Virtual SMS text messages via an API which is not provided by the software vendor.

Buying a virtual SMS number that can receive SMS without limitations is one of the best ways to engage with one’s consumers and to ensure a two-way communication. This can be done by having a virtual mobile number for sms where the customers can text in Short Codes/Long Codes depending on the requirements. Customers can reach out for more information or show interest in a product or service through a simple text sent. one can also configure the inbox either by using dedicated numbers or by using keywords on shared numbers.

a number of considerations should be taken into account while choosing a virtual phone number, ranging from costs and location to future proofing and service options available. Nevertheless, virtual SMS numbers offer multiple benefits that make the setup process much well worth it:

• virtual mobile numbers can be used anywhere. they can be used to send and receive SMS messages or forward calls to an email account.
• Many small business owners make the mistake of using their personal number for professional needs, leading to haphazard confusion. Renting virtual numbers can help solve this problem.
• Setting up virtual phone numbers for local markets proves to be a lot cheaper than using traditional carriers or sending text messages internationally.
• Most dedicated numbers are set up through various systems or SMS services that offer a large variety of features such as call forwarding, SMS automation, bulk SMS services, two-way free texting online, etc.