Introduction

What are Managed Communication Services? Why are telecom operators moving away from building and managing everything in-house? 

Managed Communication Services or MCS shift some or all of the burden of deploying and monitoring an organization’s telecommunications and data network infrastructure to a trusted third party.

To understand why a managed service model should be a priority for decision-makers now, it’s important to consider how the international voice and messaging sector is evolving – and the challenges that its development is now imposing on operators worldwide.

A Changing Landscape for International Voice and Messaging

The continuing demand for cross-border voice communication services has led to a growth in the International Voice Carrier market, from a global size of 19.7 billion US dollars in 2024, to a projected US$30.2 billion by 2033. Enterprise and consumer demand for international connectivity, the digital transformation of telecommunications infrastructure, and the spread of CPaaS technologies are fueling this market expansion.

Growth Market Reports’ International Voice Carrier Market Research Report 2033 paints the picture as follows:

[Image source: Growth Market Reports.com]

Asia Pacific (APAC) continues to dominate the International Voice Carrier market, while advances in telecom infrastructure and rising demand mark Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa as emerging regions of high potential. North America and Europe continue to present significant markets, with their high proportion of multinational enterprises, and the prevalence of advanced communication technologies.

The thriving mobile device market and the resurgence of international travel are promoting growth in retail voice services targeting small businesses and end consumers. As carriers look to offer end-to-end solutions addressing the needs of both individual consumers and enterprise clients, the retail and wholesale segments are increasingly converging. However, both retail and wholesale voice carriers continue to face significant challenges.

Challenges to International Voice and Messaging Operations

Voice tariffs continue to decline, regulatory compliance places strict demands, and Over-The-Top (OTT) services pose an existential threat. In response, many carriers are exploring new sources of revenue, such as value-added services, managed voice services, and partnerships with OTT providers.

With trans-global communication routes becoming more complex, telecom operators are looking to partner with carriers to help optimize routing, reduce costs, and ensure high-quality service delivery.

Telecom fraud management remains a serious challenge for many. When customers lose out (even indirectly) to telecom fraud, they are likely to lose trust in their providers. As a result, they may switch brands, or lash out in the form of bad reviews online, on social media, and by word of mouth This can cause damage to an operator’s reputation, and loss of direct revenue. Operators may also suffer legal action, regulatory penalties, or class action lawsuits.

The threat landscape is getting bigger, with more and more companies going digital. This is causing subscription fraud to increase. Social media platforms are giving bad actors a way to pretend to be legitimate businesses so they can try to get sensitive information from users. Advanced Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence can help create videos and scripts so good they can fool the best Know Your Customer verification systems. With many mobile users now turning to virtual cards or eSIMs to reach regional phone networks, hackers may gain opportunities to access and control customers’ phones.

To attract enterprise customers, international carriers must now provide tailored solutions that combine voice, messaging, and data services. There’s also a demand for advanced features such as call recording, analytics, and security. Carriers are coming under increasing pressure to make bigger investments in advanced technologies, improve their operational efficiency, and develop strategic partnerships.

Among the strategic partnership options available to enterprise customers is a shift from in-house resource handling to managed voice services and telecom managed services.

In-House Management or Managed Communication Services?

Organizations that opt for in-house management must typically purchase and maintain their own telecommunications system. They also have to manage vendor relationships, and take responsibility for upgrades, maintenance, and technical support. This approach typically involves significant upfront investments, a need for technical expertise, and continuous oversight.

While most operators have the backbone to handle their carrier relationships, the cost and time of managing the day to day operations and interconnects is something many would like to do without.

In a Managed Communication Services scenario, responsibility for these functions shifts in whole or in part to a third-party Managed Service Provider or MSP.  This entity may handle the full cycle from network and implementation to performance monitoring and troubleshooting. Allowing them instead to focus on their core customers.

Telecom managed services providers can call upon a retinue of certified professionals who specialize in various aspects of business communication, such as maintaining network uptime, integrating new technologies, and ensuring secure data transmission. For example, IDT Global specializes in managing carrier interconnects, smart routing and monitoring, fraud prevention, and operational complexity. 

Using Managed Communication Services gives organizations of all types and sizes access to expert support, modern communications technology, and reliable connectivity. It also frees decision-makers in these organizations to focus on their core competencies, business objectives, and operations.

Under a purely managed voice services model, businesses retain strategic control over their telecommunications infrastructure. A service provider takes on the tasks of day-to-day management. However, companies may have unique business requirements, such as maintaining custody of customer information, or meeting regulatory compliance demands. In such cases, they may choose a hybrid managed telecom services scenario. The client might for example manage the routing of their service, while the service provider manages security and the network firewall.

The Commercial and Operational Benefits of Managed Communication Services 

Note that the points outlined above are just some of the benefits of embracing telecom managed services. There are other advantages, such as:

Reduction in CAPEX and OPEX

Significant capital investment in hardware, software licenses, and maintaining infrastructure generally accompanies in-house communications management. Businesses must also budget for the recruitment and training of specialist staff. If an organization is expanding its footprint locally or at a wider scale, this financial burden may increase to the point where it no longer remains viable.

Under a telecom managed services contract, clients will typically pay a predictable monthly subscription fee or per transaction handling fee. This approach allows businesses to convert fixed operational costs into predictable, scalable OPEX frameworks. Using economies of scale, wholesale telecom outsourcing enables managed service providers to negotiate favorable rates with carriers and equipment vendors – and pass these savings on to their clients.

Access to Expertise and Technical Support

Telecom managed services employ teams with deep technical expertise. They may also invest heavily in training, certifications, and partnerships to ensure that these teams are familiar with the latest technologies and techniques.

24/7 technical support is now the benchmark standard. Service providers will also use strategies that minimize the risk of downtime, such as redundant systems, automated failover, and advanced monitoring. Modern providers may also offer proactive performance optimization, which uses real-time analysis of network traffic patterns, application performance, and user experience. They may also use Quality of Service (QoS) configurations, to ensure that essential business functions maintain optimal performance even when network resources are under strain.

Flexibility

Managed Communication Services enable clients to readily adapt to business growth, without having to worry about the increased capital outlay and recurring costs of outfitting new branch offices and facilities. With wholesale telecom outsourcing, even the largest enterprise consumers can adjust their communications infrastructure to cope with changing conditions. 

Depending on the range of services required and the complexity of your network infrastructure, typical deployments range from 30 to 90 days. Adjustments to existing systems can occur within a single day. Flexibility like this enables clients to support modern workplace requirements such as providing for hybrid and remote staff.

Telecom Fraud Management

Managed voice services use a combination of proactive monitoring, real-time data analysis, and automation to implement telecom fraud management at scale. Carriers and providers will typically employ a layered detection strategy that may include network traffic monitoring, Call Detail Record (CDR) analysis, SIM and number intelligence, AI-based anomaly detection, and behavioral biometrics. 

Choosing the Right Managed Services Partner

You should look for a managed voice services provider that has experience with organizations in your industry which are of similar size and complexity to your own. The provider should be able to supply certifications, case studies, and customer references that prove their technical expertise in relevant technologies and industry best practices.

Your Managed Communication Services partner should offer Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with uptime guarantees, response times, and performance metrics that are in line with your business requirements. These documents should spell out clear escalation procedures and contingency measures in cases of service failure.

Your partner should have the flexibility to adapt their services for future growth and changing business requirements. Look for an organization with an established reputation, and a proven track record.

About IDT Global

Drawing on over 30 years of experience in international communications, IDT Global offers both wholesale expertise and retail scale. A leader in international voice, messaging, and digital services, IDT Global helps operators worldwide secure revenue, eliminate fraud, optimize routing, and unlock new digital growth opportunities. 
To learn more about how IDT global can help your organization visit us at https://idtglobal.com/mcs/

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Know Your Audience
Firstly, it’s important to understand who your audience is and what motivates them. Consider their potential phone-checking habits – is it morning or evening? Do they work 9 to 5 jobs without phone access during the day? Answering these questions can help you determine the best time to send messages. For instance, if your audience tends to check their phones in the evening, sending messages in the late afternoon or early evening may increase your engagement.

A 2023 report by Attentive shows that consumers are willing to share more than just their basic information in exchange for incentives such as a gift, personalised recommendations or discounts. If you are lacking in demographic data for your audience, consider a customer survey to discover who they are. You could even ask questions to gauge their preferred timing for receiving messages and the type of content they find most engaging. Use this data to segment your audience, allowing you to tailor messages specifically to each group, making messages relevant and effective.

In addition to data-driven segmentation, turn to research reports for useful timing insights. Following the analysis of 10 original research reports, SimpleTexting uncovers timing insights for SMS campaigns, providing some general guidelines. According to the data, Thursday emerges as the best day of the week to send SMS messages. The findings suggest that people are generally in a better mood and looking forward to the upcoming weekend, making them more receptive to reading messages. Monday shows as the least favourable day for sending SMS messages, as people often feel overwhelmed with tasks at the start of the week. Sending messages on Monday could lead to a higher likelihood of your audience opting out. The data also suggests that the most successful times to send SMS messages are between 10 AM-12 PM and 2 PM-4 PM. This of course is dependent on your audience, their patterns, and behaviours. However, it’s worth experimenting with these proven timings and monitoring how successful they are for you.

Frequency and Automation
Implementing strategic timing techniques can help increase engagement rates and avoid your potential customers feeling overwhelmed or spammed by a flurry of messages. According to PostScript, sending an average of 5 messages per month should maintain a balance between engaging your audience, and staying present in front of them without causing them to unsubscribe.

When it comes to tools, it is crucial to leverage automation wherever possible. SMS marketing automation involves setting up well-structured workflows with trigger points that automatically send messages to your audience based on specific rules, actions, or timing. For example, when a customer completes an online purchase, they receive a personalised purchase confirmation message triggered by the purchase itself.

Furthermore, scheduling your campaigns enables you to reach a global audience at prime opportune moments by delivering across multiple time zones without manual intervention. Embracing automation and scheduling not only increases efficiency and saves time, but also creates a consistent brand presence, putting you in front of your audience and leading to higher engagement rates.

A/B Testing for Effectiveness
The key to finding your messages’ ideal timing and frequency is trial and error. A/B testing allows you to experiment with the timing of your messages, as well as the type of content you’re sending and its relevance to your audience. As an example, E-Commerce brands could test different cart abandonment messages, offering free shipping to Segment A, and a 15% discount to Segment B. Here are some A/B testing ideas:

• Timing: Days of the week, times of the day, AM vs PM.
• Frequency: Find the right number of messages without overloading your audience.
• Content: Promotional offers, personalised recommendations, exclusive content.
• Personalisation: Compare with generic messages to gauge the impact of personalisation.
• Incentives: Test types of incentives to see what performs best.
• Emojis: Assess whether they enhance your engagement or not.
• Link placement: Test link placement in different positions to optimise conversions.

Finding the right balance through A/B testing is crucial for the success of your SMS marketing. By experimenting and adapting you can optimise engagement, therefore creating strong brand trust and loyalty.

Monitor and Analyse Results
Over time, pay close attention to the results of your SMS campaigns and begin to identify patterns and trends. Observing and analysing your results will help you understand the effectiveness of your strategy.

Focus on key metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and opt-outs regularly. This data can offer insights into customer behaviours, preferences, and habits. For example, you might find that certain times of the day or days of the week provide you with higher conversion rates. Therefore, offering you the information you need to determine the best timing and frequency for your campaigns. This data also allows you to identify your customer’s content preferences. Analyse the response rates on different types of messages and use this to fine-tune your future content. Is your audience responding and engaging more with a promotional message advertising a flash sale, or a personalised product selection based on their preferences? Every audience is unique, therefore, consistently testing and analysing your results is key to maintaining success in SMS marketing.

Key Highlights
Carefully optimising the timing and frequency of SMS campaigns can make all the difference in whether they are successful. Remember, there’s no one size fits all approach, therefore testing, experimenting, and adapting based on your results are imperative to success. Take away these insights for SMS success:

• Timing and frequency play a critical role in the success of SMS marketing.
• Know your audience’s phone-checking habits for maximum impact.
• Segment your audience based on preferences to deliver personalised and effective content.
• Find the right number of messages per month that suits your audience to avoid overwhelming them.
• Leverage automation and scheduling to reach a global audience with minimal effort.
• Experiment with A/B testing to fine-tune timing, content, and relevance.
• Monitor key metrics to understand customer behaviour and refine your strategy.
• When optimised, SMS marketing can be a very powerful tool for business success.

With these insights and strategies, you can enhance the effectiveness of your SMS marketing campaigns and achieve remarkable results for your business.

Looking for cost-effective SMS delivery? Our team specialises in providing high-volume messaging solutions tailored to your Enterprise business needs. Get in touch to explore how we can help drive successful results for your brand.

The post How to optimise the timing and frequency of your SMS campaigns appeared first on IDT global.

With strengthened global number intelligence, IDT global can enhance its US customers’ voice experience with better protection from fraudulent and annoying spam calls.

“Fraud and spam are constantly changing in our business. The perpetrators are always trying to stay one step ahead and we need to keep evolving to beat them. Spoofing and illegal robocalling are increasingly commonplace and more advanced as robocallers mimic numbers from legitimate organizations. The goal is to protect our partners and end users by leveraging XConnect’s DNO data. Their data helps us to reduce the risk of illegal robocalling and to create a better overall experience.”

Peter Broes, Director of Product Management at IDT global

RealNumber DNO provided by Xconnect helps identify phone numbers which should never be used for call origination.

With this access, IDT global can now more easily identify certain invalid calls and increase the overall quality of its traffic. Updated daily, the data covers the majority of toll/local and toll-free numbers in North America giving IDT global a comprehensive and trusted added layer of defense in its role as a gateway operator.

“Robocalling impacts the entire telecoms value chain from carriers to consumers. Service providers are having to re-evaluate how they verify the identity of calls that they route and take additional steps to keep on top of compliance requirements and deliver a first-class experience to customers, By accessing our accurate and up-to-date DNO list, IDT Global can identify and block calls that originate from invalid, unallocated and unused numbers. Our work with IDT Global will enable them to reduce robocalling, increase call answer rates and route traffic with confidence.”

Tim Ward, VP Number Information Services at XConnect

This latest partnership expands XConnect and IDT global’s relationship beyond just the SMS messaging business where they have used Mobile Number Portability (MNP) data to route, optimize traffic and verify. IDT global is a leading Wholesale Voice & SMS Messaging Carrier based in the UK with offices in the US and Hong Kong as well.

The post IDT Global Selects XConnect to Help Tackle Robocalls appeared first on IDT global.

The attestation process as laid out back in 2018, gives clear guidelines on what to look for in fraud and some best practices for operators on combating the fraudulent traffic. As you can see by the low number of carriers chosen as compliant, there is still quite a lot of work to do industry wide to get ahead of the curve.

While the numbers are small, it is still good to see some very big names in the industry putting in an effort to curb this growing problem in telecommunications.

If you would like to find out more about the GLF and their efforts to combat fraud in the industry, download their free comprehensive 2022 report at: https://content.comms.euromoneyplc.com/GLF-2022-activities_GLF-Fraud-2022.html

Here are just a few of the highlights that can be found in this report: 

• 50% of survey respondents see an increase in the volume and impact of fraudulent voice traffic versus the previous year. 
• IRSF was listed as the number 1 form of Voice Fraud, followed in a close second by Missed Call / Wangiri Fraud.
• In general, while the feeling is Voice fraud is getting more sophisticated, the feeling is most companies are making good progress towards combating it.
• As for Messaging, 35% of respondents observed an increase in the impact of fraudulent messaging in the last 12 months.
• SMS Phishing or Smishing was the higher form of Fraud reported by far followed by Originator Spoofing.
• A2P SMS fraud as a whole is not considered as big an impact to the business as a whole, partly due to the high mitigation strategies many operators already have in place.

The post IDT global, Taking the Lead in the Fight Against Fraud. appeared first on IDT global.

This is no longer the case, as wholesalers are expected to play a positive role to identify and reduce such traffic. Failing to do so puts a carrier’s reputation at risk in an ever more competitive environment. As proof that the wholesalers are taking this role more and more seriously, a growing number have subscribed to the Global Leaders Forum’s antifraud “Code of Conduct” and use the i3 Forum’s contract language to dispute fraud and keep payments from reaching the fraudsters.

So what’s a wholesaler to do? Do what we should do best: communicate throughout the value chain! At IDT, we made the decision some years ago to actively avoid connecting with players who specialize in “premium” type termination, knowing that such companies are magnets for fraud. And we made it known that we would not tolerate such traffic. This significantly reduced the amount of fraudulent traffic coming across our network.

We also made the decision to actively support our customers in their efforts to detect and deter fraud. We monitor suspicious traffic patterns, we block risky and invalid code ranges and we vet new customers to ensure their traffic is legitimate. We do all the things that a modern carrier should do – but most importantly, we communicate with our customers and suppliers when we find something suspicious or fraudulent.

We communicate with customers so they can check the origin and validity (or, almost always, the invalidity) of the traffic if they haven’t detected it themselves. We communicate with suppliers, so they can determine who may be completing the fraudulent termination and adjust the routing before we have to pull them from our routing table entirely. We achieve this with a combination of automated and manual tools and are working to improve automation, so that the information is delivered to our partners as close to real time as possible.

There is certainly no shortage of vendors willing to offer antifraud software and solutions, and many are quite sophisticated and effective. However, wholesalers can make a big impact just by deploying the tools they use every day to monitor traffic, CDRs and operations. But it takes a change in mindset for the wholesaler.

Fighting fraud is a continuous battle, one we can never actually win – not when the bad guys spend 100% of their time finding new methods and carriers have broader businesses to run. But we can protect our customers and lose less as an industry by aligning the thinking in our companies to view fraudulent traffic as something to be deterred and thwarted, whenever we find it. Then we have to share information in a timely way.

We all have a role to play in the fight against fraud and IDT global takes its role seriously. We hope you will join us in the fight.  

Anthony Davidson

Executive Vice President – Carrier Operations

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