Introduction
Industry Research projections for the global telecom outsourcing market anticipate a growth in volume from US$23.23 billion in 2026 to US$29.52 billion by 2035. This sustained expansion reflects a fundamental shift in how telecom operators approach the management of their core communications infrastructure — and in particular, their voice and SMS operations.
Globally, over 62% of telecom operators currently outsource at least one major business function. 68% of telecom companies cite cost efficiency as their primary goal in outsourcing, while 57% look to external expertise to improve customer satisfaction and experience delivery.
Developments in technology are also driving telecom operators to cede responsibility for business management to outside agencies. Since the global rollout of 5G and its adoption by over 130 countries, 64% of telecom providers have begun outsourcing network design, tower management, and optimisation. And with a customer demand-driven shift from simple connectivity to more integrated communications solutions and value-added services, operators are facing the need to transition from in-house management of core functions such as international voice and SMS, to a more cost-efficient, secure, and reliable alternative.
A Management Burden of Growing Complexity
While offering the operator total stewardship over its communications infrastructure, in-house management comes with notable disadvantages. Hardware acquisition, setup, and continuous maintenance will often present a significant financial burden. Management of vendor contracts and operational costs — such as messaging and long-distance charges — can take additional large bites out of the company budget. Operators must also account for the recruitment, training, and ongoing payment of their maintenance and IT management staff.
On-premises infrastructure — especially legacy systems — may offer limited functionality, inadequate to the needs of today’s remote and hybrid workers who require real-time communication options, tools for collaboration, and integration with popular business platforms and applications.
Limited Options for Growth
While the process of designing SMS campaigns, crafting messages, and sending them out may be fairly straightforward, the underlying mechanisms and infrastructure that make this possible can be complex. In-house SMS managers may have to factor in the interconnects between networks, local gateways at the message destination, and any number of regional or international aggregators.
At the international level, each region has its own procedures, regulations, and costs, with routes varying in quality and price. Within a single country, SMS campaigns that start out small can quickly expand as new business flows and use cases emerge. Automated responses can add further to message volume.
With SMS pricing based directly on usage, a lack of transparency into underlying processes and cost triggers can leave in-house managers struggling as campaigns scale to tens of thousands of messages per day.
For voice managers, scaling human-led calls requires balancing staff costs, airtime, and resolution factors for each customer interaction. Organisations with an international clientele may also need to account for the high fixed costs of recording scripts in multiple languages.
Navigating Legal Environments and Threat Landscapes
Managing international voice and SMS internally requires teams to have a deep understanding of the regulatory compliance and infrastructure demands of each region in which the company operates. Using outdated information or making the wrong moves can have severe negative consequences for the business.
Operators must also contend with an increasingly complex and expanding threat environment. Advancements in generative AI are giving bad actors new tools and strategies to perpetuate fraud at local, international, and global levels. With more routes available, opportunities for unscrupulous agents to route voice traffic through grey routes are increasing.
To mitigate these risks, operators require a proactive and real-time responsive approach to threat management — one that in-house teams and legacy infrastructure may be ill-equipped to provide.
How Managed Communication Services Offer a Better Alternative
By outsourcing voice and SMS to a trusted managed communications partner, telecom operators gain access to dedicated expert teams for threat management, infrastructure, network, and traffic management — without having to train, equip, and finance specialist in-house staff, or commit capital to on-premises hardware and software.
Managed Service Providers also give operators access to the latest technologies and industry knowledge, typically at a fixed monthly price that enables finance teams to build predictable budgets. Strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs) provide guaranteed levels of network uptime and system performance.
Entrusting voice and SMS management to an experienced external partner frees telecom operators to focus on innovation, customer experience, and the growth initiatives that matter most to the business.
IDT global has been delivering managed communication services to operators around the world for over 25 years. With more than 100 direct carrier connections, real-time fraud monitoring, and deep expertise across international voice and A2P SMS, IDT global acts as a true partner — adapting its managed services to the specific operational needs of each operator it works with. The results speak for themselves: partners working with IDT global have seen significant improvements in traffic quality, cost efficiency, and fraud prevention.
Ready to Explore Managed Communication Services?
If you’re an operator evaluating how to manage your voice and SMS infrastructure more efficiently, IDT global can help. Our managed communication services are built around your business, not the other way around.
Speak to our team to find out how IDT global’s managed services can work for your business.
