What is a Virtual Phone Number?
A virtual phone number is a telephone number synchronized with a cloud-based or online communication service. It is called “virtual” because it is not tied like a typical physical phone number. These phone numbers are used for making and receiving phone calls, messaging over the internet; allowing the user to have one or multiple phone numbers without having a traditional phone line.
Virtual phone numbers are often associated with the Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) or cloud-based communication service. All the calls made by such numbers are transmitted over the internet. That’s one of the crucial reasons for the cost-effectiveness of having a virtual phone number.
Virtual phone numbers offer its users as much flexibility as one can have. The users could make settings online, enable features like call forwarding, call recording, voicemail transcription and so on. Virtual phone numbers can offer a level of privacy, as they do not reveal the user’s physical address.
How to Get a Virtual Phone Number?
There are several steps to Get a Virtual Phone Number. Many online service providers offer to get these numbers. Examples include Google Voice, Grasshopper, Twilio, and others. The user can get a Virtual Business phone Number on the same processes to get a private or personal use. In that case, the business phone numbers must be aligned with the pricing and services the business needs.
The users need to research a bit on the providers based on their needs, such as features, pricing, and geographic availability.
Then the users need to choose a type of the numbers or services they want. They need to decide between a local number (specific to a geographic location) or a toll-free number (e.g., 1-800 numbers). Some services also offer international virtual numbers.
The users need to sign up for an account with the virtual phone service provider of their choice. Then they have to follow their registration process, providing necessary information.
Through selecting or choosing a phone number from the available options they go another step ahead. Some services allow the users to customize the number to an extent. The users can configure settings like call forwarding, voicemail, text messaging, call recording and other features based on preferences.
The final part is to make a payment and get done with the activation process. The users have to pay for the numbers based on the provider’s pricing model. Once payment is complete, the virtual number is activated and ready for use.
How to Identify Virtual Phone Number?
Identifying a virtual phone number is not rocket science. Through checking the Area Code could make you successful in identifying one. Virtual phone numbers may have area codes that do not align with the physical location of the user. For example, a business in New York might use a virtual number with a California area code.
Numbers associated with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or cloud-based providers are likely to be virtual. If you suspect a number is virtual, search it online. People often discuss and share information about virtual phone numbers on forums and websites. Traditional phone numbers are associated with physical lines. If there’s no physical connection, it’s likely a virtual number.
In the era of technology, the virtual phone number has taken the reality of communication and business to the next level. It will take human engagement to transmission even forward in future.
