A cloud phone system is the clear solution for businesses that need to support a hybrid workforce that’s working from home, the office, and on the road. But the benefits of the cloud are mitigated by a solution that’s rigid and forces customers to make compromises when connecting users in different locations around the world. Similarly, the agility of the cloud is lost through a solution with multiple points of administration and complexity that slows business growth. PSTN
Three options for Webex Calling PSTN connectivity
At Webex, we understand that businesses need a cloud phone system with powerful enterprise-grade calling features and flexible options to deliver these features to users worldwide. This system must also reliably connect users across borders, while being compliant with local regulations. Above all, this system must be easy to manage, so business growth is not slowed by painful administration.
That’s why we offer our customers three flexible options for PSTN connectivity with Webex Calling that enables them to support users in 85 countries. Most importantly, we ensure that these options are easy to manage – often from a single pane of glass.
Cisco Calling Plans
Many businesses lack the time, resources, and expertise to manage relationships with multiple service providers. Cisco Calling Plans are ideal for these customers. It adds convenient PSTN connectivity plans to Webex Calling to provide customers with a complete enterprise phone system delivered by a single vendor, with the full support of Cisco partners. With Cisco Calling Plans, customers can order, port, and provision PSTN numbers directly from Control Hub, eliminating the friction caused by multiple points of administration.
Cisco Calling Plans are available in the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Coverage in Greece, Poland, and the Asia Pacific region is coming soon.
Cloud Connected PSTN
Enterprises with a global footprint face several challenges. They need the flexibility to select between different service providers, often on a country-by-country basis, to ensure that their workers and customers around the world have a high quality, cost-effective, calling experience. But they also need a solution that’s easy to manage. Business growth and worker productivity are slowed if administrators struggle to manage relationships and phone numbers across multiple service providers.
Cloud Connected PSTN gives customers the flexibility to choose from a growing selection of Cisco-certified providers that offer service in over 65 countries. Our Cisco-certified partners are world-class service providers that meet the highest standards of service quality, reliability and support.
In most countries, Cloud Connected PSTN customers can select from multiple Cisco-certified Partners. This gives businesses the flexibility to select a provider that best meets their requirements in terms of coverage, number availability, features, packaging, and pricing.
Most importantly, much of this solution is managed through a single pane of glass. Once numbers are procured, administrators assign and manage numbers across different providers, in different countries around the world, directly though Control Hub. And we continue to streamline this process. When using our integrated Cisco-certified providers, customers can manage the entire provider selection and number procurement process in Control Hub.
Check out how easy it is to setup new phone numbers with Cisco Calling Plans and Cloud Connected PSTN:
Local gateway
We understand that there are reasons why a business may need the flexibility to use their own carrier. For example:
- Some companies may want to continue to use their current carrier or trunks
- A business may have an existing long-term contact with their current carrier
- Service is needed in a remote branch office
These businesses can pair Webex Calling with a local gateway so they can use virtually any PSTN provider around the world. This gives customers the ability to leverage existing provider relationships and premises hardware, while delivering powerful Webex Calling features to their users.
Any site, any service
Although each of these options provide businesses with incredible flexibility, we don’t want to limit our customers to just one choice. We know that many organizations have multiple sites and would benefit from the ability to use multiple PSTN connectivity options.
Webex Calling supports these customers with the ability to select PSTN connectivity on a site-by-site basis. Our customers can use any combination of Cisco Calling Plans, Cloud Connected PSTN, or Local Gateway-based PSTN across different sites. For example, a customer can benefit from the simplicity of Cisco Calling Plans in sites across the United States and Europe, and leverage the geographic coverage offered by Cloud Connected PSTN or a local gateway in other offices around the globe. Regardless of configuration, the entire system is managed centrally through Control Hub.
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