Cloud calling gives businesses the flexibility to connect people wherever they work. But global organizations also need the flexibility to choose how they connect users to the PSTN based on their coverage, provider, and business requirements.
Webex Calling gives organizations multiple PSTN connectivity options, so they can choose the right approach for each location while managing calling through a single global platform.
Three flexible options for Webex Calling PSTN connectivity
Webex Calling combines enterprise-grade cloud calling with flexible PSTN connectivity options designed to meet the needs of organizations operating across different countries, regions, and sites.
Today, Webex Calling supports domestic calling in more than 200 markets through three flexible PSTN connectivity options:
Organizations can select the option that works best for each location and combine all three within the same Webex Calling deployment.
Cisco Calling Plans
For organizations that want to simplify PSTN connectivity, Cisco Calling Plans provide calling services directly from Cisco alongside Webex Calling.
Administrators can order new PSTN numbers or port existing numbers to Cisco and manage them through Control Hub. This creates a more integrated experience for organizations that do not want to manage separate relationships and administration environments for their cloud calling platform and PSTN services.
Cisco Calling Plans are currently available in 19 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific: the United States, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
For businesses operating in these markets, Cisco Calling Plans provide a straightforward way to bring cloud calling and PSTN connectivity together with the support of Cisco and our partners.
Cloud Connect for Webex Calling
Global organizations often need more choice. Different countries can have different requirements for coverage, number availability, regulations, features, packaging, and pricing. A provider that is the right fit in one market may not be the right choice somewhere else.
Cloud Connect for Webex Calling gives organizations the flexibility to choose from a broad ecosystem of calling providers while maintaining the benefits of Webex Calling.
Today, Cloud Connect provides PSTN connectivity in more than 90 markets through more than 60 Certified Calling Providers and Calling Providers spanning the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.
Organizations can select providers based on their geographic and business requirements while connecting those services to a common Webex Calling platform. This gives global businesses the flexibility to build a PSTN strategy around their needs rather than adapting their business to the limitations of a single provider.
As the Cloud Connect ecosystem continues to expand, organizations have even more options for bringing local PSTN connectivity to their Webex Calling deployments around the world.
Local Gateway
Sometimes the best PSTN provider is the one you already have. Organizations may have existing carrier relationships, long-term contracts, established SIP trunks, specialized connectivity requirements, or locations where they want to continue using premises-based PSTN services.
Local Gateway allows these organizations to connect Webex Calling to their existing PSTN provider and infrastructure. This enables businesses to preserve existing investments and carrier relationships while bringing Webex Calling experiences to their users. Local Gateway can provide PSTN connectivity across more than 200 markets, making it an especially flexible option for multinational organizations and locations with specific carrier requirements.
One global calling strategy with the flexibility to choose
The real flexibility of Webex Calling comes from the ability to combine these options. Organizations do not have to standardize every location on the same PSTN connectivity model. Instead, they can select the right approach on a site-by-site basis.
A multinational organization, for example, might use Cisco Calling Plans for offices in the United States and Europe, select Cloud Connect providers for locations where it wants additional carrier choice, and use Local Gateway to maintain an existing carrier or trunk at another site. All of these locations can still be part of the same Webex Calling environment, with calling services centrally administered through Control Hub.
This gives organizations the flexibility to build a global calling strategy around the needs of their business without forcing every location into the same connectivity model.
Global calling with flexibility built in
Moving calling to the cloud should not mean giving up choice. With Webex Calling, organizations can combine the simplicity of Cisco Calling Plans, the provider choice and global reach of Cloud Connect for Webex Calling, and the flexibility of Local Gateway to support users around the world.
The result is a cloud calling platform that can adapt to different locations, providers, and business requirements while giving IT a consistent way to manage calling across the organization.
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