RespOrgs manage the information stored about toll free numbers – chiefly the Carrier Identification Code (CIC) – in a national database called the SMS/800. This information is used by local carriers to route a call through the appropriate long distance carrier.
To think of this process more simply, RespOrgs manage toll free number routing before calls reach the long distance carrier to improve the efficiency of toll free management for your business.
You probably have a RespOrg
If you have a toll free number in the United States and/or Canada, your toll free number is controlled by a RespOrg, generally your toll free service provider (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, etc.).
According to FCC regulations, you have the right to keep your existing toll free number and transfer it to the toll free provider of your choice. This is known as the change of RespOrg process.
Benefits from becoming your own RespOrg
Legally, your carrier cannot hold your numbers hostage, which opens doors to alternative rate decks for least cost routing, disaster recovery solutions, and quicker turn time for re-routes.
Becoming your own RespOrg has some serious advantages. As a RespOrg, you have complete control over your toll free numbers. This means that in the event of a carrier outage, you are able to quickly and efficiently move 100% of your traffic to your back-up carrier, or remove the down carrier from your LCR (Least Cost Routing).
Reasons to change your RespOrg
- If your current toll free service provider doesn’t offer the features or pricing you desire, you need to change to a new toll free service provider. (Changing toll free providers is very easy and requires one simple form to change your RespOrg.)
- If your toll free number is currently locked to a single landline phone, or if you want a toll free provider with advanced web-enabled features, you need to change your toll free provider and RespOrg.
- If your current toll free provider doesn’t offer international forwarding, simultaneous ringing at multiple locations, or other advanced call features, then you need a new toll free provider and RespOrg.
Financial savings resulting from being your own Resporg
Using Call Detail Records (CDR) history, the CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) is able to create a custom LCR map for your business. They do the analysis and set up the routes, saving you time and money.
If needed, percentage routing can be set so that a specific mix of traffic will be sent to different carriers for the same area of service. This is used for carriers with commitments to fulfill.
By adding a competitive toll free CLEC to your existing provider, an enterprise can reduce the risk of downtime.
Additional advantages
The benefits of having your own RespOrg manage your toll free numbers are numerous, but easily summed up in four words – protection, uptime, control, and savings.
Third-party alternatives have intuitive toll free management portals, delivering a suite of tools that allow you to manage all aspects of your toll free inventory and routing. You can search, reserve, release, route to existing templates, or create new templates, including complex LCRs and two-click DR (Disaster Recovery), all from one easy-to-use interface.