Businesses must effectively manage customer interactions across channels while keeping costs low.

As a customer support leader, the challenge lies in finding the perfect inbound contact center software that can evolve and meet the requirements of the modern-day customer. 

With customers expecting seamless interactions, omnichannel customer engagement solutions are the need of the hour. However, integrating new inbound call software with existing CRM systems can be a complex and time-consuming process that often increases implementation costs and potential disruptions. 

So how can you deliver exceptional CX while optimizing business revenue and keeping overhead costs low? 

Using comprehensive market research, industry data, and data-driven insights from actual customers, we’ll explore the top inbound contact center solutions to find which platform works best for you. 

What is Inbound Contact Center Software? 

Inbound call center software allows companies to manage their incoming customer calls efficiently without having a physical call center space. Your customer support team needs a laptop, headphones, and a reliable internet connection to solve your customers’ queries. 

Advanced inbound call center solutions can route calls to the appropriate agents or departments based on the customer's inquiry, whether it's a support query, sales inquiry, or any other customer interaction. This ensures that your customer’s needs are addressed promptly and efficiently. 

Happy customers equal higher net promoter score (NPS), customer satisfaction score (CSAT), agent handle time (AHT), and first call resolution (FCR). These core key performance indicators (KPIs) will result in loyal customers, increased revenue, and better customer service, influencing customers' purchasing decisions and helping you outwin competition.

The inbound call software you choose will be the first point of contact for most customers, which means it plays a vital role in shaping their perceptions of a brand. The right software will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty and become a business-critical growth driver. 

Must-Have Features of Inbound Contact Center Software

When choosing an inbound call center solution, you should look for several key features:

• Interactive Voice Response (IVR): It allows customers to interact with the company’s system via voice or touch-tone keypad. It can provide automated responses to common inquiries or route calls to the appropriate department, thereby reducing wait times and improving customer support  
• Call Queuing: This ensures incoming calls are directed to the most suitable agent or team based on pre-established rules and criteria. An effective call-routing process can speed up call resolution times and improve customer satisfaction

• Omnichannel interactions: Customers expect seamless omnichannel interactions across multiple channels, including voice, email, chat, social media, and SMS. An inbound contact center software that enables efficient management and integration of disparate customer channels is a must for customer-centric brands

• Workforce management system (WFM): It helps with forecasting call volumes, scheduling staff, tracking key performance metrics, and managing real-time compliance. WFM can significantly improve operational efficiency and agent productivity

• Analytics and reporting: Allows customer support leaders to collect real-time data about the performance of their call centers. It can help identify trends, monitor agent productivity, and make informed decisions to improve operations
• Third-party integrations: Choose software that integrates well with your existing systems and tools such as the CRM you use 
• Support: Reliable customer support is essential. Make sure your inbound call software provider offers responsive and helpful support

Metrics that Skyrocket When you Invest in the Right Inbound Call Center Software

Investing in inbound contact center software can bring numerous benefits to your business:

1. Improves customer retention: By providing quick and efficient customer service, you can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to higher customer retention rates
2. Enhances agent efficiency: Features like call routing and IVR can reduce the agent workload, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks that require human intervention and improve overall efficiency
3. Streamlines operations: Inbound call center solutions can automate many routine tasks, leading to more streamlined operations and lower operating costs
4. Enhances inbound call management: With features like call recording and real-time analytics, gain valuable insights into your inbound call traffic and improve your call management strategies

5 Best Inbound Contact Center Software Solutions 

1. Plivo CX

Plivo CX’s inbound call center software is designed to revolutionize your customer interactions. Effortlessly manage high call volumes, route calls to the right agents, and deliver exceptional service across all channels. Additionally, the seamless integration of data from different platforms solves a big challenge customer support leaders often face—data silos. 

It can be a useful tool in your CX arsenal with the power to delight customers across multiple channels without losing the human touch. 

Plivo CX key features

• Consistent and personalized customer support service across multiple channels, including voice, email, chat, social media, and SMS; with all platforms in sync
• Smart call routing ensures that calls reach the most qualified agent reducing wait times and boosting customer satisfaction 
• Reduced wait times and improved customer satisfaction during peak hours with Plivo CX's call queuing feature, decreasing customer wait time and call abandonment
• Leverage real-time call center data to identify trends, monitor agent productivity, and make data-driven decisions that optimize operations
• Streamline your workflow by integrating business systems into a unified communications screen, putting essential data at your fingertips
• Access and update relevant customer information seamlessly within Contacto, thanks to two-way API integration
• Empower your agents to multitask seamlessly with Contacto's concurrent messaging capabilities
• Uncover valuable growth insights by leveraging internal notes and conversation dispositions within Plivo CX's reporting dashboard

Plivo CX limitations

• Lacks features related to quality assurance and workforce management

Plivo CX pricing

• Growth: $29/user/month
• Business: $69/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Plivo CX ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (80+ reviews) 

2. LiveAgent

LiveAgent tackles high-volume customer interactions across multiple channels with its versatile software suite. Ticketing systems, knowledge bases, search widgets, and mobile apps, empower businesses to deliver exceptional service. 

LiveAgent key features

• Build interactive voice response (IVR) systems with LiveAgent's IVR Designer Tool, even without technical expertise. This tool allows you to record or upload audio directly within the IVR tree for a seamless creation experience
• Store and analyze past interactions for training resources with unlimited call recordings 
• Gain valuable customer insights with the screen pop feature, which automatically displays relevant information when a live agent receives a call 

LiveAgent limitations (taken from G2)

• LiveAgent's interface can be a bit complex, with a learning curve 
• Issues with the mobile app's functionality impacting the ability to manage tasks efficiently. This hinders responsiveness and flexibility in customer service delivery
• Lack of direct integrations with popular CRM systems and other applications creates a gap in the user workflow. This requires workarounds or additional tools that don’t work well with the inbound contact center software

LiveAgent pricing

• Small: $9/agent/month
• Medium: $29/agent/month
• Large: $49/agent/month
• Enterprise: $69/agent/month 

LiveAgent reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (1000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (1000+ reviews) 

3. Zendesk

Zendesk stands out in the inbound call center software market, emphasizing simplicity and efficiency and making customer service operations smooth and hassle-free. The preferred inbound call center solution for enterprise-level businesses. 

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Zendesk key features

• Distribute calls based on agent skills, availability, and workload with Zendesk's smart call distribution feature 
• Make data-driven decisions that go beyond providing real-time data with insightful reporting and analytics 
• Omnichannel agent workspace to organize customer data 

Zendesk limitations (taken from Capterra) 

• Occasional bugs within the call functionality impacts call quality and user experience
• Cumbersome admin panel management due to separate systems for managing tickets and automations/workflows

Zendesk pricing

• Suite Team: $55/user/month
• Suite Growth: $89/user/month
• Suite Pro: $115/user/month
• Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing
• Suite Enterprise Plus: Custom pricing

Zendesk reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (5000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (3000+ reviews) 

4. Nextiva

Nextiva is an AI-powered inbound contact center software. Users save up to 50% of the time per interaction with the AI-powered voice and chatbot. The auto transcription feature reduces agent note-taking, allowing your agents to focus on high-priority tickets. 

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If your customer support team caters to customer communications through SMS, voice, chat, email, video, and social media, Nextiva’s unified platform simplifies agent experiences and interactions across channels. 

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Nextiva key features

• Replace multi-level phone menus with automated call flows using advanced IVR technology featuring speech recognition and text-to-speech
• Gain rich customer insights with the screen pop feature that automatically provides relevant information when a live agent receives a call
• Transform routine interactions into natural exchanges with Nextiva's conversational AI add-on

Nextiva limitations (taken from G2 & Capterra)

• Lacks diverse integration options with other third-party apps
• Users experience difficulty with account management. Grasping the nuances between various account types (user, team, extensions) and their relationship to phone numbers is complex

Nextiva pricing

• Custom pricing

Nextiva reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.5/5 (3000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (90+ reviews) 

5. Aircall

If you’re looking for a call center solution that integrates with your helpdesk and CRM to fetch customer/user details and take away manual labor, Aircall is the solution for you. Get weekly analysis on customer wait times and keep track of the activity fee in real time to see the calls coming through. 

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Aircall key features

• Collaborate seamlessly with Aircall's shared call inbox feature that ensures no customer query goes unanswered 
• Effortlessly manage customer relationships with Aircall's contact management features—easily assign, tag, and add comments to contacts
• seamlessly integrates with popular CRM systems like Salesforce and HubSpot, providing a unified customer service experience

Aircall limitations (taken from G2)

• Stability issues with the application requires agents to close and reopen to resolve problems, thus disrupting workflows and impacting customer service delivery
• Lacks call handling flexibility as it doesn’t direct incoming calls to employee voicemails

Aircall pricing

• Essentials: $30/user/month - minimum 3 users
• Professional: $50/user/month - minimum 3 users
• Custom: Custom pricing

Aircall reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (900+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (400+ reviews) 

Use an Inbound Contact Center Software to Manage Customer Interactions at Scale 

An inbound call center solution is like a Swiss Army Knife—it improves customer satisfaction and customer support agent’s productivity. 

We recommend signing up on Plivo CX if you’re a small or mid-sized business or an e-Commerce/Shopify brand. 

With its human-centric and intuitive platform, agents can provide scalable customer service, and customer support managers can improve CX KPIs.

Selecting the ideal call center cloud software isn't easy: surging operational costs, aging infrastructure, and juggling multiple vendors are some of the challenges. Elements like scalability, integration, and customer support are important. 

Here, we are spotlighting five standouts: Plivo CX, Genesys Cloud CX, Talkdesk, Zendesk Support Suite, and Nice CXone. Each excels in providing crucial features like real-time analytics, AI-driven chatbots, and versatile multi-channel support. 

Must-Have Features in a Cloud Call Center Technology 

Let's dive into the essential features that separate outstanding cloud contact center solutions:

• Seamless omnichannel support: Service customers on channels they prefer with integrated interactions. Whether it's via phone, email, chat, or social media, the goal remains the same—uninterrupted communication. Look for a platform that centralizes these channels to empower meaningful customer engagements.
• Voice bot, Chatbot and Interactive Voice Response (IVR): Boost your team's efficiency by automating 50-60% of customer service requests with voice bots, chatbots and IVR. Creating automated frameworks to collect and handle customers’ queries, reduces agent workload and speeds up resolution times. Choose a cloud based call center technology that lets you design IVR logic flows, and automate bots using rule-based and conversational AI. 
• Routing: Smart routing is your ally, steering customer interactions smoothly to the right agent based on a matrix of factors, and ensuring every call becomes an opportunity for resolution and connection.
• Empowering tools for agents: Modern agents need modern tools—screen sharing, knowledge base access, and call recording are the hallmarks of an empowered customer support team
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): Look for a cloud call center solution that allows you to automate the majority of your customer queries. Only the most complex queries that require human intervention reach your support agents. Even in that case, the AI should serve as a sidekick to your support reps, providing them with the necessary information that will help them to answer customer queries quickly and easily.
• Real-time monitoring: Real-time monitoring lets you see contact center metrics and KPIS of everything—calls, chats, emails—at once. With one central hub, you can provide live coaching to agents, spot trends, and satisfy customers.
• Reporting: Unlock hidden customer insights with comprehensive reporting features! Opt for a call center cloud software that helps you gain insights with historical reports, analyze recordings & transcripts for quality checks, and use performance data to give feedback to agents 
• Integrations: Your call center software cloud software should integrate with CRM, ERP, and other third-party apps for a unified view of customer data and streamlined operations.
• Scalability: Choose a cloud-based call center technology that innovates quickly, thus allowing you to scale your business requirements and not lag behind the evolving industry landscape.
• User-friendly software: Usability and customization should not be an afterthought. Opt for a platform that resonates with your team's expertise and can be tailored to your specific business needs, strategies, and workflows.
• Pricing and ROI: Choose a pricing model that aligns with your budget and usage patterns and offers higher ROI.
• Vendor reputation and support: Ensure your cloud call center solution is reputed, with stellar uptime and speed, even during software updates.

Top Cloud-Based Call Center Technology Solutions 

Now, let’s zoom in on the top cloud call center solutions and examine what they bring to the table.

1. Plivo CX

Plivo CX triumphs with a unified platform, where managing customer interactions is streamlined and intelligent. It focuses on simplicity and AI-powered automation to improve customer experiences and agent efficiency. 

Plivo CX’s cloud-based call center technology is ideal for medium and enterprise-level B2C and eCommerce brands with a multichannel presence.

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Plivo CX features

• Facilitates seamless omnichannel customer care by managing all interactions through a unified agent desktop and eliminates tool juggling
• Builds and deploys AI-powered bots to answer basic questions, deflect calls, and resolve simple issues, freeing up agents for complex inquiries
• Conversation analytics scores allow agents to gain real-time insights into customer emotions during interactions, allowing them to tailor responses and proactively address concerns
• Plivo CX integrates and holistically interacts with home-grown systems as well as popular CRM, ERP, and helpdesk systems for a unified view of customer data that interacts with each other
• Drag-and-drop workflow builder helps you build custom user journeys across all business communication channels thus streamlining customer interactions
• Smart routing feature to route calls, chats, and emails to maximize team efficiency, reduce resolution times, and improve customer satisfaction

Plivo CX limitations

• Does not offer features that aid in quality assurance and workforce management

Plivo CX pricing

• Chat only: $19/user/month
• Growth: $29/user/month
• Business: $69/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Plivo CX ratings 

• G2: 4.5/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (80+ reviews) 

2. Genesys Cloud CX

Genesys Cloud CX is designed to forecast, collaborate, and automate, setting the stage for stellar customer service. It is used by enterprise organizations that need a deeper level of customer support, including helpdesk, contact center management, and digital channel management.

Genesys Cloud CX features

• AI-powered forecasting helps anticipate call volume and agent needs, allowing you to proactively schedule and optimize staffing, leading to better resource allocation and reduced wait times.
• Built-in collaboration tools like video conferencing and knowledge base access empower agents to deliver better customer service.
• Cloud IVR solutions designed to automate queries and facilitate self-service, thereby reducing the support team’s workload.

Genesys Cloud CX limitations

• Lack of features in Genesys Cloud CX makes it rank lower than their on-premise counterpart
• AI automation is outdated with the platform supporting only rule-based bot workflow builder

Genesys Cloud CX pricing

• Cloud 1: $75/user/month
• Cloud 2: $95 to $115/user/month
• Cloud 3: $135 to $155/user/month

AI Experience is available at an additional cost starting at $40/month

Genesys Cloud CX reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (1000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 /5 (200+ reviews) 

3. Talkdesk

Talkdesk's cloud-based call center solution provides businesses with tools that optimize call routing, enable in-depth analytics, and streamline workforce management for enhanced efficiency and productivity. 

This call center software cloud platform is preferred by financial services and insurance, government and education, manufacturing, and healthcare and lifesciences that require workforce engagement management and employee collaboration in addition to omnichannel engagement. 

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Talkdesk features

• Agents can place calls directly from their helpdesk, CRM, eCommerce platform, or website, streamlining communication.
• Configurable multi-level IVR ensures callers are directed to the right support team.
• Real-time generative knowledge and automatic interaction summaries improve your customer support team’s productivity and reduce average handle time.

Talkdesk limitations

• AI capabilities for text conversation channels lack the competency of AI for voice 
• Features for chat channels added to provide omnichannel support lack finesse, for example, the messaging interface doesn’t have automatic refresh, which hampers productivity 

Talkdesk pricing

• Essentials: $75/user/month
• Elevate: $95/user/month
• Elite: $125/user/month
• Experience clouds: Custom pricing

Talkdesk reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.4/5 (2000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (700+ reviews) 

4. Zendesk Support Suite

Zendesk Support Suite provides mid-sized businesses with an omnichannel experience by combining ticketing and customer support capabilities. Known for its simplicity and ease of use, Zendesk's cloud call center software integrates with many third-party apps. 

If your business extensively uses multiple business sources for the flow of information, Zendesk is the contact center platform of choice. 

Zendesk Support Suite features

• Route inquiries across channels like phone, email, chat, and social media to the most qualified available agent based on skills and availability, ensuring efficient resolution.
• Efficient ticket handling feature allows your team to prioritize urgent tickets, thus ensuring prompt resolution of critical issues.
• Self-service hub where customers can find answers, ask questions, and connect with each other. This reduces agent workload and fosters peer-to-peer support.

Zendesk Support Suite limitations

• Issues with uploading and exporting data 
• Limitations and difficulties in implementing basic processes

Zendesk Support Suite pricing

• Suite Team: $55/user/month
• Suite Growth: $89/user/month
• Suite Pro: $115/user/month
• Suite Enterprise: Custom pricing
• Suite Enterprise Plus: Custom pricing

Zendesk Support Suite reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (5000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4 /5 (3000+ reviews) 

5. Nice CXone

Nice CXone is a cloud-based call center technology offering a clutter-free interface and detailed insights. The secure, robust IVR system and the user-friendly, browser-based Max agent interface allow agents to maintain focus. 

Typically, industries such as healthcare, telecom, and BPO (business process outsourcers) use Nice CXone. 

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NICE CXone features

• Session recording provides invaluable insights into customer interactions with comprehensive call, chat, and screen recordings. Enhance agent performance by identifying improvement areas, analyzing trends, and coaching agents.
• NICE CXone's CCaaS offers crystal-clear voice quality and global reach. Enhance customer satisfaction with flexible routing, real-time analytics, and workforce optimization tools.
• Schedule and route calls to agents intelligently with skill-based routing. Automate the process of forecasting call volumes and proactively assigning agents, minimizing waiting times and ensuring smooth operations.

NICE CXone limitations

• Initial setup, data transfer and implementation is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process that warrants extensive support
• Takes a long time to implement and deploy features 

NICE CXone pricing

• Digital Agent: $71/user/month
• Voice Agent: $94/user/month
• Omnichannel Agent: $110/user/month
• Essential Suite: $135/user/month

NICE CXone reviews and ratings

• G2: 4.3/5 (1000+ review)
• Capterra: 4.2/5 (500+ reviews) 

Scale your Business with Plivo CX’s Call Center Cloud Software 

Choosing the right cloud-based call center technology is critical. Beyond features, pick the solution that threads through your business operations seamlessly, empowering your agents and surpassing customer expectations. 

Plivo CX has a suite of impressive functionalities. Robust features such as a unified agent desktop, real-time conversation analytics score, transcription, drag-and-drop flow builder, custom APIs, integrations, and automation promise a fully realized eCommerce environment.

So why wait? 

Take the next step towards a cloud-powered future with Plivo CX. Sign up today.

Two myths about SMS marketing are that it's intrusive and expensive.

But is it intrusive?

With mailboxes flooded by marketing emails, now more than two in five consumers want to hear from brands through SMS. In fact, consumers from ages 25 to 54 prefer to communicate with brands via SMS over email. SMS is a viable marketing channel. 

Now, is it expensive? 

In this post, we will break down SMS marketing costs, all contributing factors, and how you can build a cost-effective campaign. 

TL;DR: Using CoEngage, you can send a text message in the US for as little as $0.0095 per SMS. More on this later. 

10 Factors That Influence SMS Marketing Costs

Many factors contribute to SMS marketing costs, majorly campaign size, location, and the provider you choose. Here are the top aspects that influence costs:

1. Location

Firstly, the pricing will vary depending on the location of the consumers you are targeting. For example, CoEngage users can send one SMS at a cost between $0.0095 and $0.013  to US consumers. There are additional carrier fees, which will be explained in the next point. 

2. Carrier Fees

Mobile carriers are service providers that deliver messages. Popular mobile carriers are AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. These providers charge a small price called carrier fees, which are added to the SMS cost. 

3. Message Type

If you opt to send an MMS with media images, videos, or GIFs instead of a text message, then the charges can go slightly higher. For instance, for CoEngage users, the cost of sending MMS ranges between $0.029 and $0.039.

 4. Target Audience Size

The more consumers you reach out to, the higher the cost. The pricing scales with the volume of the contact list. 

5. Message Volume

Beyond the contact list, the number of text messages you plan to send in a month also significantly impacts the overall cost. Providers offer different pricing plans based on message volume. Assess your expected volume in advance to choose the right package.   

6. Provider Charges

The cost of SMS marketing largely depends on the service provider you choose and the pricing plans they offer. Three common types of pricing models are:

• Pay-as-you-go: You pay based on message volume and features used.
• Subscription: You pay a flat subscription, which includes a fixed message volume and features in it. 
• Hybrid: You pay a flat subscription for a certain message count limit. After exceeding the limit, pay-as-you-go pricing is enabled, and you are charged based on the message volume. 

Compare the pricing models across different providers based on your expected volume and features. Find a provider with a pricing model that fits your budget and requirements.

7. Phone Number Type

SMS marketing rules are getting stricter to save consumers from spam. You would need a registered number for business text messaging. Below are three main phone number types that you can use for texting:

• Long code: Long code is your usual 10-digit number that looks like a standard phone number. Example: (415) 555-XXXX. Due to the familiar format, messages from these numbers look more personalized and are effective for smaller SMS messaging campaigns. They allow two-way messaging so they can accept replies from consumers.
• Short code: Short codes are typically 5 to 6-digit numbers assigned by carriers for sending and receiving SMS messages. They are often used for mass notifications, marketing campaigns, and customer support. Shortcodes are relatively expensive compared to long-code and toll-free numbers. 
• Toll-free numbers: Toll-free numbers are a hybrid between short codes and long codes. Toll-free numbers support two-way communication, allowing businesses to engage in interactive SMS conversations with their consumers. Toll free is more cost-effective than short codes.

Tip: With CoEngage, you can get a phone number toll-free for free. We are waiving off the toll-free registration charges for all our users. 

8. Keyword Costs 

An SMS keyword is any word or phrase your consumers can text back as part of a campaign. For instance, If you are planning a Thanksgiving campaign, you can ask consumers to reply 'Thanksgiving' keyword to learn more about the offers. 

SMS keywords are usually used for opt-ins and to get a heads-up from consumers if they are further interested in any particular campaign. SMS marketing providers often charge for the usage of any specific keywords.  

9. Customer Support

Another factor that impacts the cost of SMS marketing is the type of support you expect from the provider. SMS marketing providers offer different pricing plans, each with varying levels of customer support. For instance, basic plans usually provide no customer support, mid-level plans may have email or chat support, and enterprise versions can have onboarding or 24*7 support. 

10. Advanced Features and Customization Options

SMS marketing providers can also offer advanced features like segmentation, personalization, AI support, analytics, etc. These features help in designing an effective campaign. The catch is these features could be included in their existing pricing plans or may come at an extra cost. Check for the below features and their pricing before making the decision. 

• Does the provider allow the segmentation of users into smaller groups with specific attributes such as age, gender, location, purchase history, address, etc?
• Does the provider support automation to trigger SMS automatically at a predetermined time or in response to any user action?
• Does the provider have an analytics report capturing KPIs like open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, and opt-in and opt-out rates?
• Does the provider offer any AI features for campaign support?

Additional Costs To Consider | SMS Marketing Pricing

Below are additional features that can impact SMS marketing costs. While some of these features may be available in the existing pricing plans, some of them could be chargeable. 

1. Integration

Does the SMS marketing provider offer all the necessary integrations? A few must-haves are integration with other platforms like Customer relationship management (CRM)  tools, eCommerce tools, or other marketing tools. Are the integrations available for free, or do you need any enhanced functionality (which is chargeable)?

2. Compliance 

Does the SMS marketing platform follow all compliance and legal considerations? For example, in the US, businesses must follow the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It is a federal law to safeguard consumer privacy. It prohibits marketers from sending any marketing messages if the consumer has not given prior consent. The law also provides timings in which businesses can send marketing messages, i.e., between  8:00 AM and 9:00 PM local time. 

While the SMS marketing providers do not charge separately for compliance, it's important to assess different platforms to find which one is compliant. 

3. Subscribe List Maintenance

SMS marketing providers have a limit on the consumer list in different plans. For instance, the CoEngage starter plan captures 5000 contacts. On the other hand, the pro plan allows unlimited contacts.

4. A/B Testing and Optimization Costs

Another additional cost in the pipeline is the cost of testing campaigns before the actual launch. It includes sending sample emails with different subject lines and content to optimize the campaign before the launch. 

5. Response Handling Costs

Two-way communication or handling responses from consumers may incur additional charges. This includes maintaining opt-in/opt-outs and managing customer responses. If you wish to integrate these responses into your existing systems and store them in CRM or customer support platforms, it may further increase the costs.

How To Calculate ROI on SMS Marketing Campaigns

Calculating return on investment (ROI) for SMS marketing campaigns is assessing how much profit you gained against the investment made. 

The steps to calculate ROI are:

1. Determine total revenue: Find the total revenue generated by the campaign. For example, the number of conversions, purchases, etc. 

2. Define campaign cost: Sum up all costs associated with the SMS campaign. It includes SMS marketing platform fees and any additional expenses.

3. Determine net profit: Find your profit against the investment by subtracting campaign cost from the revenue.   

Net profit= Total revenue - Total campaign cost

4. Calculate ROI: You can calculate ROI with a simple formula.

ROI = (Profit/Campaign cost)*100

Let's understand with an example. You planned an SMS marketing campaign in which you sent promotional emails to 15000 contacts using the CoEngage growth plan (priced at $79 per month). Out of 15000 contacts, 800 consumers made a purchase of $50 each.

Total revenue = 800*$50 = $4000

Campaign cost = $79

Net profit = Total revenue- Campaign cost = $4000 - $79 = $3921

ROI = (Net profit/Campaign cost)*100 = (3921/79)*100 = 4963.29%

Plan Cost-Effective SMS Marketing Campaigns With CoEngage

CoEngage offers a generous growth plan for small and medium businesses with up to 25000 contacts at just $79 per month. And Enterprise versions with unlimited contacts started at just $199 per month. Get in touch with our team to design the most cost-effective SMS campaigns.

For more than a decade, contact centers have been integral in helping organizations and key stakeholders address customer needs and influence their perception of the company’s brand, products, or services. 

Undeniably, its role in delighting customers is growing, and at the same time, today’s contact centers have to adapt to changing customer behavior. 

Findings from a McKinsey case study show that more than half of B2C customers engage with five to six digital channels before they make a purchase decision or resolve a request. This means contact centers must use multiple digital channels to engage with customers. 

That’s where a multichannel customer care strategy allows companies to integrate multiple channels within the agent desktop, enabling contact center agents to handle multi-channel customer interactions. This saves them the gruntwork of spending unnecessary time logging into different systems to manage multiple channels separately. 

Throughout this article, we discuss the top providers of multichannel contact centers, their key features and cons, and help you decide which is best for your business needs. 

What is a Multichannel Contact Center? 

A multichannel contact center is a cloud-based customer service solution integrating different communication channels into one platform. It helps businesses and customer support teams assist customers through channels where the audience resides, including SMS, voice, email, and social media. 

Your customer service agents must be available on multiple channels to fulfill this demand and ensure quick, easy, and seamless customer service. 

What are the Key Features of a Multichannel Contact Center?

A multichannel dashboard

The dashboard is where your agents access the different communication channels, voicemails, call logs, and reports. The channels are usually located on the left-side menu. New activity triggers a notification that agents can click to go to the relevant channel, whether it’s voice, SMS, WhatsApp, or email.

During active calls, the dashboard displays customer interaction history, contact details, order history, and options to change channels.

Advanced dashboards also include AI tools that provide canned responses and educational resources from the company knowledge base to assist customer support agents.

Call queueing

Call queuing puts all the inbound calls into a virtual queue and creates a waiting list for your customer support agents. This allows for:

• More organized call management
• The prevention of agent burnout
• Insight into important customer service metrics like the average wait time

Agents can view who’s in the queue, how long they’ve been waiting, and the expected wait time before responding to a caller.

Advanced multichannel call center software has an automated callback feature that notifies callers when an agent can answer their queries.

Routing and IVR

Multichannel contact centers have built-in routing and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus. Automatic call distribution (ACD) automatically directs customers to the best-suited agents across different channels, depending on the issue. 

IVR lets customers self-resolve basic issues when call agents are unavailable or direct themselves to a queue, announcement, or agent based on their speech or dial tone.

Integrations with third-party apps

Multichannel contact centers integrate with CRM tools (like Zoho and Salesforce), team communication systems (like Slack), and information databases (like AirTable) for real-time flow of information between the contact center software and the other business systems your organization uses. 

Auto-dialer 

An auto-dialer automatically calls leads and analyzes their responses.nIf it detects a human, the call is transferred to an available agent. If it detects voicemail, a pre-recorded message is left for the lead to follow up on.

Why Set up a Multichannel Contact Center? 

Get advanced contact center insights

Multichannel contact centers offer analytics and reports that help you monitor:

• Queue activity 
• Customer behavior
• Team productivity 
• Call volumes
• Customer satisfaction levels

This information helps you understand how well your business is performing, which channels are more popular, and what problems are common among your customers. 

Improves customer service experience 

Salesforce reports that 90% of buyers believe a business's experience is as important as its products or services. Customer service is an important aspect of this experience.

With multiple communication channels, customers can choose the channel they prefer to contact your business, making customer service convenient and personalized. 

Improve agent morale and performance

Multichannel contact center software not only improves customer service but also simplifies the job of your customer support agents. 

A centralized dashboard summarizes all communication channels and customer profiles, enabling agents to respond to clients without monitoring multiple platforms or digging around for important information. Auto dialers and IVR menus are multichannel contact center features that reduce your team’s workload. 

The Top Multichannel Providers In 2024

1. Plivo CX

With Plivo CX’s multichannel customer service contact center, multichannel success is no longer overwhelming or an unachievable aspiration. 

If you’re an eCommerce brand on Shopify, Plivo CX lets you focus on multichannel journeys and provide personalized attention by unifying chatbots, live chat, SMS, and WhatsApp into one conversation. 

To enable businesses to deliver a cohesive customer experience at every touchpoint, Plivo CX has native voice capabilities, which means you don’t need to engage with third-party vendors for in-call features. 

As the best multichannel contact center provider, the additional capabilities of web and in-app chat embedded directly into your website or mobile application let customers interact with you directly while they shop and post-purchase. 

Key Features

• Inbound and outbound calling is complemented with data-driven routing (which directs callers to the most appropriate agent based on their information) and a programmable IVR for shorter wait times
• You also get toll-free numbers in 50+ countries and call recordings for training and quality assurance purposes
• SMS support that allows you to send messages while on call with a caller. You also get drag-and-drop workflows for proactive updates to reduce inbound support
• Offer WhatsApp support with automated responses to common questions and data-enhanced bot conversations
• AI-powered chatbots are capable of sending and receiving documents and photos for faster issue resolution
• Native integrations with nine popular third-party apps, including Shopify, Zendesk, Zoho, HubSpot, and Salesforce
• A drag-and-drop interface helps you build automated customer journey workflows

Limitations

• Lacks features related to quality assurance and workforce management

Pricing

• Growth: $19/user/month with 2000 chat sessions per agent and unlimited SMS
• Business: $39/user/month with 3000 chat sessions per agent and unlimited SMS
• Enterprise: 4000 chat sessions per agent and unlimited SMS. You’ll have to request a quote for pricing

Channels supported 

Voice, SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat

Plivo CX ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.5/5 (700+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.3/5 (80+ reviews) 

2. Gladly

If you’re looking to ditch tickets and transition your support reps into revenue drivers and growth champions, Gladly is your AI customer service platform for multichannel support.

Combine the strengths of your contact center agents and AI-powered personalized self-service to free your agents from redundant tasks and focus on creating loyal customers. 

Ecommerce and B2C businesses with an omnichannel shopping experience use Gladly to consolidate multiple contacts from individual customers and increase the response time. 

Key Features

• A unified dashboard shows every customer conversation in a single place regardless of the channel, offering agents a complete history of customer interaction
• AI features help you reply to messages, summarize conversations, and generate marketing copy
• Gladly Sidekick offers a personalized self-service experience across multiple digital channels

Limitations (G2)

• Overwhelming user interface 
• No dark mode or color-blind support
• For a small business with limited, implementing Gladly can be a cost-deterrent 

Pricing

• Hero: $180/agent/month with multi-channel communication, unified customer view, a centralized knowledge base, and more
• Superhero: $210/agent/month with customer reporting, 99.9% uptime, and premium support

Gladly CX ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.7/5 (895 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.8/5 (123 reviews)

Channels supported: Voice, email, SMS, social media, live chat

3. Kustomer

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If you’re in an industry like insurance that needs a unified communication system for cross-functional teams to collaborate and have visibility into the various customer interactions that different teams manage, Kustomer is an enterprise-level multichannel contact center solution for you.

With native integrations, teams get a real-time data stream which the business intelligence team uses to build their reporting. Whether through phone, SMS, email, or chat, you shouldn’t leave knowledge gaps with customer communication and Kustomer helps you do that with AI-powered customer service CRM. 

Key Features

• A timeline view displays each customer interaction in chronological order
• An easy-to-navigate, searchable, and SEO-friendly help center that you add to your app or website to reduce the burden on your agents
• KIQ Customer Assist is an AI tool that responds to customer queries in a conversational tone using only information from your knowledge base

Limitation (G2)

• Integrated tools like Shopify load slowly inside Kustomer
• Customer satisfaction surveys are sometimes missing and have to be searched for
• Frequent downtime

Pricing

• Enterprise: $89/user/month with multi-channel communication, voice provider integration, proactive service, and more
• Ultimate: $139/user/month with real-time user supervision, enhanced routing, real-time dashboards, and more

Channels supported: Chat, social media, email, voice, and SMS

Kustomer ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4/5 (411 reviews) 
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (56 reviews)

4. Gorgias 

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Gorgias is an AI-powered customer service platform for Shopify merchants—helping them become an omni-available brand. Automation allows you to provide responsive service on every channel, 24/7, for every question, without hiring extra agents. 

The suite of features, such as Helpdesk, autoresponders, and article recommendations from your help center, saves your team hours each week and offers a great experience for your customers. Your agents will spend less time answering questions, and with the article recommendations, your customers will save time following up. 

Key Features

• AI ticket management prioritizes, assigns, and tags every incoming ticket automatically
• Customer context, such as previous orders, subscription details, and reviews
• Canned responses for FAQs give your agents a headstart and standardize answers

Limitations (G2)

• Limited reporting features
• A steep learning curve
• Automation can be expensive 

Pricing

• Basic: $50/month with 300 monthly tickets
• Pro: $300/month with 2000 monthly tickets
• Advanced: $750/month with 5000 monthly tickets

Channels supported: Email, chatbot, social media, voice, SMS, and WhatsApp

Gorgias ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.6/5 (507 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (111 reviews)

5. Help Scout

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Think of Help Scout as your unified platform for every customer, vendor, and partner conversation. Built for financial services, SaaS, and ecommerce platforms, Help Scout offers personalized agent support and self-service options for customers to find answers to their questions quickly and easily. 

Use AI to summarize conversations and improve your replies, automation to build customizable workflows, access customer data and their activity at a glance, and integrate with business sources to make your contact center agents’ life easier. 

Key Features

• A shared inbox where your team members collaborate and interact with customers across multiple channels 
• Collaboration features like assignments, private notes, and real-time collision detection ensure only one team member interacts with a customer
• A no-code help center with customizable colors and access control

Limitations

• Lacks support for SMS or voice (Website)
• Buggy workflow automation that doesn’t always work (TrustRadius)
• You can’t ask customers whether your knowledge base articles were helpful (TrustRadius)

Pricing

• Standard: $20/user/month with 2 shared inboxes and 1 knowledge base
• Plus: $40/user/month with 5 shared inboxes and 2 knowledge bases
• Pro: $65/user/month with 25 shared inboxes and 10 knowledge bases

Supported channels: Chat, live chat, email, and social media 

Help Scout ratings and reviews

• G2: 4.4 / 5 (403 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (207 reviews)

Your Multichannel Contact Center Search Ends with Contacto

If you’re a small business or an ecommerce store looking to address customer needs and interactions over multiple channels and platforms, Plivo CX is your solution of choice. 

You get an easy-to-use agent for Windows and Mac, a drag-and-drop setup, toll-free numbers in 50+ countries, and SMS and WhatsApp support. Book a demo today!

Once you start using Plivo CX, focus on the popular channels among your customers to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Contacto is thrilled to announce a pivotal advancement in our commitment to data privacy and security: the attainment of the ISO 27001:2022 certification. This milestone is not just a mark of recognition; it embodies our relentless dedication to maintaining the highest levels of information security. With this certification, Contacto solidifies its status as a dependable pioneer in the realm of unified contact center solutions. 

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Understanding the Global Significance of ISO 27001: ISO 27001 is more than just a standard; it's a global benchmark for excellence in information security management systems (ISMS). Applicable across various industries, this certification entails a structured framework for establishing, implementing, and maintaining robust security practices. By adhering to the stringent standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Contacto not only demonstrates compliance but also showcases a proactive approach to safeguarding sensitive information. 

This certification knows no borders; it provides global assurance of our dedication to the highest standards of data protection and security management.

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Our Rigorous Journey to Certification: The journey to achieve the ISO 27001:2022 standard was both challenging and enlightening. Contacto underwent a comprehensive external audit by an accredited firm. This rigorous examination spanned every aspect of our security measures, from software robustness to personnel preparedness, aligning our practices with international data laws. This ongoing process of continuous improvement and adherence to evolving security standards highlights our unwavering commitment to excellence.

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How It Benefits You - Our Valued Stakeholders:

• Resilience to Cyber Attacks: Enhancing our ability to protect against and respond to digital threats.
• Preparedness for Emerging Threats: Staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
• Ensuring Data Integrity, Confidentiality, and Availability: A three-pronged approach to securing your data.
• Organization-wide Protection: Ensuring security at every level of our operations.

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What This Means for Our Customers: For our customers, the ISO 27001:2022 certification is an assurance that your data is governed by the most stringent of security protocols. Whether you're an emerging startup or a large enterprise, you can trust that Contacto is equipped with comprehensive security systems and processes.

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Our Pledge for Continuous Security Evolution: Our mission in security excellence is perpetual. We commit to an ongoing evolution of our security frameworks, aspiring to not just fulfill but surpass the prevailing industry benchmarks.

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Explore Our Security Protocols: To gain a comprehensive understanding of Contacto's security measures, we invite you to visit our security page. At Contacto, we are dedicated to not only enabling sales engagement but also to forging enduring trust through uncompromising data security.

In February 2023, Elon Musk reported that Twitter lost $60 million a year due to SMS pumping fraud. One study estimated that SMS OTP fraud made up around 6% of all SMS traffic — and that percentage is only increasing.

SMS pumping fraud is a growing threat, yet many businesses are still unfamiliar with this type of attack. In this guide, we’ll explain SMS pumping to help you identify where your communications traffic may be at risk, protect your bottom line, and maintain a great experience for your customers. Read on to learn about SMS pumping fraud and Plivo’s solutions for mitigating this risk.

What is SMS pumping?

SMS pumping, also known as artificially inflated traffic (AIT) or SMS traffic pumping, is a type of cybercrime that targets businesses that use SMS for one-time passcodes (OTPs) or app download links.

In an SMS pumping attack, the perpetrator uses bots to flood a business's online forms with fake requests. These requests include phone numbers that the attackers control. Tricked into thinking these are legitimate requests, the business sends SMS messages to the fake numbers.

SMS pumping poses challenges for businesses by increasing A2P costs, negatively impacting the enterprise. Moreover, excessive sending of one-time passcodes to customers can lead to distrust and potentially tarnish a company's reputation. 

SMS pumping is a challenge for mobile network operators (MNOs), too. The ongoing increase in SMS rates could cause businesses to explore alternative authentication methods, reducing their reliance on A2P SMS services and resulting in revenue decline for MNOs. 

In this guide, we’ll further break down the ins and outs of SMS pumping, describe how to spot the signs of SMS pumping fraud, and provide advice for protecting your business from this security risk. 

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How does SMS pumping work?

SMS pumping relies on a combination of brute force and deceptive tactics in order to achieve financial gain. 

Typically, an SMS pumping attack starts with the perpetrator launching a bot designed to create fake accounts on a website or app. The bot fills out online forms with fake requests to trigger the sending of one-time passcodes to various mobile numbers. If the web form doesn’t have security controls, the attacker can enter premium rate numbers to generate funds for them and the mobile network operator. Often, the MNO is a rogue operator that shares in the profits; although some MNOs aren’t aware the fraud is being carried out over their network.

In another instance, the bot could trigger sending large volumes of text messages to random or targeted phone numbers. These messages mimic legitimate SMS traffic from sources such as banks, government agencies, or popular brands. For instance, a targeted message may appear to be from Netflix asking a user to verify their account due to suspicious activity. 

In this scenario, the SMS may contain links to fake websites that appear to be legitimate. These websites try to trick users into entering personal information, such as their username or password, that the perpetrator can use to infiltrate their account. 

The perpetrators' ultimate goal in SMS pumping is usually financial gain. They may profit directly from premium-rate SMS charges, identity theft, unauthorized access to financial accounts, or selling stolen personal information on the dark web.
What industries are most impacted by SMS pumping?

What industries are most impacted by SMS pumping?

SMS pumping is industry-agnostic, meaning it impacts businesses in all verticals. However, some companies are more vulnerable than others. “Small businesses and startups are particularly vulnerable to SMS pumping fraud. They are less likely to have the resources required to make their web forms more secure,” said one expert. 

SMS pumping attacks do tend to target high-value industries, including: 

1. E-commerce: Fraudsters manipulate SMS delivery volume to exploit marketing and communication systems, leading to financial losses, damaged reputation, and compromised customer data. 
2. Banking and Financial Services: Fraudsters exploit SMS-based authentication systems to compromise user accounts. 
3. Telecom Sector: Telecom providers serve as intermediaries for SMS delivery, making them both targets and victims of this fraudulent activity.

While these are among the most commonly targeted industries, SMS pumping also impacts healthcare, technology companies, and online service providers. 

Why is SMS pumping dangerous?

SMS pumping is a risk that can’t be ignored. This type of fraud can cause financial and intangible damage, destroying customer trust and impacting the user experience. 

Analysis by LANCK Telecom, a global carrier, found that SMS pumping fraud costs companies 10% in revenue. At Twitter, Musk estimated that SMS fraud cost the company $60 million dollars a year, not counting traffic in North America. Financially, SMS pumping is a significant risk to businesses of all sizes. 

That’s not the only adverse impact of SMS pumping. Sending excessive OTPs or being associated with SMS fraud can damage a business's reputation. Customers may lose trust in the company's communication channels, leading to decreased loyalty, negative word-of-mouth publicity, and reluctance to engage with the business in the future.

SMS pumping fraud examples

Twitter is just one example of a brand that’s been hit with SMS pumping fraud. Research from Lanck Telecom found that for some major brands, as much as 30-60% of overall mobile traffic may be related to SMS pumping. 

There are a number of ways that SMS pumping can happen.

Web form attacks

In a web form attack, a fraudster deploys bots to enter thousands of phone numbers into promotions or discount web forms. The business then unknowingly sends SMS messages to these numbers, many of which may be premium rate or high-cost destinations, resulting in inflated charges.

SMS OTP fraud

In an OTP fraud attack, a fraudster uses stolen credentials and bots to attempt a large number of logins on a targeted website or app. This brute force attack triggers the system to send numerous OTP messages, causing the company to incur substantial costs for SMS delivery.

Sequential number attacks

This type of attack takes place when a fraudster sends OTP requests to a series of sequentially similar phone numbers, often controlled by a specific mobile network operator (MNO).

Account creation abuse

A fraudster exploits sign-up processes that use SMS verification by creating multiple fake accounts with phone numbers they control. This generates a high volume of verification messages, leading to increased costs for the targeted company.

These are just a few common examples of SMS pumping, but there are many others—and new approaches are popping up constantly.

Common situations in which SMS pumping happens

SMS pumping is a risk in any situation that requires a business to send SMS in response to a user-triggered action. These include signup forms, two-factor authentication (2FA) logins, or forms where users request a password reset. Attackers exploit these forms by submitting a high volume of fake requests with phone numbers they control.

SMS pumping frequently occurs through online platforms and mobile applications capable of initiating Application-to-Person (A2P) SMS messages. Common scenarios include:

• SMS-based registration: Users signing up for services via SMS.
• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): SMS verification for account access.
• Mobile Number Changes: Updating phone numbers linked to accounts.
• App Promotion: Sending SMS messages containing app store links

Certain industries and types of accounts are magnets for AIT fraud — such as the financial industry and tax or government agencies. 

Banking and financial scams are among the most common sources of SMS pumping fraud. Criminals send fake SMS messages impersonating banks claiming there is a problem with the recipient's account. They may request the recipient to click on a link to update their account details or provide sensitive information like account numbers, passwords, or PINs.

Likewise, perpetrators often impersonate government agencies, tax authorities, or law enforcement agencies, sending SMS messages threatening recipients with legal action, fines, or imprisonment if they do not comply with certain demands, such as paying outstanding taxes or providing personal information. Once the victim falls for the social engineering attack, the criminal can launch an account takeover and gain access to their PII. 

How does SMS pumping affect businesses?

SMS pumping is a risk that can’t be ignored. This type of fraud can cause financial and intangible damage, destroying customer trust and impacting the user experience. 

Analysis by LANCK Telecom, a global carrier, found that SMS pumping fraud costs companies 10% in revenue. At Twitter, Musk estimated that SMS fraud cost the company $60 million dollars a year, not counting traffic in North America. Financially, SMS pumping is a significant risk to businesses of all sizes. 

That’s not the only adverse impact of SMS pumping. Sending excessive OTPs or being associated with SMS fraud can damage a business's reputation. Customers may lose trust in the company's communication channels, leading to decreased loyalty, negative word-of-mouth publicity, and reluctance to engage with the business in the future.

Likewise, an influx of fraudulent traffic from SMS pumping can overload a business's SMS messaging infrastructure. This traffic overload can lead to service disruptions, delays, or even complete outages, preventing legitimate customers from receiving important messages like OTPs or appointment reminders. The user experience suffers dramatically when SMS pumping goes unchecked. 

There are also legal and compliance issues to consider. If customer data is compromised or privacy regulations are violated, companies face fines, lawsuits, or regulatory sanctions for failing to protect customer information.

The first step to mitigating these risks? Learn to spot the signs that your business may be the target of SMS pumping fraud. 

How to detect SMS pumping fraud ?

Several signs can indicate that your business is the target of SMS pumping attacks. Here’s what to look for. 

1. A spike in outbound or inbound messages.

An unexpected influx of responses or inquiries from SMS message recipients, particularly if they express confusion, suspicion, or complaints about unsolicited or misleading content, suggests that the business's SMS communications may have been compromised. Likewise, a sudden increase in the volume of outgoing SMS messages from the business's messaging platform could indicate an attempt to pump SMS traffic.

2. Reports of unauthorized charges and other negative feedback.

‍Sudden complaints or recipients of SMS messages reporting unauthorized charges on their mobile phone bills, could signal that the business's SMS channels are being exploited.

3. Your SMS budget runs out much sooner than planned.

‍Unexplained depletion of your SMS budget can be a sign of fraudulent activity. A significant rise in SMS-related expenses without a corresponding increase in legitimate customer interactions or marketing campaigns could signal fraudulent SMS pumping activity.

4. Low conversion rates or service irregularities.

If you're sending a high volume of SMS messages for actions like OTP verification or password resets, but not seeing a corresponding rise in successful logins or account creations, it suggests something suspicious might be happening. A drop in conversion rate of 20% or more could be a sign of SMS pumping.

Alternatively, irregularities in the timing, frequency, or distribution of outgoing SMS messages, such as unusual spikes during off-hours or concentrated activity targeting specific demographics or regions, may indicate orchestrated SMS pumping efforts.

It’s possible that a mobile network operator or carrier might also alert your team of suspicious activity. Take these warnings seriously and investigate any red flags promptly to avoid having your service suspended. 

5. Location of the numbers asking for OTPs.

You know best where your customers are located. If you start to see ​​OTP requests from geographic areas where you don’t normally get traffic, this could be a sign of someone attempting SMS pumping fraud.

6. Bursts of requests.

Sudden, short spikes or a large number of incomplete login attempts can indicate SMS pumping is taking place. Watch for unexpected bursts of OTP requests occurring within a short timeframe. Likewise, pay attention if you see a high volume of incomplete login attempts.

7. Sequential number patterns.

It’s highly unlikely that multiple people with similar phone numbers will send you OTP requests at the same time. OTP requests from phone numbers that are the same down to two or three digits, or numbers that are sequentially similar, are a strong indicator of fraudulent activity.

How to prevent SMS pumping?

You can take several steps to make it harder for criminals to use your account and phone numbers for SMS pumping.

Our top recommendation is activating Fraud Shield, Plivo’s solution designed to fight SMS pumping.  Fraud Shield offers two primary features that operate at the destination country level — Fraud Thresholds allow you to control the number of messages that can be sent per hour and Geo Permissions allow you to control the countries to which your SMS messages are sent. 

Read more: Introducing Fraud Shield — Plivo’s new solution to fight SMS pumping

We use several factors to determine each country's risk level,  including any previous cases of fraud and local regulations. The Plivo team regularly reassesses our risk criteria to ensure that Fraud Shield uses the latest data for recommended thresholds. You can also choose how the system responds to a threshold breach and select who from your team is notified – options include Block & Alert, Alert Only, or Ignore.

Fraud Shield offers two primary features that operate at the destination country level — Fraud Thresholds allow you to control the number of messages that can be sent per hour and Geo Permissions allow you to control the countries to which your SMS messages are sent.

Additional steps to consider depending on your configuration include:

1. In your applications, limit the number of messages going out to a destination number based on your use case. For example, suppose you’re sending out one-time passwords (OTP) for two-factor authentication. Most OTP use cases set a duration for which the OTP is valid. During this time, you can block messages triggered toward the destination number.  You can write logic to not send more than n messages per minute or day for more generic use cases. You can also check the source IP addresses for message requests; fraud may be involved if hundreds are coming from the same address.  
2. Consider implementing rate limiting on the source IP address level. Message limitation is use case-dependent, and you’ll likely be the best judge of how to implement it. 
3. Implement challenge-response verification. Most if not all instances of SMS pumping employ bots that target a series of numbers with as much messaging traffic as possible. For example, if you have a web application, the bots’ scripts will try to register numbers on your login page one after another. To control this behavior you can add challenge-response systems such as CAPTCHAs to your forms or pages to ensure humans and not bots are using them. 
4. Secure your authentication IDs and tokens. Don’t push code that includes authentication information to public repositories. For mobile applications, follow best practices recommended by the mobile OS. 

SMS pumping and other telecom frauds waste thousands of dollars for carriers and their customers. Together, you and Plivo can fight telecom fraud and keep your customers (and your finance department colleagues) happy.

How can Plivo help with SMS pumping?

Fraud Shield is one of the best ways to mitigate the risk of SMS pumping. Part of Plivo Verify, Plivo’s Fraud Shield delivers complete control over message destinations and volumes with at least 95% cost savings against SMS pumping fraud.

Fraud Shield’s Geo Permissions gives you control over the countries to which your SMS traffic is sent by creating an approved countries list. Geo Permissions uses several factors to determine each country's risk level, including previous fraud cases and local regulations. 

Fraud Shield also features Fraud Thresholds, a tool that limits the number of messages per hour that can be sent to countries on your approved destination list. The Plivo team regularly reassesses our risk criteria to ensure that Fraud Shield uses the latest data for recommended thresholds. 

You can also choose how the system responds to a threshold breach and select who from your team is notified – options include Block & Alert, Alert Only, or Ignore. Customize your settings and automate alerts to quickly take action in case of a breach. 

Fraud Shield combats SMS pumping fraud seamlessly at zero cost. It’s complementary as part of Plivo’s Verify API, one of the strongest user verification solutions on the market. Learn more about Plivo’s tools for combating SMS pumping by requesting a trial.‍

We’re pleased to introduce Fraud Shield, Plivo’s latest defense against SMS pumping. This sophisticated solution empowers you to set precise spending limits on a country and hourly basis, thwarting attempts at fraud and protecting your business from inflated messaging costs.

Fraud Shield offers two primary features that operate at the destination country level.  

• Fraud Thresholds allow you to control the number of messages that can be sent per hour. We’ll block (and not charge for) any messages exceeding your hourly spending thresholds.
• Geo Permissions allow you to control the countries to which your SMS messages are sent. We’ll block (and not charge for) any messages to locations not included in your destination list.

How does Plivo determine country risk levels?

We use several factors to determine the level of risk for each country,  including any previous cases of fraud and local regulations. The Plivo team regularly reassesses our risk criteria to ensure that Fraud Shield is using the latest data for recommended thresholds.

You’re in control of the settings

Fraud Shield offers several options to let you take control based on your risk tolerance. It’s easy to get started. Apply Plivo’s recommended thresholds in one click. Fine-tune and override messaging throughput thresholds for each country as needed.  Remove your selected overrides and revert to the master account settings at any time.

You can also choose how the system responds to a threshold breach and select who from your team is notified – options include Block & Alert, Alert Only, or Ignore.  

This extra layer of protection is now available in the console under Fraud Shield.

To get started, review the full Fraud Shield documentation. Then, navigate to the Fraud Shield section of the Messaging console to configure your account settings. You may need to do a hard refresh of your browser if the Fraud Shield section is not loading correctly.

As always, our support team is available to help with questions.

Plivo is proud to announce a significant leap in our commitment to data privacy and security —we are ISO 27001:2022 certified. Along with achieving  SOC 2 Type 2 and PCI DSS certification and HIPAA compliance, this latest certification is a testament to our dedication to upholding the highest standards in information security. ISO 27001 certification fortifies Plivo’s position as a trusted leader in cloud communications technology.

Understanding the global significance of ISO 27001

ISO 27001 is more than just a standard; it’s a global benchmark for excellence in information security management systems (ISMS). This certification is applicable across various industries and defines a structured framework for establishing, implementing, and maintaining robust security practices.

By adhering to the stringent standards set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Plivo not only demonstrates compliance but also showcases a proactive approach to safeguarding sensitive information.

This certification knows no borders; it provides global assurance of our dedication to the highest standards of data protection and security management.

Our rigorous journey to certification

It was a welcome challenge to meet the comprehensive guidelines to achieve the ISO 27001:2022 standard—one that required a comprehensive external audit by an accredited firm. This rigorous examination spanned every aspect of our security measures, from software robustness to personnel preparedness, aligning our practices with international data laws.

ISO 27001 focuses on three cornerstones to secure people, processes, and technology. These cornerstones are confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Plivo’s completion of this security standard demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and adherence to evolving security standards.

What does this mean for our customers?

For our customers, this certification ensures that your data is managed with utmost care and attention to security best practices. Whether you’re an emerging startup or a large enterprise, you can trust that Plivo is equipped with comprehensive strategies, systems, and processes, including

• Resilience to cyber attacks: We’ve enhanced our ability to protect against and respond to digital threats.
• Preparedness for emerging threats: We’re staying ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
• Ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and availability: We follow ISO’s three-pronged approach to securing your data.
• Organization-wide protection: We ensure security at every level of our operations.

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Our commitment to continuous improvement

Our journey doesn’t end here. We pledge to continually evolve our security practices, ensuring they not only meet but exceed industry standards. For a deeper dive into our security measures, visit our security page. At Plivo, we’re not just in the business of communication; we’re in the business of trust.

At Plivo, we’re focused on making the 10DLC registration process as simple for our customers as possible — we’ve even won some awards in the process. Today, we’re excited to bring you an updated 10DLC console experience that gives you even more visibility into the entire brand and campaign registration process.

What’s new in the console experience?

Now you can view all the information you’ve submitted, including the sample messages provided to the carriers. In the event that your campaign is declined, you can see the error code and the reason for rejection. This enhanced visibility simplifies the process of fixing and resubmitting your campaign. Additionally, email alerts will instantly notify you of any status changes.

Let’s take a quick tour of what’s included in the console’s new profile, brand, and campaign screens.

Step 1: The profile screen

Profiles help Plivo understand your business and the types of messages you’ll be sending. Complete the profile section with your company information, details like your website URL and industry, and your EIN or Tax ID number. We also need a physical address and a dedicated contact. Once you’ve completed and submitted your profile, you’ll move on to the brand registration page.

Step 2: The brand screen

Start by selecting the profile you want to use for brand registration and providing details about the level of vetting you want the carriers to provide.

Then, give consent to share the required documents with The Campaign Registry (TCR) before you hit submit. Note that it may take up to a week for your brand to be registered. The results will show on this screen; you’ll also receive an email from Plivo notifying you when your brand has been approved or rejected.

STOP and review these campaign registration tips

Before you register your campaign in the console, take the following steps to avoid any issues or delays.

• Review the costs associated with 10DLC campaign registration. Make sure you have a standard account with sufficient Plivo credits to cover these costs. Learn more here.
• Campaigns can only be created for verified brands. Ensure that your brand is verified before creating a campaign.
• The Campaign Registry (TCR) and carriers expect businesses to provide details in a certain format. Make sure you have reviewed our 10DLC registration guidelines.

Step 3: The campaign screen

When you’re ready to launch a new campaign, select the brand for which you want to create a campaign and provide the required details. Fill out the form and submit your campaign to the TCR.

All campaigns are manually reviewed by carriers; various aspects of the campaigns are examined closely. As a result, campaign reviews now take between six and eight weeks. You can check the status of your campaign registration in the console and you’ll be notified via email once it has been approved or declined.

You also link phone numbers within the campaign screen. Keep in mind that numbers can only be linked to a campaign that has been approved by carriers (the “Registration Status” should be “active”).

To link a phone number, click on the campaign you want and navigate to the “Numbers” tab for that campaign. You will be able to see the list of numbers already linked to that campaign, add new numbers , or upload a list of numbers via CSV. You can also unlink a number to make it available for use somewhere else.

Email notifications

Users can now set up email alerts for up to 10 recipients in Plivo’s console. Receive an email  each time a brand is registered, fails verification, or when a campaign is approved or rejected by carriers.

10DLC resources

10DLC registration is complex and there’s a lot to keep track of. Now, you can do it even more easily within the Plivo console. Check out our list of related resources below or contact our support team if you need help.

• Plivo’s A2P 10DLC Overview
• Updated Console FAQ
• Here are our 10DLC Registration Guidelines
• What is the 10DLC campaign vetting process?
• Why was my campaign registration declined?