Companies can now save on phone bills by converting
their telephone numbers to an internet domain.
A service launched this week allows anyone calling registered
numbers from an internet phone or making calls between two
internet-enabled private branch exchanges (IPBXs) to make the calls
free of charge.
Nominet, which manages the national registrar for the .uk
internet domain and the domain name servers that route internet
traffic, is behind the new service, known
as
Enum.
Nominet spokesman Phil Kingsland said, "Using the internet
Domanin Name Server (DNS) system makes Enum a quick, stable and
cheap link between telecommunications systems and the internet."
Kingsland said early adopters are likely to include firms with
tightly-knit supply chains, those wishing to unify their
communications systems, and those running 0800 numbers.
Kingsland said firms that already use voice over internet
protocol (VoIP) for free internal calls can use the Enum service to
extend VoIP to business partners and customers. Software developers
are likely to come up with applications that exploit Enum, said
Kinglsand.An early one is likely to be a "follow-me" facility that
will redirect calls to the subscriber, wherever he or she is.
Enum could also offer the ability to translate a voice call into
an e-mail message or a fax, he said. "Basically, Enum allows you to
choose how you want to be contacted."
"This is one of those times when the technology infrastructure
had to be there before people could start thinking about how to
exploit it," he said. Kingsland said firms that already have IPBXs
would face minimal costs in "Enum-enabling" their communications
systems. He expected the registrars and other service providers to
provide cost-benefit calculators to help firms evaluate their
options.
Kingsland said the benefits that arise depended on the
individual firm's business model. Some firms, he noted, charge for
calls to service departments. They might lose revenue as a result
of going on Enum, but this depended on how they chose to implement
the facility.
He said Nominet, which has won awards for its customer service,
would be registering its own contact numbers. "We think that is the
right thing to do, for us," he said.
There are now three Enumn registrars. They are
Safenames,
Enum2Go,
and Just Voice & Data. Others are going through Nominet's
accreditation system.
How it works
Registering a
telephone number on the Enum database essentially converts that
number to an internet domain name address. This makes it
contactable by all internet users.
What happens when you
register?
Registrations are handled by one of
three Enum registrars.
You submit the numbers that you want to register to
the registrar, along with proof that you "own" the number, and how
to handle calls to that number.
The registrar then authenticates registered
telephone numbers itself or uses a third-party validation service
provider appointed by the UK Enum Consortium, the country's top
Enum controlling body. This will prevent anyone stealing the
numbers or "cybersquatting" - a risk with internet domain
names.
Enum validation diagram
VoIP diagram
