San Jose, CA, Nov. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Business phone system developer VirtualPBX announced today that it has launched the Business SMS feature for its Advanced and Enterprise Plans that are geared toward midsize and enterprise-level companies.
The release of Business SMS has arrived alongside several other important feature releases that comprise new plans for the VoIP provider. Upgrades in its lineup of features are better aligned to match the needs of businesses of all sizes. The sending and receipt of SMS text messages, in particular, will allow VirtualPBX clients to better reach their own customers and automate the process of responding to sales and service inquiries.
Business SMS on a Range of Devices
VirtualPBX has long provided its customers with multiple options for phone use on its Business Phone Plans. Among those, the VirtualPBX Softphone available on both mobile and desktop stands as the go-to option for companies that wish to immediately take advantage of Business SMS.
The mobile version of the VirtualPBX Softphone runs on Android and iOS devices. Its desktop counterpart has versions for Mac and Windows. These two options allow users to send and receive text messages from work computers or their personal smartphones. Important customer connections can be made from any location since the Business SMS feature can be utilized on all manner of devices.
In addition, hardware phones equipped with an SMS feature are able to accept and reply to customer messages. Compatibility is specific to the make and model of desk phones a client uses. However, this functionality can be found on entry-level phones like the Yealink T23G and more advanced models like the Yealink T46S.
Automation With VirtualPBX Webhooks and API
VirtualPBX Phone Plans process text messages in a similar way to phone calls: All call information is seen as units of data that can be interpreted throughout the system. Therefore it’s possible to attach Business SMS data to other features like Webhooks and automate the transmission of that information to third-party services like Zapier.
A common use of Webhooks is to receive data in Zapier and then transmit that information to other web applications. For automation of the Business SMS feature, a webhook can be created in Zapier, configured in the VirtualPBX Dashboard, and linked to a workflow that logs messages in a Google Sheet or alerts teams of inbound messages through a Slack channel. All members of a sales, services, or marketing team can be alerted the second that a customer needs attention.
This process can also be initiated with use of the VirtualPBX API that is now available to Advanced and Enterprise customers. The VirtualPBX API lets businesses grab information about their accounts and make changes quickly outside the stock phone system dashboard. A new webhook may be created and then attached to a third-party service like Airtable where automated listing of inbound messages can proceed. Creation of a new webhook takes only seconds, and its link to an outside service can help entire teams track their Business SMS messages inside web-based platforms they are comfortable using. Scripting within Airtable and similar platforms can also reach the API and give teams a method of sending individual replies to their customers' inbound texts.
New VirtualPBX Plans
Business SMS has been launched alongside several other features that fill the feature sets of the VirtualPBX Phone Plans available to entrepreneurs through multi-national businesses.
Multiple Auto Attendants gives business the ability to create automated phone trees for all their phone numbers. Essentials, Advanced, and Enterprise Plans include 5, 10, and 15 phone numbers, respectively, and Multiple Auto Attendants gives users a chance to create unique greetings and contact options for each one. An attendant can be applied to a business’s primary number and all additional phone numbers, including Direct Inward Dial (DID) that are assigned to individuals and Ring Groups within a phone plan.
Dynamic Caller ID allows for more precise outbound dialing by displaying a Caller ID phone number based on a set of rules. Outbound dials can be matched to an Area Code, a VirtualPBX Feature Code used during a call, and by regular expression for partial and full number recognition. Sales teams can, for example, match their calls to local phone numbers they own, and then display local numbers to customers when locations are the same.
Video Calling is also being released from its beta test and will be available for all Advanced and Enterprise Plan customers. One-to-one calls and video conferences are supported, and participants can mix audio and video capability depending on their devices. The VirtualPBX Softphone (mobile and desktop), hardware phones like the Yealink T58V and VP59, and the VirtualPBX Web Phone (support coming soon) are set to take advantage of this feature.
Assistance in setting up Business SMS, custom interactions with the VirtualPBX API, Video Calling, Dynamic Caller ID, and Multiple Auto Attendants is always available through 24/7 Support and through included Priority Support for all Advanced and Enterprise customers.
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