Sometimes, when you maintain a certain phone number for a while, it becomes more than just a selection of digits. Your phone number can become an extension of your brand identity, and something that your loyal customers recognise you by. So, what happens when you decide you want to trade your old PSTN landline in for a shiny new VoIP solution? Can you keep your old number, or do you need to start building a presence again from scratch?
The simple answer is that you can easily keep your number when moving to cloud communications. Cloud number porting is more flexible today than ever before.
Keeping Your Existing Phone Number with "Porting"
The chances are that you've heard the phrase "number porting" before if your company has ever switched to a new phone service provider or moved from one premises to another.
Number porting is a very common practice and something that many cloud communications providers will be able to help you with. Many cloud communications vendors and resellers can actually port a selection of numbers for you, including:
- Wireless numbers
- Fax numbers
- Toll-free voice numbers
- Local voice numbers
The critical thing to remember is that some providers will charge a fee for this service. Make sure you find out in advance whether you'll have to pay for your numbers to be ported. Additionally, sometimes, porting a number can take time, and you may need to use a "temporary" number while the port is taking place.
