SEATTLE, WA — (Marketwired) — 11/19/13 — In preparation for what is predicted to become a billion-dollar industry, the recently formed Toll-Free Texting Association (TFTA) launched a new website () this week that allows service providers, infrastructure providers and toll-free responsible organizations (RespOrgs) to beta test its toll-free number provisioning portal.
The beta site will enable a service provider to obtain a Toll-Free ID (TFID) and link it to a Toll-Free Private SPID. These routing identifiers will enable service providers to provision toll-free numbers direct to infrastructure-provider routing tables in near-real time, according to TFTA.
According to the group — whose early backers include AlphaTelsys, NetNumber, Dial800, TEN DIGIT Texting, HeyWire, HyperCube, SAP Mobile Services, TextGen, Twillo and Zipwhip — nearly 40 million toll-free numbers are in use today with tens of millions more ready to be provisioned as new toll-free area codes, such as 844 and 833 get turned up later this year and early next year. However, few businesses have enabled toll-free text messaging. To address the challenges of modernizing those numbers to be able to send and receive text messages properly, TFTA developed its Provisioning Portal to serve two purposes: jumpstart the provisioning process for toll free-number texting, and outline standards and policies aimed at defining and administering a healthy toll free-texting ecosystem.
TFTA-s toll-free texting provisioning portal immediately benefits three groups:
Toll-free owners, whose numbers have only had voice traffic possible in the past, but now can support texting traffic;
Toll-free retailers, which now will have a way to provision entire customer bases; and
Wireless carriers, which will have a clean, transparent provisioning process.
“Consumers now prefer texting over any other communications medium: The average text message is answered in 90 seconds, while the average email inquiry takes two and half days to be addressed,” said John Lauer, CEO of text carrier Zipwhip, and one of the pioneers of landline and toll free texting. “TFTA-s portal is designed to streamline the process of enabling toll-free texting. Service providers can request a login from TFTA, and they can start the provisioning process immediately. Our organization-s goal is to have 80 percent of toll-free numbers provisioned for texting in the next three years.”
“The rapid provisioning of toll-free texting is likely to fuel a spike in the growth of text messaging usage as well as revenue, as service providers and toll-free retailers discover new and innovative sources of revenue in toll free texting,” Lauer added. “The goal of TFTA is to encourage an open ecosystem for toll free texting for the hundreds of companies involved, making it possible for all organizations to enter the market.”
To participate in the beta portal or for more information, contact with your company details.
TFTA is dedicated to creating a healthy toll-free texting ecosystem that can quickly and responsibly bring toll-free texting to the general public. As consumers and businesses come to the realization that toll-free numbers can be texted, TFTA will focus on addressing all of the challenges associated with text-enabling those toll-free numbers. As part of its provisioning process, TFTA aims to validate toll-free numbers to help ensure they are live and functional within the core registrar database for toll-free numbers, ensure toll-free numbers are deactivated correctly, provide transparency to the industry for who provisioned a number, and help set best practices as the ecosystem evolves. Call or text the group at 800-838-TFTA (800-838-8382) or send email to .
Contact:
Laura Borgstede
Calysto Communications
404-266-2060 x.11
404-386-0937
You must be logged in to post a comment Login