Today, Voxbone announced that it is adding an important feature to its wholesale, remote “local” phone number service - namely the ability to receive text messages. The SMS capability initially is available for phone numbers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Voxbone explained, "Until now, service providers in, say, Australia could offer their subscribers one of Voxbone’s British local numbers, at local rates. Through Voxbone, this would allow those subscribers to give their customers, prospects, friends and relatives in the U.K. a local number that when dialed would ring their phones or fax machines at home in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, etc." They continued, "Starting now, these subscribers can use these same “local” numbers to be sent SMS messages, at local-text rates, from any of 49 other countries and counting. The new capability leverages the growing popularity of texting and supports Voxbone’s goal of helping its customers make the most of their number assets."

Full release after the jump...
Voxbone Adds SMS Support to its Phone Numbers, Origination Service

Under One Contract, Carriers Can Provision Domestic and International
Phone Numbers That Receive Text Messages, as Well as Voice Calls and Faxes

BRUSSELS, Belgium – September 28, 2010 – Voxbone, a leading wholesale provider of international numbers and call-origination services, today announced new, one-stop support of short messaging service (SMS) for its direct inward dial (DID) numbers. 

By enabling end users with phone numbers in foreign markets to receive text messages, as well as voice calls, at local rates, the new function takes further advantage of Internet protocol (IP) networks’ capacity to converge voice and data. It also replaces a multi-step, multi-contract process for Voxbone’s carrier and enterprise customers.

Voxbone’s support of SMS is starting with phone numbers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Numbers in other countries within Voxbone’s 50-country inventory will be added in the next few months. Using the long-haul transport mechanism of Voxbone’s voice service, an SMS message texted to a DID will be routed to Voxbone, which then will deliver the message over its IP network to the end user’s provider for ultimate termination, at local texting rates.

Previously, Voxbone customers wanting phone numbers in foreign markets to accept text messages needed to go to third-party SMS providers, perform separate configurations and sign separate contracts. Through Voxbone, phone numbers can be provisioned instantly, along with all the services they might be dialed to deliver: voice, fax and SMS to date, and video in the near future, Voxbone CEO Rod Ullens said. 

“On traditional mobile networks, voice and text messaging use completely different systems, requiring different switching equipment and different technical teams,” Ullens said. “In our IP network, voice and text become two features of the same number, configured once. Making it as easy as possible to add features supports our ongoing goal of helping customers get optimal use and/or revenue from their number assets.”

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About Voxbone
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Voxbone offers communications service providers and large businesses worldwide local phone numbers over its own private intercontinental VoIP network – the world’s first and largest backbone dedicated to voice-origination services. The all-IP architecture of the Voxbone core network enables customers to rapidly deploy new communications services with local presence while reducing costs. It delivers high-quality call origination from 50 countries and more than 4,000 cities, as well as iNum® numbers that enable billing as local calls when dialed through participating carriers anywhere in the world. Through its number inventory, network, self-administered provisioning and comprehensive SIP adherence, Voxbone’s global infrastructure enables its customers to expand to international markets quickly and efficiently. Founded in 2005 and privately held, Voxbone is the only carrier licensed in all 27 countries of the European Union. For more information, visit www.voxbone.com.