news & events

Americans were inundated with more than 58 billion illegal robocalls in 2019, plus 4.5 billion spam text messages. Consumers are so fed up that when they see a call from an unfamiliar or unidentified number, they let it drop into voicemail 76 percent of the time. Regulators and law enforcement are fighting back. For example, the FCC levied a record-setting 225 million dollars fine on Rising Eagle, a Texas-based telemarketer, for making over one billion spoofed robocalls in 2019. The same…

iconectiv traces itself to Bellcore, a company formed in 1984 when the Bell telephone system, which dominated U.S. telephony, was broken up.  This is when the original AT&T was formed as a Long Distance operator.  Separately, another seven independent Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) were formed, each covering their own local telephony territories. Bellcore was created at divestiture to manage their common network operating issues and to build vital systems.  Thus…

Technology is offering news ways for individuals who feel isolated in the virtual world to find solace. Text for Humanity was created to counter online negativity by allowing strangers to exchange complimentary messages. Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jonathan Bean, the chief marketing officer at Sinch, a mobile engagement firm behind the free service, says the campaign has shifted, allowing anyone to send a message to a frontline worker during Covid-19. Using SMS short code —…

Welcome Telecom Fraud Warriors! I’m Dan Baker, editor of Black Swan Telecom Journal.  And I invite to listen and watch a virtual webinar where four fraud control experts provide a virtual "advanced course" on tactics and some of the latest thinking and solutions for taming Wangiri fraud. Wangiri is quite simply one of the most dangerous traffic pumping frauds out there, along with International Revenue Share Fraud. The most common Wangiri scheme is for the fraudster to call a consumer…

iconectiv CTO Chris Drake explores the next wave of messaging and the role of sender verification for B2C RCS BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (September 28, 2020) – Fortune 500 companies and some of the world’s biggest brands are currently exploring Rich Communication Services (RCS) to provide consumers with a deeper, more interactive experience than that offered by traditional SMS texting. RCS includes AI-powered chatbots and other innovative features that have already begun revolutionizing business…

Today, billions of people are connected across voice, text and data communication channels every single day. The speed and convenience of the internet and wireless alone is unparalleled compared to any point in human history. Yet despite the ubiquity of mobile devices and computers, formidable challenges remain. Increasing robocalls and sophisticated financial scams amidst legitimate communications make it more difficult for businesses to efficiently reach and serve their consumers…

Customers today are as diverse as the products they choose and the channels they use for purchasing and support. Keeping pace with those changes is exactly why customer service is evolving so rapidly. Take toll-free customer service platforms, for example, which were architected decades ago to streamline companies' support operations. Toll-free numbers (also referred to as 800 numbers, with variations including 888, 877, 866, etc.) offered free long-distance calling and was a real benefit for a…