The International Telecoms Week (ITW) has steadily positioned itself as the linchpin of the global digital infrastructure community. This year, celebrating its 15th anniversary, the event was no exception. The future of SMS and virtual phone numbers were among the topics that interested DNA’s Voice and Mobile Wholesale team.
The gathering attracted more than 2,000 companies and 7,000 participants from all over the world to Washington DC. It has secured its place in the calendar as an unmissable event for anyone in the telecoms wholesale and ICT infrastructure world. DNA’s team is a regular and this year it joined forces with Telenor Sweden’s representatives. The aim was to raise awareness and find new clients for the high-quality capacity services the two countries provide together.
We talked to DNA’s Key Account Manager, Miia Heiskanen, who has a long track record of participating in ITW.
“As always, the event was a fertile ground for business-critical meetings and robust networking. The overall atmosphere was positive, and we made excellent connections,” she says.
The ITW is at the vanguard of the industry's transformation, enabling critical discussions among senior executives at an international level. The aim is to drive the entire digital infrastructure community forward. Over the years, the event has transformed according to the developments in technology.
The future of SMS and virtual phone numbers in the talks
Miia Heiskanen works with voice and mobile services. Hot topics in her domain this year were among others the future of SMS messages and virtual phone numbers.
“The demand for virtual phone numbers is on the rise, largely since companies want to run their call centers geographically centralized for efficiency. Virtual numbers enable them to stay local and offer a local phone number for their customers”, she explains.
“The future of SMS, on the other and is affected by, for instance, two-factor authentication. Phone number authentication can already be done in a way that doesn’t require the user to copy and paste the verification number from the text message to the app asking for the code. Another driver is the demand for more conversational customer service and marketing, which calls for RCS format”.
RCS messaging (Rich Communication Services) is a modernized version of SMS messaging that enriches two-way, interactive conversation with rich media and dynamic video features.
While ITW 2023 has now concluded, the ripples it has caused in the telecom industry continue to spread. The DNA team will prepare for H2 with new insights and solidified alliances.
“The ITW really is the place to be if you work in the telecom business. Over the years, the partnerships formed and strengthened there have benefitted us and our clients in countless ways”, concludes Heiskanen who’s already looking forward to next year’s gathering.
DNA Virtual Mobile Numbers are Finnish mobile numbers allocated to DNA and do not require physical SIM cards. Read more!
