Insights Blog

7 Ways to Improve Call Presentation

Mary Gonzalez; Director of Brand & Content — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

A strong contact strategy in 2026 starts with a clean slate.

As enforcement tightens and consumer expectations rise, businesses entering the new year must prioritize trusted caller identity and responsible calling practices to improve answer rates and avoid improper blocking and labeling.

This guide breaks down the most impactful moves to strengthen your caller identity and traffic performance heading into Q1.

Who This Guide Is For:

Enterprises dialing customers via phone
Originating Service Providers (OSPs) responsible for customer traffic
BPOs & Contact centers needing cleaner deliverability on behalf of their customers
Compliance, CX, and risk teams preparing for 2026 enforcement and trends

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1. Number Reputation Management

Spam labels don’t reset at the start of the year, and if your Caller ID is still mislabeled, it will follow your outbound traffic into the rest of the year and hinder performance.

Protect Your Phone Numbers

Start by registering your outbound phone numbers to protect them from improper call blocking and labeling events through a Number Reputation Management solution while implementing carrier-aligned dialing practices to reinforce trust with carriers, ensuring your call traffic is recognized as legitimate.

Verified Caller ID to Boost Engagement

In one case study, a virtual education provider saw a 33% increase in answer rates after implementing Number Reputation Management to remove spam labels and establish trusted identity.
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2. Prioritize Remediation Over Short-Term Fixes

As you execute Q1 initiatives, protecting your calling identity should be top of the list, and in 2026 that means fixing the source of labeling, not just tracking it. Rather than relying on temporary workarounds, solutions that can remediate (or remove) improper call blocking and labeling are the most effective way to restore and protect your calling identity.

Why Monitoring & Number Rotation Aren’t Enough

Monitoring and number rotation solutions are often seen as the quick fix, but neither addresses the root cause of spam labeling or lead to any labeling/blocking protection or resolution. As carrier algorithms and enforcement evolve, these tactics fail to prevent labeling and may lead to inconsistent calling patterns that increase the risk of labeling. Continuing to rely on these methods only delays recovery and limits performance.

Why Remediation Works

Remediation solutions position you for success by correcting improper call blocking and labeling directly with carriers and analytics providers and on your behalf. This approach preserves number reputation, restores proper call presentation, and supports consistent performance at scale, making it the most reliable way to kickoff 2026 with a clean slate and a stronger foundation for growth.

3. Optimize Your Dialing Practices

Optimizing your calling behavior to align with industry best practices leads to better call delivery and reduces the chance of carrier-imposed call blocking and labeling.

Preparing for Successful Outreach Before You Call

Ensure your number lists are clean, scrubbed against the DNC registry, and include accurate contact information with explicit consent to contact. Rest newly procured numbers for at least six months and confirm recent carrier CNAM updates to reduce spam labeling risks.

How to Engage Responsibly

Use consistent dialing patterns and avoid mixing call intents on the same number to prevent consumer confusion and potential spam labeling. Ensure your caller ID reflects your brand and call intent and always make sure to follow respectful dialing practices.

Dialer Settings: Optimize Call Presentation

Limit calls to 2–3 attempts per number per week with at least 4 hours between calls, dial during local business hours, leave clear voicemails, and keep call abandonment below 2% to maintain trust and minimize negative labeling.
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4. Branded Calling for Enterprises

To improve ROI figures next year, strategically placed branded calling can increase trust and answer rates for high-value interactions without breaking the bank by branding every outbound number.

Enterprises Can Add Caller ID Name

Numeracle’s Smart Branding improves call recognition by displaying a business Caller ID name to consumers, giving enterprises a ready-to-deploy path to improved call delivery and answer rates as a part of their 2026 outreach strategy.

Where Branded Calling Drives Impact

Enterprises should consider which customer-facing numbers would benefit most, like scheduling or customer support, and which high-frequency campaigns make the most sense to brand, for the best ROI.
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5. Branded Calling ID (BCID) For OSPs

For service providers, the industry is quickly moving towards authenticated branded calling. Branded Calling ID^TM (BCID^TM), via Numeracle’s Secure Verified Identity Presentation (sVIP) solution, is the only industry-led, standards-based Rich Call Data (RCD) ecosystem engineered to be secure-by-design and to deliver trusted, branded calls without a consumer-downloaded app across the T-Mobile and Verizon networks.

Prepare Now to Extend BCID

If you’re a service provider looking to add secure branded calling to your product suite, prepare now by working with Numeracle, an Authorized Vetting and Onboarding Agent in the BCID ecosystem, that is equipped to satisfy the identity verification requirements that enable you to extend this offering to your customers in 2026 and beyond.
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6. Service Providers Will Need KYC in 2026

Know Your Customer (KYC) is essential for service providers because carriers and regulators are increasing their expectations on providers to demonstrate proactive measures to prevent illegal robocall traffic on their networks, or else face hefty fines and reputational damage.

With recent enforcement actions, identity verification is becoming the first critical link in the call authentication and robocall mitigation chain, backed by KYC.

Getting Ahead KYC as a Service (KYCaaS)

If you’re an OSP, being kicked out of the Robocall Mitigation Database for insufficient KYC practices shouldn’t be in your 2026 plans.

Built within Numeracle’s EIM platform, KYC as a Service (KYCaaS) offers a forward-looking solution for service providers, equipping them with AI-enabled tools to verify customers, conduct ongoing due diligence with a documented audit trail, align with emerging standards, maintain compliance readiness, and build a foundation for future identity-based services like enhanced branded calling.
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7. Analytics-Driven Optimization

When planning calling strategies for 2026, using analytics is essential. It helps teams see how calls perform, spot trends in answer rates, optimize outreach based on real consumer behavior, and ensure reputation and identity investments deliver measurable results.

Measuring Performance Matters

Without tracking call outcomes, it’s impossible to know which practices are driving trust and engagement and which ones may be hindering it. Insights into answer rates, consumer complaints, and call labeling help identify gaps before they impact performance. By analyzing trends across campaigns, teams can adjust dialing patterns, timing, and caller presentation to maximize their impact.
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Take Action In 2026

There’s still time to get ahead of your outreach strategy for 2026.

As we head into the new year, start by assessing your current identity and traffic strategy, addressing any gaps, and engaging solutions that ensure your calls are recognized as trusted and wanted by consumers. Contact Numeracle today to start 2026 strong.

The year ahead rewards proactive organizations; don’t let spam labels, improper call blocking, or inconsistent identity slow you down.

FCC Caller Identity FNPRM: What Service Providers Need to Know

Mary Gonzalez; Director of Brand & Content — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMT

The FCC’s recent Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM) on caller identity continues to push for strengthened call transparency, reduced fraudulent robocalls, and improved trust in communications. An FCC FNPRM is a document the Commission issues to seek additional public comment on specific questions or proposals that were not fully resolved in an earlier rulemaking. It signals that the FCC is considering further changes and wants more input before finalizing new rules.

The FNPRM accelerates regulatory pressure on service providers to improve call authentication, verify caller identities, and close longstanding loopholes. Recent FCC enforcement demonstrates both the importance of verified identity and their intent to hold service providers accountable for ensuring that calls are both legitimate and properly authenticated.

While the FNPRM outlines potential paths forward, it’s essential to remember that these proposed frameworks are still under discussion and subject to change as they move toward finalization, which Numeracle will continue to monitor and report on.

How the FCC’s Caller Identity FNPRM Could Shape Service Provider Compliance

While not yet implemented, the FNPRM highlights ongoing concerns about call authentication, identity verification, and consumer protection, urging service providers to prepare for potential changes.

Non-IP Caller ID Authentication

Discussion in the FNPRM suggests that service providers with legacy non-IP networks may need to adopt one or more non-IP caller ID authentication frameworks within a proposed two-year window to expand caller ID authentication beyond modern IP networks. This is still developing and should be regarded as preparatory.

Compliance with the Robocall Mitigation Database

Service providers are encouraged to document their preventative measures against illegal call traffic in the FCC’s Robocall Mitigation Database, creating an auditable record that regulators can use to verify that caller identity practices protect consumers. In August of 2025, 185 providers were removed from the database, “preventing those providers from connecting to U.S. networks until they comply with FCC regulations.”

Enhanced Consumer Protection

One of the FNPRM’s focal points is improving caller identity display accuracy to protect consumers. Though not yet mandated, providers should remain attentive to how these proposals evolve, focusing on reducing misidentified calls to bolster consumer trust. Accurate caller identification is increasingly recognized as a standard of trust in telecom communications, pioneered by Numeracle.

Alignment with Industry Standards

Proposed frameworks may call for increased consistency, interoperability, and traceability akin to existing standards like STIR/SHAKEN.

Service providers should consider these as part of strategic foresight, pending further regulatory clarity, but with the ultimate goal of supporting verifiable caller identity to reinforce consumer trust.

Numeracle’s Ex Parte Filing in Response to the FCC Caller Identity FNPRM

Numeracle continues to advocate for robust caller identity standards, emphasizing the importance of verified identities through its policy-driven initiatives. While the FNPRM is not yet settled, Numeracle’s work aligns with potential future regulatory directions, emphasizing flexibility and standards adherence.

Numeracle was the first to introduce the concepts of verified caller identity and robust Know Your Customer (KYC) standards to the telecom industry and at the regulatory level. In Numeracle’s initial ex parte filing in response to the FCC’s FNPRM, we reaffirmed our core mission:

‍ “Every entity on Earth and every person on the planet should know with certainty who is calling them.”

Numeracle's Trust Framework

Numeracle's filings respond to the FCC’s ongoing dialogues, suggesting that multiple identity frameworks under a unified trust anchor could enhance caller identity verification. The focus is on preparing a flexible and adaptable approach as the regulatory environment evolves.

To achieve this, Numeracle introduced a Three‑Pillar Trust Framework, stating that trusted caller identity that can:

Identify and verify callers according to a defined set of standards and requirements;
Securely transmit that caller identity information; and
Display the caller identity information to the call recipient in a way that cannot be spoofed.

Staying Ahead with Numeracle KYC as a Service

“Without a defined trust anchor—a recognized authority enforcing consistent KYC and delivery standards—any system built on originating carrier assertions remains fragmented, manipulable, and vulnerable to bad actors.”

Though the FNPRM is in its early stages and subject to revision based on industry feedback, staying informed and proactive about these discussions will be crucial for service providers. As these rules evolve, Numeracle is actively engaging with policymakers and stakeholders of the telecom industry to uphold verified caller identity to restore trust to communications.

By leveraging insights from platforms like Numeracle’s KYC as a Service (KYCaaS), providers can prepare effectively for potential regulatory changes while enhancing call deliverability and consumer trust.

KYC as a Service (KYCaaS): Preparing for Future Compliance

Built within Numeracle’s EIM platform, KYC as a Service (KYCaaS) offers a forward-looking solution for service providers, equipping them with the tools to verify customers, conduct ongoing due diligence, and maintain compliance readiness.

Key features include:

Entity Verification Workflows & Documentation: Standardized processes to verify caller identities and maintain audit-ready records. ‍
Compliance Checks & Recertifications: Supports ongoing verification of trusted identity to meet FCC standards, ensuring readiness as regulations evolve. ‍
Vetting Accuracy While Reducing Outdated Manual Burdens: Automates repetitive processes to improve efficiency and reduce human error. ‍
Scalable, Auditable, & FCC-Aligned: Continually adapts to support robocall mitigation, fraud prevention, and anticipated regulatory compliance.

By adopting a policy-driven framework like KYCaaS, service providers can navigate the complexities of potential future requirements more effectively, strengthening their compliance posture even as the regulatory landscape develops. This service empowers providers to protect their brand reputation and improve call deliverability within a trusted and compliant calling ecosystem.
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Your Next Step in Caller Identity Compliance

While we anticipate further developments from the FCC, it is wise to stay informed and prepared. Rooted in years of industry-first advocacy and a mission built on restoring trust to communications, KYCaaS is here to help guide service providers through these uncertain times, offering a framework that aligns with proposed regulatory directions.

Want to stay ahead of the FNPRM requirements? Contact us to request a consultation or start a conversation about implementing KYCaaS within your service provider operations.

The Robocalling Crisis: How We Got Here

Brett Nemeroff VP of Engineering - Voice — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Introduction & About the Series

Researched and authored by Brett Nemeroff, Numeracle’s VP of Engineering – Voice, this eight-part investigative series exposes the systematic failure of telecommunications caller authentication approaches through historical accountability analysis and comprehensive technical evaluation.

Using primary sources including the 2017 ATIS standards body vision vs 2025 measurable outcomes, the series documents how industry-wide promises about STIR/SHAKEN and other solutions created false confidence while fraud losses increased 36-fold. Through systematic framework analysis, the series reveals why all current approaches fail and provides a roadmap for solutions that could work. All research and references are listed at the bottom of this article for further reading.

Abstract

Widespread confusion persists across the telecommunications industry about what STIR/SHAKEN can and cannot accomplish, with even industry experts and regulators overestimating its ability to prevent call spoofing, fraud and unwanted calls. Despite massive investment and mandatory implementation of these call authentication protocols, the robocalling crisis has reached catastrophic proportions, with consumers losing hundreds of millions to phone-based fraud in 2024 alone while legitimate businesses struggle to reach customers through blocked calls.

This disconnect between expectations and reality stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of STIR/SHAKEN's limitations. The telecommunications industry's response has focused on analytics and reputation scoring, which treats symptoms rather than addressing the root cause: the telephone system's fundamental anonymity, where anyone can use any caller ID without verification.

Understanding what STIR/SHAKEN does, versus what many believe it does, is essential for evaluating whether existing call authentication frameworks can ever deliver truly trusted communications or if entirely new solutions are needed.

Phone-Based Fraud: The Scale of the Problem

According to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network’s 2024 Data Book, in 2024 alone, phone calls accounted for 284,659 fraud reports resulting in $948 million in documented losses with a median loss of $1,500 per victim. But these numbers only capture reported fraud losses, not the broader impact of illegal caller ID spoofing.

The fundamental problem isn't unwanted calls, as many robocalls are perfectly legal. Instead, it's the telecommunications system's inability to verify that callers are who they claim to be. This verification gap enables fraud and undermines trust in all telephone communications.

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ID Without Verification: The System Enabling the Fraud

Imagine if your local bank operated like the telephone system. Anyone could walk in, claim to be you, and conduct business using just your account number, without ID verification, no signature matching, no security questions. The bank would simply trust that whoever presented your account number was actually you. That's essentially how caller ID works: anyone can present any phone number, and the system trusts the assertion without verification.

The scale of criminal adaptation demonstrates the infrastructure problem: fraudsters have learned to exploit this fundamental verification gap systematically, creating billion-dollar criminal enterprises built entirely on the telecommunications system's inability to verify caller identity.

The $1,500 median loss per phone-based fraud victim represents more than just money. For many consumers, it's destroyed their trust in telephone communications entirely. According to research done by Hiya, 46% of unidentified calls go unanswered, even when the calls are legitimate. This highlights the continued struggle legitimate businesses continue to have while trying to reach their customers.

On the other hand, Transunion reported that less than 48% of respondents in a survey directed at healthcare facilities were satisfied with their organization’s ability to prevent their calls from being labeled as Spam or Blocked. This constant mislabeling, especially with legitimate businesses, has caused consumers to simply not trust anything on their phones. For many of us, the phone ringing is a disturbance and an eye roll.

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The Verification Gap: Why Phones Lack the Security of Every Other Digital System

To understand how we got here, we need to examine what makes telephone communications fundamentally different from other forms of digital communication. When you visit a website, your browser performs multiple verification steps—checking SSL certificates, validating domain ownership, and displaying trust indicators. When you receive an email, spam filters analyze sender reputation, authentication records, and content patterns.

But when your phone rings, what verification occurs? Essentially none.

The caller ID system was designed in an era when telephone networks were closed systems operated by regulated monopolies. The assumption was that carriers would know and vouch for their customers. That assumption became obsolete decades ago.

Here's a critical point that many people don't understand: telephone numbers were never designed to be identity. They are an address, or a way to route a call to a destination. Think of them like IP addresses or postal addresses. You wouldn't use your home address as proof of your identity at the bank, would you? Yet that's essentially what we've asked phone numbers to do.

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Perverse Economics: When Crime Pays and Legitimate Business Suffers

The robocalling epidemic exists because the economics strongly favor bad actors. The advent of Voice over IP technology (VoIP) paired with deregulation and competition has driven the cost of voice communications down, making thousands of calls cost pennies. If even 0.1% of recipients respond to a scam, the operation is profitable.

In an article posted by the National Consumer Law Center, Chris Frascella states,

“Until it becomes more costly to assist criminal fraud than to stop it, scammers will continue to find providers willing to accept payment for passing these dangerous and illegal calls to our phones.”

Meanwhile, legitimate businesses absorb the costs through blocked calls and compliance burdens, consumers lose access to important communications, and carriers invest billions in infrastructure that treats symptoms rather than causes.

This creates what economists call a "negative externality." The people causing the harm don't bear its costs, so they have no economic incentive to stop. In fact, as traditional advertising becomes more expensive and regulated, robocalling becomes relatively more attractive to fraudsters.
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Analytics and Reputation Scoring: When the Cure Becomes Part of the Disease

Faced with this crisis, the telecommunications industry's initial response focused on analytics and reputation scoring. The logic seemed sound: if we can't verify caller identity, at least we can track caller behavior and warn consumers about suspicious patterns. This methodology was broken from the start because it used analytics to flag the calls as Spam or Fraud, however, they had no call metadata to be able to discern the legitimate from illegitimate.

As you would expect, this approach created new problems. Legitimate businesses found their calls being flagged as "Potential Spam" or blocked entirely. In a survey conducted by First Orion in 2022, “9 out of 10 people said that they want a call from their doctor, pharmacy, or other healthcare provider.” However, “76% say that they’ve ignored a call from a health care provider because they didn’t know who was calling.” Additionally, they say that “80% would consider rating their healthcare provider poorly for making unidentified calls.” In short, healthcare providers couldn't reach patients for important calls. The cure was becoming part of the disease.

Numeracle, as a trusted intermediary between legal callers, telecom governance, and the carriers, first pointed out to the industry in 2017 the challenges that carrier analytics caused for enterprises.

These analytics systems treat phone numbers as if they have persistent reputations, but phone numbers are bought, sold, and reassigned constantly. A number used for scams today might be assigned to a legitimate business tomorrow.

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The Enterprise Identity Crisis: When Even Legitimate Businesses Lost Control of Their Communications

This led to what we might call the "enterprise identity crisis." Legitimate businesses realized they had no way to manage their communications identity. A hospital might spend millions on brand building and patient trust, only to have its appointment reminder calls blocked because an algorithm flagged them as suspicious.

Unlike email, where organizations can implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to authenticate their communications, the telephone system offered no equivalent. Businesses were entirely dependent on third-party analytics companies and carriers to determine whether their calls would reach customers.

This created a perfect storm: legitimate businesses desperately needed a way to authenticate their communications, regulators faced mounting political pressure to "do something" about robocalls, and the telecommunications industry needed a solution that wouldn't require rebuilding the entire phone system.

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STIR/SHAKEN: The Promised Solution

In 2018, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) published its first draft of the STIR/SHAKEN specifications that would eventually become RFC-8588. It was a framework designed to bring cryptographic authentication to telephone communications. The promise was compelling: carriers would digitally sign calls, creating an unbreakable chain of authentication that would finally solve the spoofing problem.

The marketing was even more compelling. Government and industry leaders made sweeping promises about caller identity verification:

“With this caller authentication system in place, carriers can know that callers really are who they say they are and stop spoofing at the source,” declared then-Acting FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in 2021.

The technical specifications themselves seemed to support these claims. RFC 8224, the core STIR/SHAKEN standard, explicitly states that “Authentication services confirm the identity of the originator of a call.” RFC 8225 describes the system as one that "cryptographically verifies an originating identity.”

Major carriers amplified these promises in their consumer marketing. AT&T promoted STIR/SHAKEN as “new caller authentication technology to help confirm that calls are not bad guys ‘spoofing’ numbers to get you to answer.” Verizon launched consumer-facing “Verified Caller” checkmarks based on STIR/SHAKEN authentication. T-Mobile announced they were launching STIR/SHAKEN “to fight number spoofing and further protect customers from scammers and unwanted robocalls.” Even the FCC's official consumer education materials described a comprehensive “caller ID authentication” framework that would fundamentally change how Americans could trust incoming calls.

In 2020, the FCC Issued a Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that stated the expected costs and benefits of STIR/SHAKEN. In this report, the following is stated of the costs:

“Operating costs of between roughly $39 million and $780 million annually.”
“Estimated up-front costs, which may be in the tens of millions of dollars for the largest voice service Providers”.
“It is implausible that total implementation costs will come close to the expected benefits of our Actions.”

It summarized the benefits as follows:

“We estimated benefits of at least $3 billion from eliminating illegal scam robocalls. That estimate assumed a benefit of ten cents per call and multiplied it across a figure of 30 billion illegal scam robocalls per year.”
“While STIR/SHAKEN will not itself stop a malicious party from using the voice network to commit fraud, it will inform a call recipient that the caller has used deceptive caller ID information to try to convince the called party to answer the phone.”
“We expect this will significantly reduce the effectiveness of spoofing fraud that costs Americans billions of dollars each year.”

The overselling continues. Even with our FCC.

By 2021, STIR/SHAKEN implementation became mandatory for major carriers. While there is no public official record as to the exact industry cost to implement and/or operate STIR/SHAKEN, the numbers listed above are likely reasonable assumptions. If you consider that there are well over 3,000 service providers; all of which have a legal obligation to implement and support STIR/SHAKEN, you can see that the total industry investment in this solution is likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Despite this extraordinary investment, fraud remains rampant. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) still received more than 2 million complaints about unwanted calls in fiscal year 2024. The financial impact remains staggering with phone-based fraud alone accounting for $948 million in documented losses.

The news isn’t all bad, however. In August 2025, the FCC removed over 1,200 voice service providers from telephone networks for failing to comply with anti-robocall regulations. While this enforcement may sound like a win, it was not directly related to the implementation or use of STIR/SHAKEN.

But even the enforcement mechanisms reveal fundamental implementation challenges. While removing 1,200 providers from the Robocall Mitigation Database (RMDB) sounds decisive, the practical reality is quite complex. Individual service providers must somehow identify and block these removed entities. However, the RMDB lacks mechanical (API-based) access, and also until recently didn’t even have Operating Company Numbers (OCNs). This has forced carriers to make blocking decisions based on often-ambiguous business names that can change, be spoofed, or operate under multiple identities.

The result is another layer of complexity for legitimate service providers trying to comply, while bad actors continue to adapt. Even as the database improves with more carriers adding their OCNs, each change creates new implementation burdens for an industry already struggling with STIR/SHAKEN deployment costs and technical complexity.

Consumer complaints have indeed declined from peak levels. Success story, right?

Not quite.

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A Litmus Test: The Three Pillars of Trusted Communications

As we'll explore throughout this series, truly trusted communications require three fundamental pillars:

Establishing Identity: Performing proper know-your-customer (KYC) verification to establish who is actually making the call.

Protecting Identity: Transmitting that verified identity in a tamper-proof way that can't be spoofed or manipulated.

Conveying Identity: Reliably delivering that authenticated identity information to the recipient in an actionable format.

While STIR/SHAKEN addresses elements of pillars 2 and 3, it completely sidesteps pillar 1—and as we'll see, that's where the biggest problems lie.

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What's Coming in This Series

Over the next seven posts, we'll dissect what STIR/SHAKEN actually does versus what it was marketed to do. We'll examine why criminals have adapted faster than the system can evolve, forcing regulators to remove over 1,200 providers from the RMDB in 2025 alone while robocalls persist. We'll explore the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in technology investment and question whether they've delivered proportional consumer benefits.

Most importantly, we'll look toward solutions that address all three pillars of trusted communications, because until we do, we'll continue treating symptoms while the underlying disease spreads.

The robocalling crisis didn't happen overnight, and it won't be solved by technical band-aids that ignore the fundamental economics and identity challenges. But understanding where we went wrong is the first step toward getting it right.

About the Author: Brett Nemeroff

Brett Nemeroff is Numeracle’s VP of Engineering – Voice, with over 25 years of experience building telecommunications networks from the ground up. A seasoned telecom engineer and programmer, Brett specializes in architecting cost-effective solutions for voice, video, and high-speed data delivery. His expertise spans TCP/IP networking, fiber optics, integrated billing systems, and high-volume custom VoIP software development. Passionate about pairing technology with business needs, Brett has developed CPaaS platforms, custom telephony applications, and high-volume routing systems. Active in the open-source community, he contributes to projects like Asterisk, FreeSWITCH, OpenSIPs, and Kamailio.

Research & References

Federal Trade Commission, “Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024,” March 2025, https://ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/csn-annual-data-book-2024.pdf, 12

Hiya, “State of the Call 2024,” https://www.hiya.com/state-of-the-call

Transunion, “How Can Healthcare Providers Fight Blocked Calls and Call Spoofing?,” https://www.transunion.com/blog/how-can-healthcare-providers-fight-blocked-calls-and-call-spoofi

National Consumer Law Center, “New Report Warns Scam Robocalls Will Continue As Long As Telephone Providers Can Rake in the Profits,” https://www.nclc.org/new-report-warns-scam-robocalls-will-continue-as-long-as-telephone-providers-can-rake-in-the-profits/

FCC, “Industry Robocall Strike Force Report,” https://www.fcc.gov/file/12311/download

First Orion, “PRESCRIBED COMMUNICATION, 2022 Healthcare Cnsumer Communication Report,” https://view.highspot.com/viewer/6332f968ca0d65a6de65819e#1

Numeracle, Comments to the FCC Filed July 26, 2018, https://www.numeracle.com/fcc-filings/numeracle-fcc-comments-7-26-18

IETF, “RFC 8588: Personal Assertion Token (PaSSporT) Extension for Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs (SHAKEN),” https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc8588/

FCC, “Statement of Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel,” FCC Item FCC-21-105, 2021, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-21-105A2.pdf

IETF, “RFC 8224: Authenticated Identity Management in SIP,” February 2018, https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc8224/

IETF, “RFC 8225: PASSporT: Personal Assertion Token,” Abstract, February 2018, https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc8225/

AT&T, “3 Things You Need to Know about Robocalls,” AT&T Cyber Aware Blog, August 30, 2017, https://about.att.com/pages/cyberaware/ni/blog/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-robocalls

Verizon, “Spoofing”, https://www.verizon.com/about/account-security/spoofing

T-Mobile, “2021 Corporate Responsibility Report”, https://cdn.tmobile.com/content/dam/t-mobile/ntm/specific-use/annual-report/TMobile_CSR21_16822_tagged.pdf

FCC, “Call Authentication,” https://fcc.gov/call-authentication

FCC, “REPORT AND ORDER AND FURTHER NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING”, FCC Item FCC-20-42A1, https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-20-42A1.pdf

Federal Trade Commission, “National Do Not Call Registry Data Book 2024,” November 2024 ,https://ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/DNC-Data-Book-2024.pdf, p.6

FCC, “FCC Bars Over 1,200 Providers from Network Access for Their Continued Non-Compliance with Robocall Protections,” https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-414073A1.pdf

FCC, “The Robocall Mitigation Database,” https://fccprod.servicenowservices.com/rmd?id=rmd_welcome

iOS 26 Call Screening is Live

Mary Gonzalez; Director of Brand & Content — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Apple’s iOS 26 call screening feature is now live, giving iPhone users more control over incoming calls from unsaved and unknown numbers. We’re seeing the first wave of adoption, but also a wave of questions. Here’s what we know, based on Apple’s official support documentation, public release notes, early user feedback, and testing since the beta release.

What Is iOS 26 Call Screening?

When activated, call screening allows your iPhone to silently answer calls from unsaved phone numbers, asking the caller to state their name and reason for calling, and then displaying a live transcript (Figure 1) of the caller’s response, so you can decide whether to answer.

Figure 1; Screenshot of the Siri-enabled transcript display when you call someone that does not have your phone number saved in their device, considering you an unknown caller. Siri prompts you for more caller information using a text bubble display.

In their release notes, Apple describes it as: “Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers without interrupting you. Once the caller shares their name and reason for their call, your iPhone rings and shares their response so you can decide if you want to pick up.”

Whether purchasing the latest Apple device or upgrading your current phone to the new Liquid Glass software, the call screening feature is turned off by default, with some Apple users reporting being prompted to turn it on when opening the Phone app (Figure 2). Some have reported not being prompted to activate the feature, perhaps due to the age of the device or bugs that may be fixed in future software updates.

Figure 2; Example of the prompt certain Apple device users may see in the Call History log after updating to iOS 26 to turn on the “Screen Calls” feature.

According to TechRadar, “You can download and install the mobile operating system update on the phones launched in September 2019 – the iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max – and anything newer than that.”

iOS 26 Call Screening: “Screen Unknown Numbers”

To activate iOS call screening, users must navigate through the “Phone” app settings. Under the “Screen Unknown Callers” section, users now have more granular control over how call screening behaves. They have three options (Figure 3):

Never: Calls from unsaved numbers will ring, and missed calls will be displayed on the Recents list. ‍
Ask Reason for Calling: Calls from unsaved numbers will be asked for more information before iPhone rings (this is the call screening feature). ‍
Silence: Calls from unsaved numbers will be silenced, sent to voicemail, and displayed on the Recents list.

The “Call Filtering” section below it refers to missed calls, whereas “Screen Unknown Callers” refers to how your iPhone handles unknown or unsaved phone numbers while the call is still ringing.

Figure 3; iOS 26 “Screen Unknown Callers” in the “Phone” Apps Settings, listing the three options users have on how to filter or silence unsaved phone numbers and unknown callers.

If users toggle on “Ask Reason for Calling” it enables the call screening feature where recipients can preview a caller’s name and reason for calling, before answering the call. This makes it critical that what appears on the screen, whether it’s your phone number or caller name, is accurate, recognizable, and free of spam labels. If your caller ID display isn’t clear or correct, you’ve likely lost the opportunity before the recipient even considers picking up.

FAQs: How Can Businesses Ensure Call Delivery Success with iOS 26 Call Screening?

Because upgrading to iOS 26 means this feature is off by default, Numeracle expects the adoption of call screening activation to slowly increase as users become more aware and familiar with the update features. For enterprise businesses, this means you still have time to take proactive steps to protect your call delivery.

Most business phone numbers aren’t saved in consumer contact lists and devices, especially if you’re calling them from multiple lines or newly acquired numbers. The likelihood of consumers pre-saving your numbers to allow you to get around call screening is low. Visibility of your calls despite call screening depends on how your calls are presented and received.

Do I still need Phone Number Reputation if iOS 26 call screening is activated?

Yes, while Numeracle is still testing how “Screen Unknown Callers” interacts with spam or scam labeled phone numbers, if your number is labeled as scam or fraud, carriers may block the call anyway, regardless of call screening. Additionally, recipients may choose to silence unknown or unrecognized numbers, regardless of labeling, which can further reduce the chances of your call being answered.

Number Reputation Management helps protect your business numbers from being improperly flagged or blocked across the major U.S. wireless carriers. While we can't control individual user settings or device behaviors, maintaining a clean reputation increases the likelihood that your calls will be displayed without negative labeling and delivered without carrier-level interference to devices with or without call screening turned on.

Does having a Branded Caller ID help with iOS 26 call screening?

Branded calling does not bypass Apple’s new call screening process, but it can still play an important role. When a call first reaches the device, the branded caller ID name (e.g., ABC Hospital) is displayed. During the screening interaction, however, what the agent says can influence how the caller ID field is updated.

For example, if the agent responds with “Hello, my name is Dave,” the caller ID field may update to display “Maybe: Dave.” If the agent reaffirms the business name (e.g., “This is ABC Hospital”), in many cases that name continues to display.

Because the initial branded caller ID name helps establish trust at the very first moment of the call, it increases the chance of the call being recognized and answered before or during screening. That said, the final display in the ‘Recents’ or ‘Unknown Callers’ log, if enabled, can vary depending on how the screening interaction plays out.

Calls delivered through the Branded Calling ID (BCID) ecosystem display a verified business name and logo (Figure 4) during the call screening process. Importantly, this verified brand identity remains intact even if a “Maybe: [agent name]” is added during screening. BCID is available in partnership with Numeracle through participating Authorized Originating Service Providers — reach out to Numeracle to learn if your provider is part of the BCID ecosystem.

Figure 4; Screenshot of the iOS 26 Call Screening prompt on an incoming phone call that is BCID-enabled, displaying Numeracle’s caller name and logo on a locked iPhone.

What are users saying about iOS 26 call screening so far?

Early user feedback on the call screening feature has been mixed, but many praise its ability to reduce spam and robocalls. According to TechRadar, “Improvements being requested [...] include more obvious alerts for both callers and receivers that call screening is active.”

Some users report confusion and missed legitimate calls due to unclear prompts and inconsistent behavior. Common concerns include robotic voice confusion, scam calls slipping through, and limitations like Low Power Mode or language support. These experiences highlight the importance of branded calling and maintaining number reputation to improve call recognition and delivery.

How does Numeracle prepare customers once users have call screening activated?

Most business phone numbers aren’t saved in consumer devices. If call screening is turned on, Numeracle helps ensure that your calls are not mislabeled and that your caller identity is clear and trustworthy when a caller ID is present.

Connecting with Customers Using Call Screening Starts with Caller Trust

If your business relies on voice communications, trust remains the foundation of successful call delivery, even with iOS 26 call screening now live. How your calling identity is perceived still impacts the decision to answer live or call back.

Numeracle’s Number Reputation Management solution continues to play a critical role in protecting your calls from being mislabeled or blocked. Through proactive registration, cross-network remediation, and direct relationships with the wireless carriers, we help ensure your calls are delivered cleanly and consistently. Pair that with Branded Calling, and your business name (and logo for BCID-enabled calls) appears at the onset of the screening interaction, giving recipients additional confidence to answer.

Reach out to us today to learn how to stay visible and trusted.

Call Blocking: Finance Case Study

Sarah Blantz Marketing Specialist - Channel Lead — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT

For businesses in finance that depend on outbound calling, nothing is more frustrating than seeing calls go unanswered —not because customers aren’t interested, but because your calls are blocked and never reach them.

For one national business loan facilitator, outbound calls are the primary channel for delivering loan decisions to eager customers. But when over 13% of their weekly calls—roughly 65,000 out of 500,000—were being suppressed by carriers, the impact was immediate and severe: missed connections, delayed funding, and frustrated borrowers.

Why Are My Business Calls Being Blocked?

The call labeling ecosystem is highly fragmented and opaque. Each carrier and analytics provider use their own set of criteria to determine whether a call should be labeled as "Spam," "Scam Likely," or even blocked outright.

Factors influencing these decisions include how many calls are made per number (a high volume of calls from the same number is often associated with illegal robocalling operations), how often recipients answer or report the calls, and whether the number has been previously flagged by users or third-party apps. This means that even when a business follows best practices, its calls can still be mislabeled or blocked due to factors beyond its control, often with no visibility into why it’s happening or how to fix it.

The Solution: Numeracle’s Phone Number Reputation Management

Numeracle's comprehensive and proactive Number Reputation Management strategy addressed call blocking at its root through these key pillars:

Prevention Through Registration

Numeracle proactively registers your phone numbers across the top wireless carriers to establish trust in every call. ‍

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Unmatched Customer Service

With the best response time in the business, you won’t find a quicker or more hassle-free path to clean phone numbers. ‍

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Unlimited Remediation

When negative labels appear, Numeracle handles every step—from dispute to resolution— with an average remediation time of just 1.5 days. Labeling correction is routed straight to our team, so you focus on your day to day.

The Impact: 99% of Calls Delivered After Solving Call Blocking Issues

The impact of implementing a robust number reputation management strategy was nothing short of transformative for the business loan facilitator.

Calls delivered soared from 86% to an impressive 99%.

Blocked calls plummeted from 13% to less than 1%.

This dramatic improvement was achieved through a combination of proactive number registration, reputation monitoring, and ongoing remediation efforts, ensuring that their call delivery remained consistently high.

Higher Call Delivery Rates with Number Reputation Management

This case study powerfully illustrates the critical impact of an unmanaged phone number reputation. Even the most well-thought-out outbound strategy can falter when calls fail to get through. By taking a proactive approach to Number Reputation Management, this business loan facilitator regained control of their call delivery, drastically reduced blocked calls, and, most importantly, connected with more customers, nurturing stronger customer relationships and more efficient operations. Access the full case study now to explore the complete journey to 99% call deliverability.

Numeracle provides the leading phone number reputation management solution to ensure your calls get through. Protect your brand, boost your answer rates, and ensure your vital, legitimate communications always reach their destination.

Ready to transform the way you connect with your customers? Contact Numeracle today for a free number reputation consultation.

Apple iOS 26 Beta Update Introduces Call Screening

Mary Gonzalez; Director of Brand & Content — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 04:00:00 GMT

At the 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple introduced their upcoming iOS 26 update, previewing a redesigned interface and notable new call screening feature, currently in beta, that builds on the long-standing Silence Unknown Calls setting introduced in 2019 with iOS 13.

While this update could improve the consumer call experience with added user interactions, it also signals a future shift towards more filtered, user-controlled voice interactions at the device level. Scheduled for general release this fall, instead of sending unknown, anonymous phone numbers straight to voicemail, iOS 26 would give calls a shot to ring through via a brief call screening interaction.

With this new release, not everything is changing, and not everything is outside of your control when it comes to your call delivery.

iOS 26 Call Screening: How It Works

Where a call might have been completely silenced and missed before, it now has a second chance at getting the user’s attention through a short message and caller ID info. According to Apple,

“Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call. [...] Call Screening automatically answers unknown callers [...] If the call is deemed legitimate, it’s passed through and the phone rings.”

For iPhone users who choose to enable it (Figure 1), this proposed call screening feature would automatically take over the answering of unsaved phone numbers, answering silently and screening the caller before you’re interrupted.

The caller is prompted to “record [their] name and reason for calling” to “see if this person is available” (Figure 2). A transcript of the response is then shown to the call recipient (Figure 3), who can decide to accept or decline the call. This prompt is spoken to the caller via Siri but appears on-screen to the recipient like a text thread.

Figure 1; iOS 26 Beta allows iPhone users to turn on the “Screen Incoming Calls” Feature

Figure 2; iOS 26 Beta Call Screening Feature display when the phone rings, prompting the caller to submit their name and reason for calling

Figure 3; iOS 26 Beta feature silently answering a call from an Unknown Caller/Number, prompting the caller for more information

This proposed feature is entirely device-based and seems to rely on device data, activating when the incoming number is not saved in the recipient’s contact list and presenting it as an “Unknown Sender” (Figure 4). It would seem that caller ID information would still display as it normally would, including associated CNAM, branded calling elements if supported, and potentially even spam labels.

Figure 4; iOS 26 Beta for iPhone users, displaying an “Unknown Senders” list with additional caller information

“Do I Still Need Number Reputation Management?”

This beta update is still subject to change based on developer feedback, but its introduction does reinforce the importance of maintaining healthy number reputation to protect your calls.

If your phone number isn’t already saved in the recipient’s contact list (and most business numbers aren’t), your calls are more likely to be screened when this feature is enabled. The update doesn’t override or replace your existing caller ID name, and it won’t automatically silence your calls—but it does introduce a new layer of user interaction.

Call screening gives recipients a second chance to look at their screen and decide whether to answer the call—without having to engage with it directly. That makes it more important than ever that what is presented on the screen—your phone number (ideally free of spam labeling) or caller name—is accurate, trustworthy, and relevant. In other words, if your call data isn’t clear or correct, you’ve already lost the opportunity.

Here’s what is still in your control:

Maintain Caller Trust with Number Reputation Management: Ensure your calling identity has been verified as a legitimate source and that your phone numbers receive active protection from improper call blocking and spam labeling events at the carrier level.

Upgrade Presentation with Branded Calling: Where supported, adding branded calling onto protected numbers adds an added layer of visibility to your calls, giving customers the confidence to answer your calls when they see your name.

With the move towards trust signaling on the rise, it’s important to ensure your brand and your calls can be trusted by algorithms and consumers alike so that your business and your answer rates won’t suffer.

iOS 26: Visibility Still Starts with Trust

If your business relies on voice communications, trust must come first. The beta iOS 26 update reminds us that enterprises must continue to actively manage how their numbers are perceived across all delivery networks to ensure visibility, trust, and consistent delivery. This is not a reason to worry—it’s a reason to stay ready.

Numeracle’s Number Reputation Management solution helps prevent your calls from being mislabeled or blocked by enabling ongoing protection, cross-network remediation, and proactive number registration through direct relationships with carriers, analytics providers.

Reach out to us today to learn about protecting your number reputation and how to stay visible, verified, and trusted.

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Commentary from Numeracle

Potential Pitfalls

Unlike Google’s dynamic assistant, Apple’s version is intentionally lightweight, without follow-up questions or AI decision-making; it’s a first test of intent. How successful it will be at filtering out robocalls, scam calls, or calls from unverified numbers is still unclear.

This feature represents a clear move toward default call protection on devices, but it could also introduce new friction for legitimate, first-time callers, like your doctor’s office, insurance agent, or your bank calling from an unfamiliar or unsaved phone number.

What’s more, there doesn’t seem to be any verification around what the caller answers. Could callers submit false information when prompted just to get their calls through? If no further verification is involved, what does this mean for scammers trying to manipulate the system—and what new methods of manipulation might emerge once the feature is publicly released? Can consumers trust the information they see?

These are open questions that remain unanswered as the feature evolves in beta, testing to see if more guardrails are needed after opening the door to both more control and potential new risks for businesses and consumers. For now, this is a reminder that every advancement in call screening technology opens new possibilities—not just for better call control, but also for potential misuse.

Protecting Your Calling Identity

Apple is reinforcing the same standards already required by the telecom ecosystem by asking for more identity information at the time of a call.

Apple’s move isn’t surprising.

Consumers are demanding more control and protection from scams, and platforms are responding by relying more heavily on reputation signals to determine which calls get through, and this is just the latest layer of call screening. iOS 26 reflects a broader industry shift: call trust is no longer assumed—it must be earned, and caller reputation is the first barrier between your call and your customer.

With Apple leading the shift at the device level, carrier filters and analytics platforms are likely to follow, placing consistent pressure on enterprise outreach practices. As more information becomes available, we’ll continue to analyze how it fits into the broader call delivery ecosystem.

Service Providers Can Resell Branding Calling Now

Mary Gonzalez; Director of Brand & Content — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 GMT

For years, enterprises have demanded a better way to reach customers — clearly, and with confidence. In recent years, Branded Calling has answered that demand, allowing businesses to display their brand information, like their caller ID, directly on consumer devices.

But now, for the first time, originating service providers (OSPs) can take a piece of this market for themselves and deliver more than just a brand name.

Thanks to Branded Calling ID^TM (BCID^TM) — the industry’s only secure-by-design, standards-based branded calling framework — you can now resell a trusted, enterprise-grade solution directly to your customers. Numeracle, as one of the first Authorized Vetting and Onboarding Partners, delivers BCID through our Secure Verified Identity Presentation (sVIP) solution, unlocking this opportunity for service providers to finally launch branded calling as a new revenue-driving product line.

An Out-of-the-Box One-Stop-Shop

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Service Providers Are Now Selling Branded Calling. Are You?

Branded calling is no longer a fringe feature — it’s quickly becoming the new standard. As more enterprises adopt branded calling to elevate customer engagement strategies and differentiate their outreach amongst main competitors, service providers have a unique opportunity to lead the market by offering this high-impact, high-demand solution.

According to Global Newswire, more than 4,500 businesses, including 15% of the Fortune 500, are already using a branded calling solution, and over 3.7 billion branded calls were delivered in 2024. This isn’t a trend, it’s the new standard.

Launch a Revenue Stream

Branded calling is your next in-house revenue driver. With Numeracle’s scalable solution, you can seamlessly stand up a branded calling offering under your own brand to help you go to market fast and scale faster. You won’t have to wait for consumers to download an app for BCID calls to display the secure brand information to see your ROI gains — this solution works natively with their device.

Measurable Results for Your Customers

Branded calling is more than a branding effort; it drives real performance for customers seeking to boost answer rates, drive engagement, and improve conversion outcomes across sales, customer service, and outreach campaigns.

Calls That Protect Your Brand

Give your customers the ability to deliver calls that are verified, branded calls that are protected from illegal spoofing events, further tarnishing your reputation as a provider. While no call is entirely spoof-proof, unauthorized attempts to impersonate your brand won’t be delivered with your verified information, helping block bad actors and preserve your reputation with consumers.

Pay-for-Performance Simplicity

There’s no upfront investments or hidden risks, only payment for calls confirmed to have been delivered through BCID with the verified branding.

Your Customers Are Looking for a Solution Like This

Numeracle’s Consumer Research Report shows that 66% of American consumers would change their mind about answering a call from an unknown or unrecognized phone number if the caller ID was verified and accurate.

45% report being more likely to engage with a brand when the ID includes a logo or trusted information

57% believe it’s their service provider’s responsibility to protect them from spoofed and fraudulent calls

If you’re not offering a secure branded calling solution to your enterprise customers, someone else will.

It’s More Than a Product—It’s a Growth Opportunity

As a BCID Authorized Partner, Numeracle’s solution was built for the industry, by the industry. It’s the first solution of its kind that’s ready for resell. Give your customers what they need to succeed: confirmation that their calls are brand identity are securely delivered and displayed, plus detailed delivery reports that validate their performance and ROI.

Built on published industry standards, BCID enables seamless call delivery across participating mobile carriers with no consumer app required. From vetting and provisioning to onboarding and compliance, Numeracle does the heavy lifting. You focus on selling. We focus on supporting your success.

The global branded calling market is expected to exceed $73 billion by 2029. This is your moment to offer a differentiated, in-demand solution to build stronger trust and value for your enterprise customers. You’re poised to create a long-term, scalable revenue stream while you position your company as a forward-thinking communications leader upholding the integrity of the calling ecosystem.

Partner with Numeracle to Resell Secure Branded Calling Today

Branded Calling ID is a feature every originating service provider will be selling soon. Don’t wait until your customers start asking for it—or worse, find it elsewhere. If you’re not in the BCID ecosystem and are able to offer secure branded calling to your customers, enterprises will be faced with a choice to switch service providers in order to gain access to this solution. Don’t make them switch to your competitor.

Join Numeracle’s Partner Program and give your customers instant access to the most secure, trusted branded calling solution on the market. With the support, infrastructure, and compliance needed to scale, you’ll be equipped to grow your business—and your customers’—from day one. Become a Reseller Partner today.

Roles in the BCID Ecosystem

Sarah Blantz Marketing Specialist - Channel Lead — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 04:00:00 GMT

For service providers offering advanced communication solutions where a striking 69% of American consumers report missing vital calls due to a lack of trusted caller information, secure and reliable branded calling is a foundational expectation for enterprise clients. Delivering calls that are instantly recognizable and verifiably trustworthy sets your service apart.

The Branded Calling ID (BCID™) ecosystem, established by the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), unites trusted partners to ensure every branded call delivered on your network is authenticated, verified, and seamlessly presented.

How is BCID Different from Traditional Branded Calling?

Branded Calling ID (BCID) is a secure, standards-based solution ensuring enterprise brand information is verified and reliably displayed on outbound calls, backed by an industry-wide ecosystem collaborating with network operators to prevent illegal spoofing and build back trust in phone calls.

Traditional branded calling doesn’t always follow the same security and verification standards, which can lead to branding that is unreliable, inconsistent, and vulnerable to spoofing. Branded Calling ID provides a more trusted, consistent, and authenticated experience solving the limitations commonly found in traditional branded calling or CNAM.

The Key Roles in the BCID Ecosystem

Understanding the roles within the BCID ecosystem is key for service providers looking to implement and benefit from this technology:

Authorized Vetting Partners

Their Role: Meticulously verify the identity and legitimacy of enterprise customers before their branded information can be enabled on your network.

Why This Matters for You: This acts as a critical gatekeeper, safeguarding your network and end users from potential fraud and ensuring only reputable organizations can use this secure branded calling. This reduces the risk of your infrastructure being used for malicious purposes.

Authorized Onboarding Partners

Their Role: Guide enterprise customers through the complex technical and operational steps required to activate BCID on your network.

Why This Matters for You: This ensures that all branded information adheres to industry standards and is correctly configured for seamless delivery, reducing potential integration issues and support burdens on your team.

Authorized Signing Agents

Their Role: Employ digital signatures on call data before it reaches your network for distribution. This digital signature acts as an immutable proof of origin and integrity.

Why This Matters for You: This authentication layer guarantees that only verified and untampered branded information is presented to end users on your network, bolstering the security and trustworthiness of the calls you deliver.

Authorized Network Operators

Their Role: Responsible for accurately displaying authenticated and branded information. They act as the final point of presentation, ensuring the verified identity reaches the consumer.

Why This Matters for You: By presenting the verified caller ID precisely as intended, you enhance the overall call experience, reduce the likelihood of misidentification or suspicion, and reinforce the value of the BCID ecosystem.

Who Benefits from Your Participation?

Service Providers: You can deliver a differentiated, secure, and value-added branded calling experience that enhances your reputation and generates new revenue.

Enterprise Customers: They can reach more of their customers, build stronger brand recognition, and foster trust through verified communications.

Consumers: They gain greater confidence in the calls they receive, significantly reducing their risk of falling victim to fraud and improving their overall communication experience.

The Branded Calling ID (BCID) ecosystem roles: Vetting Partner, Onboarding Partner, Signing Agent, and Network Operator to deliver verified branded call display and secure and trusted caller ID.

Join the BCID Ecosystem, Partner with Numeracle

The collaborative power of the BCID ecosystem is revolutionizing communication security. From meticulous vetting to reliable call delivery, every role is vital in fostering a trustworthy environment. Partner with Numeracle today to drive safer, more trusted call experiences.

Boost Student Engagement and Call Answer Rates

Sarah Blantz Marketing Specialist - Channel Lead — Thu, 29 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Phone calls are still a vital communication tool in education, offering a distinctive touch that email and online platforms cannot replicate. But what happens when these calls are flagged as spam or ignored? For one virtual education provider, this challenge was a major barrier to connecting with students and partners. Their story reveals how a strategic Number Reputation Management solution resulted in a remarkable 33% increase in call answer rates, strengthening their capacity for growth and connection.

The Challenge of Connecting with Students & Partners

The virtual education provider in this case study serves thousands of prospective students and higher education partners each week. With weekly call volumes fluctuating between 50,000 and 200,000, their teams work to connect with online learners and institutions. Despite these efforts, they faced several significant challenges:

Low Call Response Rates: High call volumes yielded low answer rates as students and partners avoided calls from unrecognized or incorrectly labeled numbers.
Spam and Scam Labeling: Their legitimate calls were often tagged as "Spam" or "Scam Likely" by carriers and analytics providers, damaging their outreach credibility.
Eroded Trust: Recipients were hesitant to answer due to widespread distrust of unknown or flagged numbers, obstructing opportunities for meaningful engagement.
Operational Strain: Admissions and recruitment teams were frustrated as the inability to reach their targets impeded enrollment goals and institutional collaboration.

These barriers took a toll on operational efficiency and the organization’s broader goal of connecting learners with the resources needed to succeed. It became clear they needed a solution that would restore trust in their outbound calls and ensure their phone outreach could achieve its intended purpose.

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The Solution: Number Reputation Management

Faced with mounting challenges, the education provider turned to Numeracle’s Number Reputation Management solution, a service designed to tackle spam labeling issues and restore the integrity of legitimate phone numbers. Here is how it works:

Spam Labeling Elimination: Numeracle directly collaborates with major carriers and analytics providers to resolve improper spam labels assigned to phone numbers. Leveraging our proven processes, we maintain an average of 99.8% of protected phone numbers delivered label-free, significantly reducing the likelihood of your numbers being flagged inaccurately.
Fully Managed Remediation: Managing the technical and operational aspects of phone reputation restoration can be complex and time-consuming. Numeracle’s experts take the strain off internal teams by proactively monitoring and resolving number-related issues. This fully managed approach provides ongoing protection against future spam tagging, all while offering clients clear visibility into the remediation processes through our intuitive dashboard.
Enhanced Call Strategies: Numeracle's Number Reputation Management solution ensured that the education provider's outreach aligned with effective education-sector strategies, maintaining consistent and trustworthy phone number presentation. This legitimacy made it easier to engage students and partners, fostering trust and improving call answer rates.

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The Impact

The results were immediate and measurable. After implementing Numeracle’s Number Reputation Management Solution, the education provider experienced a 33% increase in answer rates. This dramatic improvement translated into several key benefits:

Enhanced Engagement: More calls connected with students and institutions, fostering stronger relationships and increased inquiries.
Achieved Enrollment Goals: With higher response rates, recruitment teams met their targets more efficiently, driving enrollment growth.
Strengthened Credibility: Restored phone number trust positively influenced the provider’s reputation, both with students and partners.

The organization transformed a critical pain point into a reliable communication channel, allowing them to focus on their mission without being held back by spam labeling concerns.

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Building Trust with Every Call

When organizations can ensure their numbers are recognized as legitimate, every call becomes an opportunity to connect meaningfully and achieve their goals.

For education providers, this trust is especially critical. Students rely on accurate, prompt information to make decisions about their future, and institutions must collaborate effectively to provide resources and opportunities.

Concerned about low call answer rates and deliverability? Download our case study to discover how a virtual education provider achieved a 33% increase in answer rates by prioritizing identity and trust in their communication strategy. Learn how a focused approach can elevate your interactions.

Your students and partners are waiting for your call. Make sure they are ready to answer.

Fix Incorrect Caller ID Name

Sarah Blantz Marketing Specialist - Channel Lead — Thu, 15 May 2025 04:00:00 GMT

Are you confident that your Caller ID Name (CNAM) is displaying correctly on every outbound call? Are you concerned about spam labels or ignored calls? These are critical questions for enterprises today, highlighting the need to move beyond basic CNAM and explore number reputation management and branded calling solutions. In fact, 69% of American consumers have missed important calls due to a lack of trust in the Caller ID information, underscoring the urgent need for a more reliable and brand-centric approach to outbound communications.

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What is CNAM?: Challenges & Limitations

CNAM (pronounced "see-nam") is the technology that is used to display a caller name along with a phone number on an incoming call. This system works by checking various databases to find the name associated with a phone number.

Relying solely on CNAM to control your call display has significant limitations. For instance, the information displayed can vary depending on the database queried by the receiving carrier, leading to mismatched info, inconsistencies across carriers, and the ability for your name to be modified by third parties.

Free or very low cost to update, CNAM is rudimentary and doesn’t give enterprises any real control over how business names appear on Caller ID. In this case, you get what you pay for.

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Are there Alternatives to CNAM?

Yes, there are alternative solutions to CNAM, such as Numeracle’s Smart Branding, that address the gaps left by basic CNAM.

The core challenge with traditional CNAM lies in its inability to provide genuine control over your brand's outbound Caller ID display. “For high-value transactions requiring contact, especially with populations wary of unknown callers, branded calling on wireless networks is crucial. It benefits the brand and reassures recipients about the caller's identity.” ¹

Smart Branding is the next evolution beyond basic Caller ID, offering dependable features to elevate your brand presence in every call:

Direct Control: With Smart Branding, businesses can directly manage the caller ID name shown on calls, avoiding third-party errors, delays, and outdated data.

Consistent Display: Smart Branding ensures uniform name presentation across major wireless carriers, reducing confusion and enhancing brand trust.

Improved Accuracy: Unlike CNAM’s outdated and inconsistently updated databases, Smart Branding ensures the displayed name is current and verified.

Carrier Network Support: Smart Branding is built to work reliably across modern wireless networks, overcoming the technical limitations of CNAM, which was built to support legacy frameworks.

Smart Branding enables direct control over the name shown to consumers, ensuring accuracy and uniformity while building trust and brand recognition. By bypassing the outdated CNAM infrastructure, Smart Branding gives businesses the power to present their identity clearly and professionally on outbound calls..

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Check Your Outbound Caller ID Display

The success of your customer outreach depends on the trusted display of every outbound phone call. Building on a strategy to protect your phone numbers from Spam and Scam labeling, Smart Branding gives you the additional control to define exactly how your caller name is displayed.

A Smart Branding strategy starts with knowing exactly how your business name and number are being displayed. Without this visibility, you can't ensure brand consistency or protect against misidentification. Curious to see how your CNAM or Caller ID are displaying?

Check Your Call Labels for free with our Number Check Tool

Discover what your customers are seeing when you call (including real screenshots of caller ID display) and explore how implementing a Number Reputation Management and Smart Branding approach can enhance your outbound communication.

For further guidance on optimizing your Caller ID and implementing a comprehensive Number Reputation Management strategy, contact us today.

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Citations

Pettinato, Frank. "Tuesday Talks." Podcast audio, Numeracle, [May 25, 2023], [https://www.numeracle.com/tuesday-talks/season-3-episode-3-contact-center-best-dialing-practices]