Do you have a business? Do you need to communicate from abroad? Do you want to stop receiving phone spam? A virtual number is the solution you were looking for.
When we decide to undertake a project, be it a small company or a startup, we will surely find ourselves in the need to put a limit between our work and personal life. Not only that, but we will also want to maintain solid and trustworthy communication channels .
Among the wide range of options available, a virtual phone gives us the possibility to take advantage of the traditional functions of the phone of a lifetime , and at the same time take advantage of the benefits of the digital environment.
Although if you are not thinking about setting up a company, virtual phones are also a great idea for any user when it comes to avoiding unwanted calls or simply having a security number with whom we want .
There are many and very varied uses that you can give to a virtual number . For this reason, today we are going to describe the benefits of this tool that many surely did not know. In addition, we will also recommend some services, both paid and free, so that you can try these solutions for yourself.
WHAT IS A VIRTUAL PHONE NUMBER AND WHAT IS IT FOR?
A virtual number is a normal telephone number, with its nine digits and prefix, that is not physically associated with a physical cable, but uses the internet to contact other telephone numbers .
As we can see, hiring a virtual number does not imply any change in the way they will have to communicate with you since your contacts will continue to use a phone number . But it is also that this tool is especially useful on certain occasions as we will see below.
Let's imagine that we need a mobile or landline phone for our work and we don't want to share our personal number. The most convenient way is to share our virtual number with our partners and clients so that all calls to this number are forwarded to the personal number, which we normally use.
Another very remarkable feature of virtual numbers are the mobility options they offer. With this solution, we will be able to manage the communications of our company from anywhere in the world. The location does not matter, since its operation will remain the same .
And for those who have to move to another country, there are also enormous advantages, since while our loved ones will call us with local rates, for us any incoming call will be free. In fact, it is the system that the 24 - hour technical assistance services of many companies usually use . So, if you have noticed that they speak to you with a different accent, it is that your call has been redirected through a virtual phone service to another country.
VIRTUAL PHONE NUMBERS WITH FREE OPTIONS
The following options to contract virtual phone services offer all the comforts described above , in addition to having free options:
Line2
We started with Line2, an app with a multitude of options at your fingertips , such as making conference calls, call diversion or answering machine. Although it is more focused on the business world, any user can use its service to obtain a disposable and temporary number. Of course, your freemium option is available only for 7 days.
Line2 is available for Android and iOS systems .
Sideline
The main differential value of Sideline is that it does not have a free trial period, since its service is completely free from minute one . Of course, some of its functions require a monthly subscription.
Sideline is available for both Android and iOS version devices .
Burner
Unlike the others, this app uses real numbers and not VoIP, in addition to a set of functions that you can perform from that same number such as calling or sending SMS. Come on, you can use it as if it were your usual phone number .
Also, Burner is perfectly compatible with tools like Dropbox, Evernote or Slack . You also have a free trial period to test your services before hiring.
It is available for both Android and iOS devices .
PAID VIRTUAL PHONE NUMBER SERVICES
If you have a business with international projection and your clients need to call you from anywhere in the world, these payment references interest you:
Zadarma
With Zadarma you can request a virtual number for any of the 96 countries available in its services by paying a monthly fee ranging from 1.8 euros to 95 euros depending on the region we choose .
Toll Free Forwarding
Toll Free Forwarding is an ideal service for individuals and companies. It has different plans for both user profiles, as well as being a very accessible and easy-to-use tool .
The only problem for Spanish users is that, although they let you choose local phone numbers, they do not offer the option for toll free phones.
Call Hippo
This cloud-based VoIP phone system is more focused to cover the communication needs of startups and small businesses. They provide virtual numbers in more than 50 countries at fairly affordable prices .
Fixed Virtual
Another very easy to use service. Fixed Virtual is perfect for those who have a relatively low number of calls per month with a monthly maintenance cost of 8 euros, although it can be 4 if you pay for the whole year .
We hope that this special has helped you to enter the interesting world of virtual phones. Who knows, maybe more than one is already thinking of hiring one. If you want more information about what each of the services described above can offer you, just click on the links.