Overview

Unlock the power of Voice Communication with Exotel's VOIP SoftPhone.


Experience seamless and crystal clear voice communication with Exotel's cutting-edge VOIP SoftPhone, designed to elevate your communication capabilities. Our SoftPhone supports both inbound and outbound (click to call) calling, and while placing a call you can also dial in the phone number.


By following these simple steps, you can effortlessly enhance your Exotel dashboard experience, harnessing the full potential of IP-PSTN intermix for powerful voice communication. Your end customers won’t notice any change as they continue to pick/make calls using their PSTN devices e.g. mobile phones.


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Benefits of the IP-PSTN intermix:

  1. UI widget for calling- The widget for incoming/outgoing call popup would be shown to the users where they would get options to accept/reject the calls along with the hold/mute buttons.

  2. Ability for the users to switch off/on their SIP device- Users can switch between IP and PSTN calling as per their network availability with the help of a toggle button.

  3. On-call statuses, status callbacks, call details, etc.- All the call details would be available post each call for you to analyze the calls in the call details pop-up.

  4. Mobility and Flexibility: With IP-PSTN intermix, users can make and receive calls from any location with an internet connection. This mobility feature is especially beneficial for businesses with remote or distributed teams, enabling seamless communication regardless of geographical boundaries.

  5. Business Continuity: In the event of unforeseen disasters or disruptions, IP-PSTN Intermix provides a reliable backup solution. 


Onboarding process 

Please follow the below-mentioned steps to use and configure the IP-PSTN VoIP calling:

Pre-requisites 

In order to have a IP-PSTN enabled for your account, you must complete the following prerequisites:

  1. New Services Agreement
    To comply with the Government of India regulations, Exotel has obtained a Unified License for Virtual Network Operator (UL-VNO) under a separate entity named 'Veeno Communications Pvt. Ltd.’  Therefore, a new Services Agreement needs to be signed with 'Veeno Communications Pvt. Ltd.’ for using VoIP services.  Your account manager or the Exotel point of contact will help you with this step.


  2. New account creation (even for existing customers)

Due to the regulatory reason/s mentioned in point 1 above, you are required to sign-up for a new account to use IP-PSTN intermixing for VoIP calls. VoIP services cannot be provided under the existing account/s which you may have already created with us. Your account manager or the Exotel point of contact will help you with this step.

  1. New KYC to be registered (Bangalore ONLY for now)

  • In addition to the four documents required to complete the KYC for an account, accounts with VOIP services enabled for them also require a Customer Acquisition Form(CAF) to be completed as part of KYC. It is supported on the Exotel dashboard as one of the document requirements on the KYC page.

  • KYC needs to be done separately for each city for VoIP accounts. This primarily means that the following 2 documents need to be produced fresh every time a new city KYC is to be done:

  1. Address proof (The address needs to be of the city from where the numbers need to be purchased)

  2. Customer Acquisition Form (CAF)

  • For more details on where the KYC/Verification docs need to be uploaded and what documents qualify for KYC, this link should be referred to. Please get in touch with your account manager or the Exotel point of contact for any queries regarding this process.

  1. New Exophones (Virtual Numbers) to be purchased
    Virtual Number purchase is coupled with individual region/city KYC status. i.e. number purchases will only be allowed from regions where the KYC is completed.

NOTE: Currently, the only city available for KYC and number purchase is Bangalore

For more details on how to procure a new Exophone, please refer to this support article:  https://support.exotel.com/support/solutions/articles/3000010956

  1. Call flows creation/migration and linking with Virtual Number/s
    Once the new account is created and the virtual number/s is purchased, you would need to create the call flows for the inbound scenarios.
    Reference article -
    https://support.exotel.com/support/solutions/articles/35140-how-do-i-create-edit-save-a-flow-

    If you already have an account with Exotel with call flows created for the inbound scenarios and wish to use the same call flows in the new account for IP calling, the call flows would need to be migrated.

Reference article - 

https://support.exotel.com/support/solutions/articles/3000112569-can-i-transfer-my-exophone-and-the-call-flows-from-one-account-to-another-

Once the call flows are created/migrated, you can link the call flows to the virtual numbers so that any customer calls landing on those virtual numbers follow the required call flow path.


How to use IP PSTN on Exotel dashboard?

  1. Access your Exotel dashboard and confirm your PSTN device to enjoy the experience of both IP-PSTN and PSTN-PSTN calls.


  1. After the device has been confirmed, activate yourself by toggling the button, as shown below

  2. If you wish to make a call, simply select the 'call' button and easily switch between IP or PSTN calls according to your preferred mode of communication, as indicated below.



  1. When the IP toggle is activated, and you enter a number or name in the designated space labeled 'Type a number/Name' and click the call button, the first part of the call will be received on your Web browser, as depicted below.



  1. After accepting the call, you will find icons with the following options to manage the call:

  1. Mute: This will mute your side of the conversation.

  2. Hold: The call will be put on hold.

  3. Disconnect: You can end the call.




6) The recording and call details will be accessible in the Inbox.

7) When making a PSTN call, there is no change in the process; you can continue using it as usual.

8) When initiating an IP-PSTN Intermix call and having multiple tabs open, the call pop-up will appear in all browser tabs. However, after accepting the call, the call pop-up will be visible only in the tab where the call was accepted. In that tab, the dashboard functionalities will be unavailable while the call is ongoing, but you can still utilize other tabs to continue with your tasks. 



Pricing

IP-PSTN intermixing is available only with an ‘Unlimited Calling Plan’ by paying a fixed per-user per month price. Please get in touch with your Exotel account manager to understand the pricing applicable to your requirement.



FAQs

  1. Do I need to sign a new MSA for VOIP calling?

Yes. This is required because Exotel has a Pan India UL VNO license under the entity named “Veeno Communications Private Limited”. Hence, there will be a new MSA to be signed between the customer and the Veeno entity.

  1. Do I need to create a new account for VOIP calling?

Yes. All customers, including existing customers, will have to create a new account if they need VOIP calling. As VOIP calling is being offered through the Veeno entity, thus, a new customer account has to be created under Veeno as the existing account under Exotel Techcom Pvt. Ltd. cannot provide VOIP calls with the Veeno infrastructure.

  1. What is the process to create an account under Veeno?

In the alpha phase, the account creation will be aided by the Exotel account management/sales team. Post alpha phase, the account creation for Veeno/VOIP calling will follow the same process followed today for non-VOIP accounts.

  1. Can I use the virtual numbers/Exophones that I have in my existing account for VOIP calling?

No, new numbers have to be purchased under the new Veeno account. Existing numbers from non-Veeno accounts cannot be used under Veeno accounts because there is a separate number inventory for Veeno and it cannot be mixed with the non-Veeno number inventory as per the government regulations.

  1. If I have IVR/call flows in my existing account, do I need to create/replicate new IVR/call flows under the new Veeno account?

The Exotel team will do everything possible to migrate the IVR/call flows from your existing account to the new Veeno account.

  1. What are the prerequisites for the users to start calling via IP-PSTN?

The users will need to log in to the Exotel application with valid credentials. On successful login, the users will see their SIP device as switched on for making VOIP calls. They can toggle it off/on to switch between SIP and PSTN calling.

  1. How can the user stop making/receiving calls via IP-PSTN?

The user will have to toggle off the SIP calling button

  1. What will happen if the user is not able to make/receive VoIP calls due to poor network connectivity?

In such a case, the user can switch to PSTN calling with the help of a toggle button which means the mobile device of the user would become the primary device for calling.


  1. How reliable is IP-PSTN compared to traditional telephone networks?             IP-PSTN is generally considered reliable and offers high-quality voice communication. However, like any technology, its reliability may depend on factors such as internet connectivity and service provider performance.

  2. If I refresh the dashboard while the call is going on, will the call still be active?

If you refresh the dashboard, the browser will ask for a confirmation and if you still go ahead with refreshing the ongoing call will be disconnected. Kindly avoid refreshing the tabs while the call is ongoing. 


Please note this feature is currently under 'Beta'.


Contact us: 

If you have any questions or concerns, please write to us at [email protected]


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