VoIP technology gives you far more options than traditional phone lines, but there’s always been one knock on VoIP services: they don’t work without internet. You’ve probably seen the fine print disclaimers saying you can’t use these services for emergencies. Well, thanks to RingCentral Persist, that’s all about to change.
RingCentral Persist: Ready for the Worst Case Scenario
Even though RingCentral boasts an amazing uptime and claims there’s a mere 0.0001% chance that you could lose your connectivity when you need it most, some things are out of their control. While their servers are distributed around the world using cloud computers, your business only has one dedicated line to the world.
Internet service providers call that connection “the last mile,” and it’s where you’re most likely to have problems. Just imagine that there’s an earthquake that knocks out power and internet service to most of your area. People need your help. Normally, you’d be just as cut off as everyone else, but with RingCentral Persist, you fire up the generators, dust yourself off, and get back to work.
How It Works
It’s not magic, it’s clever technology. VoIP means Voice over Internet Protocol, so naturally all your VoIP calls are going to require an internet connection. So, how does Persist let you make and receive calls without one?
It starts by installing an extra piece of hardware called a session border controller, made by AudioCodes. This device links your local internet network to your phone line. It creates a connection to your local Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) so that, if there’s ever an emergency, your VoIP service will still have a lifeline.
Then it uses that lifeline to establish a new connection to the RC network. So even if a meteor lands on top of your local ISP’s office, you’ll still be able to handle calls.
Emergency Calling and Callback
If you’re the one that needs help, you definitely want to be able to make an emergency call to your local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Using the session border controller, you can use the PSTN lifeline to reach your PSAP directly. You’ll get the exact same response as dialing an emergency number from a landline or cell phone.
And they can call you back too! This is where Persist really shines. How can they know what device called an emergency number if they don’t have a dedicated phone line? Picture it: you’re on the 4th floor of a building and you make an emergency call. But your PSAP just sees the single number from the phone line. So what happens?
The session border controller is linked to your network, so it remembers exactly which IP address made the call. As soon as emergency services try to call you back, it routes the call back to the user’s device. So even if aliens disable every cell phone tower in your city, if you have Persist installed and make an emergency call on your building’s Wi-Fi, emergency services can call you right back.
Manage Inbound Calling
You obviously wouldn’t want inbound calls to ring people at random. The janitor probably isn’t the right person to call when someone needs an ambulance. Persist lets you configure emergency protocols so that if you do lose connectivity, the calls that come in will be routed to the right person.
Keep Extensions Up and Running
If you have extensions, these can be disrupted during emergencies. However, you can configure your extensions in the RC service portal so that they’ll still work when your internet connection gets cut off.
You can also make outgoing calls to facilities with extensions and use them as you normally would.
A Mission Critical Service
The most important public services have often avoided VoIP because they couldn’t rely on it in the worst case scenarios. But now, you can be compliant with your local laws by using Persist.
Although the service was designed for firefighters, police and ambulance dispatches, and hospitals, it can be used by any business anywhere. With global support, businesses in high-risk areas can benefit from setting up Persist as a form of insurance.
You never know when disaster will strike, but you can be ready for it. Persist marks the end of the days when VoIP was an unreliable service. Now you can put your whole trust in VoIP and get all the benefits that it offers. Check out RingCentral Persist today: it has been on the market since 2019 and is extremely easy to install.
