CV_Directory_2021_2

There was a sliver of hope early in 2020 that phone fraud would decrease following the outbreak of COVID-19. This turned out to be wishful thinking. Phone fraud spiked during the late spring and summer months, as global scammers pivoted to find new ways of contacting consumers. And all signs indicate that phone fraud will continue to be a top challenge in 2021. One company that’s helping carriers fight back against fraud is Veriswitch, a leading provider of high-performance, scalable carrier- grade switching technology and vir- tual infrastructure. “We’d like to become the go-to company to help clean your traffic,” said Veriswitch co-founder Michael Hiron. “Our goal is to become the top filter that carriers use instead of ac- cepting all traffic onto their networks.” Services such as traffic filtering are becoming increasingly important as we approach the looming deadline for the FCC’s new STIR/SHAKEN standards. Carriers have until June 30, 2021, to implement and document a program to mitigate fraudulent calls, or they will face stiff penalties. The Veriswitch platform is STIR/ SHAKEN compliant, although it does not offer the service directly. Rather, the platform enables clients to bring their own STIR/ SHAKEN provid- ers and easily integrate them into the platform. This strategy allows Veriswitch to serve as a trusted advi- sor while remaining focused on what it does best — platform solutions and switching — without diluting its core offerings. At the same time, it gives clients the flex- ibility to work with the providers of their choice. That said, Veriswitch has added a variety of enhancements to its platform during the last year, some of which include a spam/fraud report to help proactively mitigate fraudulent phone calls, media reports to inspect route quality, advanced traffic analysis, rout- ing by media and originating number, origination billing, and a fraud manage- ment mechanism to control unusual traffic patterns and minimize exposure. Its customizable dashboard provides a near real-time overview of the user’s operation where all aspects of the net- work can be viewed in a single place. Of note is the speed that Veriswitch was able to pivot and up- date its platform. “When Veriswitch first launched, we thought of ourselves as a telecom services company,” added Veriswitch co-founder Umberto Mautone. “As time goes on, we’re realizing more and more that we’re actually a tech company. We specialize in making software. Because of this, our team is motivated to keep developing and in- novating based on our clients’ needs.” What’s more, all development is conducted in-house. Veriswitch writes and owns its own code, which allows it to adapt and create new ser- vices very quickly. “This has a double benefit,” Mau- tone said. “It benefits the client who asked for it, which in turn benefits all of our clients because, oftentimes, people don’t even know they need a tool until it’s available to them.” Heading into 2021, Veriswitch will continue developing its agent and commission program to drive more sales. As it turns out, 80 percent of the company’s customers are refer- rals — and Hiron and the team at Veriswitch are actively working to encourage more growth. “Some of our clients have offered to give demos to new prospective clients,” Hiron said. “There’s a certain inherent benefit for a client to get an accurate view of what Veriswitch does and how we operate from a client’s perspective, versus me telling them ‘look how good we are.’ I think it cre- ates a more honest conversation for the potential client.” As an added bonus, the company doesn’t operate as a telecommuni- cations carrier. Rather, they remain carrier-neutral, which can be a major benefit to customers. “There are a lot of companies in this space that play both sides,” said Hiron. “We do not buy and sell min- utes, and we do not play in your sand- box. We have built a very solid reputa- tion in the business, supporting clients and helping them avoid some of the bad carriers — and as a result, we’ve emerged as a leading and trusted ad- visor and enabler.” Regarding the issue of trust, carriers often use their Veriswitch partnerships to demonstrate to other organizations that they are trustworthy and committed to fighting fraudulent traffic. So, working with Veriswitch can open the door to more business opportunities. The company also grants customers ample flexibility. Customers can retain full control over their softswitch platform, for everything from customer manage- ment to rating, routing and billing. “At the end of the day, Veriswitch is much more than just a softswitch provider,” added Hiron. “We’re an integrated carrier management solution, fully committed to helping our customers succeed.” o Veriswitch Fights Back Against Phone Fraud PROFILE 2021 Directory | CHANNEL VISION 69 Veriswitch co-founder Umberto Mautone