What is White Labeling in VoIP Softphones? Why is it Important?

Deploying a unified communication (UC) solution has become imperative for modern enterprises. But is it possible for every business to build a brandable softphone client phone communication system that fits their requirements and helps their workforce stay seamlessly connected? The answer is an obvious `No’, as it requires time, money, and technical expertise.

So how do organizations solve this conundrum and level the playing field? By using white label softphone app to provide customized user experiences to their customers, while staying within budget.

In today’s crowded business space, brandable softphone client help enterprises set themselves apart from their competitors – by using a customized tool to engage with their customers, broaden their audience base, and drive sales. A white labeled unified communication solution offers all the functions and personal touches of a VoIP softphone application that’s been built from scratch, without overloading organizations with high VoIP app development costs.

In this blog, we will understand how white labeling works and why it is important for businesses to build unique brand identities:

What is white labeling?

To understand white labeling in the context of SIP softphones, we first need to understand what a “white label” means. In layman terms, when a provider removes its own brandable softphone client and logo from the end product and uses the logo, brand name and language of the purchaser, it is termed as white labeling.

In the digital services industry, a client can purchase a product and present it to the customer under its own brand name. White label technology is a ready to use licensed software product developed by a company and rebranded and customized for its clients in a way that it appears to be owned by them. White label solutions enables third-party companies to do branding in a way that they command complete control over the product’s appearance, policy, and support, along with easy access to the support infrastructure.

The best feature of white labeling in VoIP softphones is, it also enables businesses to create and build their unique brand identities and satisfy customer needs by delivering exceptional user experiences. These custom branded solutions come with fully loaded calling, conferencing, auto provisioning, and messaging features.

Why white labeling in VoIP Softphone is important?

It’s a highly competitive business environment out there. Developing a product in-house, launching it involves time and resources. When it comes to building products like VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) mobile dialers, or softphone for business, the costs, technical resources, and time involved are prohibitive. It requires specialized infrastructure, a technical team, knowhow, and expertise. Which is why, most customers who seek customized VoIP softphones leave it to the experts to build it for them.

Real time communication systems have become a necessity – and not just a value add – in the modern, digital business world. Organizations are increasingly opting for white label softphone applications, as it’s an easy and sure-shot way to improve user experience and maintain feature parity while staying well within a budget. It helps organizations carve their unique identity within their industry by delivering the exceptional user experiences that their customers seek.

How white labeling works in VoIP Softphones?

Let’s look at the A-to-Z of the process of deploying brandable for VoIP softphone client.

The OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) development company develops a plug-and-play software product and provides it as a service to businesses. For instance, a VoIP platform is built, white labeled and tailored to suit the unique requirements of a brand. The client then needs to “decorate” the product to match their corporate identity. White labeling enables them to add their company’s logo, name, icons, URLs, corporate emails, text, theme, and other elements of their website in order to align the VoIP softphone client with your brand. Once this customization is complete, they’re ready to deploy the brandable softphone client, as per their terms and conditions.

Developing a softphone solution from scratch is a cumbersome and expensive affair, making it unaffordable and impractical for most companies. On the other hand, deploying a ready to use softphone client enables partners to launch their own brand based on a product provider’s existing VoIP softphone technology. The technical issues associated with white label platform development and future support and maintenance, are outsourced to the white label company. What the brand receives in return is a product that has been made and implemented in accordance with its technical specifications.

In the real world, white labeled softphones work well for businesses across industries. A business always wants to manage its financial resources, time, and technical platform in an effective manner and a white labeled VoIP mobile dialer solution helps them get there.

Let’s now look at how to configure, build, test, and publish iOS, Mac, Chrome, Android, and Windows softphone apps on their respective play stores, using the cloud base phone system. It is a three step process comprising:

• Verification/Authentication
• Configuration
• Release

• Verification/Authentication

Verification refers to the method that platform operators – be it Google, Apple, or Microsoft – use to verify and/or authenticate user access to the development portal or console. The first step is to create an account on the desired platform and complete the process by verifying the account owner and allowing them access to the platform.

• Configuration

This refers to the step by step instructions to configure and build the softphone application. Configuration is a prerequisite step that’s needed prior to publishing or releasing the softphone client. There are instances when the configuration is done on the platform website, but in most cases a manifest or XML file is added to the application directory. 

• Release

These are the step by step instructions to publish an application in the store. It comprises components like splash screen, app icon, background image, screenshots, etc. Most service providers support cloud softphone white-label application development with minimal or even no coding. All it takes is a few clicks, and you have created a full-fledged white-label application of the cloud softphone SIP client.

When configuring a portal/console you need to choose a white-label feature-set. This feature set allows you to configure all the white-label features, such as the application icon, UI theme and design, and the overall look and feel of the softphone client. The objective is to configure and publish the solution in a way that the final softphone client looks like it has been created by you. Irrespective of the platform that you’re working on, you can create white-label softphone client that run on all the supported platforms, with a uniform look and feel.

Why should businesses opt for White labeled Softphones?

Businesses opt for brandable VoIP softphone client for several reasons. What are these?

• Some businesses want to keep their business focus strictly on brand building or developing innovative customer serving strategies. They do not want to risk building a softphone in-house as they may compromise on the quality of the product. Instead, they are more comfortable with the idea of acquiring a tried and tested softphone technology.

• Companies do not want to get into the hassle of special registration or licensing of an in-house softphone developed by them.

• In order to stay ahead of competition, companies want to integrate certain customized technical features into their softphones that may not be available in generic softphone solutions.

• Some enterprises may be looking at entering new markets. They have the vision on how to capture these markets by enhancing on unique softphone technology, but do not have the necessary expertise to develop this technology.

• Organizations may not have the right technology, experts and development teams to build a softphone client.

• During the pandemic most enterprises moved to remote working. Many companies faced communication roadblocks and began looking for softphone client to enable their employees to work from any location. Most companies did not have the bandwidth or resources to develop in-house softphone technology. This is where white label softphone service providers saved the day for most companies. This is the significant reason companies choose white labeling in VoIP softphone applications for business.

The options of white labeling your VoIP softphone solutions are diverse. Organizations can choose from basic aesthetic and logo changes, to a fully enhanced communication experience that offers customized features and unique settings developed to meet their specific needs. Besides all the basic benefits of softphones, white labeled solutions also offer optional service additions for messaging, collaboration, and conferencing, with ultimate control over settings, languages, and branding.

Moreover, as businesses move towards a hybrid work culture – combining office with remote working – organizations are feeling a growing need for a communication solution that is customized for their specific work environments while boosting their brand identity. In such a scenario, white labeled UCaaS (Unified Communications-as-a-service) solutions are emerging as the way forward.

Benefits of using brandable in VoIP softphone client

Providing customers with a real-time communications system is the need of the hour in today’s digitally connected world. A white label softphone solution is a complete package with all the functionality and personal touches of an application that’s built from scratch.

Companies have come to realize that choosing a white label softphone solution is a smart and cost-effective move rather than going through trials and errors of developing an in-house VoIP mobile dialer system. The icing on the cake is that you get to use it with your branding, without spending long hours on its development and support. Listed below are the benefits of migrating to a white label softphone solution for businesses to meet their communication needs. It’s emerging as the most holistic way forward to provide your customers a seamless digital experience.

• Enables control and functionality     

Enterprises get to choose features that are relevant for their business and pay only for those, thus saving on costs. Some businesses may not need certain advanced features. White labeled softphones enable organizations to build a real-time communication platform that’s fully customized to their business needs. 

• Allows organizations to stay technologically at par with their competitors 

Even a small company can now be at par in terms of advanced softphone features with its more established competitors, without incurring heavy expenses involved in hiring a team of software engineers and UX designers. By licensing a white label softphone app they save money but stay competitive.

• Save time and stay ahead

Building an app from scratch is a time-consuming and cumbersome process with no guaranteed success. A mobile communication application is a complex technology and requires substantial investment. However, a white label softphone app enables companies to have a completely customized mobile communication solution up and running within days.

• Promote your brand

White label softphone solutions enable companies to rebrand the softphone services under their own label. It helps earn customer loyalty and also ensures high brand visibility without incurring high development costs. The solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with businesses and although companies are not responsible for creating the softphone, they enjoy complete operational autonomy. The service provider does not access and manage confidential customer data.

• Save on support and maintenance costs

Technology keeps evolving. Running a softphone solution smoothly requires maintenance and support because of factors like server hosting, ensuring a stable experience across all supported iOS versions, Windows, and Android devices, surveillance for virus attacks and hackers, renewal of licenses and tech support for customers. A white labeled softphone provider ensures you have a support team without having to hire them in-house.

• Easily adapt to change

There has been a huge change in the way businesses communicate. Softphones initially emerged as a technology to upgrade traditional phones. It’s now an agile platform with highly advanced functionalities. Customer expectations have also changed. Your softphone service provider helps you stay abreast with these rapid changes.

How to choose a brandable VoIP softphone service provider?

Choosing a reliable white label service provider is critical for businesses. When looking to partner with a softphone provider, opt for someone who provides the richest feature set in the market. Some of the features you should look for are push notifications, rich messaging, file transfer, call forwards and transfers, videoconferencing, API functionality, and smart contacts. Choose a provider who does not push you into selecting features you will never use. Below are the tips on how to choose a white-label VoIP softphone solution and other criteria that business must keep in mind while selecting a provider:

• Look for stellar security and compatibility across devices and other formats.

• Choose a service provider that lets you grow at your own pace and not push you too much.

• Opt for a provider that helps you stay on top of the latest tech trends.

• Your provider should help you create a fully-branded white label softphone application that’s packed with the latest UCaaS and collaboration features.

• Gives you a choice to pick and pay for the features you want and enables you to add or remove features at any point.

• Your white label softphone solution should improve worker mobility with native apps for mobile and desktop and fully integrate business phone functionality, allowing employees to make calls from any device.

According to a survey report by opinion matters 99% IT enterprise professionals prioritize mobility above everything else. A white label softphone enables you to provide that mobility and flexibility to employees. In a highly digitized, fast, competitive market and a rapid shift towards a hybrid work culture white label softphones offer flexibility and reliability to some very key concerns of a business.