Ahoy Deutschland: Introducing New Local Numbers In Germany

Ahoy Deutschland: Introducing New Local Numbers In Germany

“Global reach. Local experience.” It’s a standard we hold ourselves to, so that your calls and messages to customers around the world deliver a familiar experience with recognizable phone numbers and with local language and call quality. Starting today, you can deliver this experience in Germany with both local and mobile German Twilio phone numbers.

We’re fielding a lot of interest in global Twilio numbers these days, especially from Germany where there’s a vibrant developer community and a business climate that’s driven by constant innovation. In fact, use of Twilio by non-US businesses grew 240% this year. So we’ve been upping our coverage to meet this demand.

Here’s what you need to know about Twilio’s new German phone numbers:

• Instantly-available local German numbers: We now offer voice-capable local numbers across Germany. With a new Addresses API endpoint, we streamline the process that many countries, like Germany, require to associate a local phone number with a physical address. This means your new German number is instantly available with just a simple request from your web or mobile app or a few clicks in the Twilio account portal.
• Dual-function voice and SMS mobile numbers: We are the first to offer virtual German phone numbers that support both voice and SMS. These are the dual-function mobile phone numbers you’ve been asking for to provide your customers with one consistent number for calling and messaging.

If you already operate in Germany or plan to soon, then German phone numbers are a no-brainer. They give your communication a familiar local identity leading to much higher response rates. Customers are also more likely to return your calls and messages because they pay lower local rates. Another advantage is that Twilio customers are already seeing higher SMS delivery rates in Germany from messages originating from German mobile numbers.

But offering phone numbers in countries like Germany is just a start. Giving your customers a true local communications experience in Germany requires even more. That’s why today’s announcement is just one step in a series of new capabilities for providing the best in-country experience possible. Here are a few examples:

• Local Quality: Direct carrier connectivity with Telefonica in Germany lets us offer you high quality voice calls and predictable messaging with real-time SMS delivery status. We also provide Global Low Latency (GLL), so your calls use local routes and deliver clear, uninterrupted voice.

• Local Language: Convert text to speech (TTS) in German and 25 other languages for your automated voice greetings and commands. Send text messages in German and almost every other language with support for 116,000 characters through dynamic Unicode encoding.

• Local Regulation: Twilio is compliant with the European Safe Harbor data privacy regulation. We also give you the control to delete call and message data using the Twilio API or the account portal.

• Local Cost Controls: Prevent voice and messaging overuse in Germany or any country, with an API for usage-based triggers and explicit geographic permissions.

You can start provisioning German numbers and taking advantage of these new localization features right away.

Go ahead and get started. You’re just a few clicks away from provisioning your German phone number. We can’t wait to see what you build!