Local Caller ID vs. CNAM
When you make calls to customers, what do you want shown on their screens? A local phone number? Maybe your business name?
Pre-call identification is an important component of building recognition and trust among your customers. That’s where Local Caller ID and CNAM come in.
Global businesses look to these outbound call displays as a way to strengthen their outbound call strategy. But what is it about Local Caller ID vs. CNAM that enables international companies to incorporate these identifiers?
Continue on below, and see just how you can use these caller ID types to reach your global audience.
Caller ID Types: LCID and CNAM
Companies using Local Caller ID (LCID) and Caller Name (CNAM) want to increase engagement with customers in a recognizable and professional way. Here’s what they mean to your voice service.
What is LCID?
LCID is short for Local Caller ID– it’s your way of easily making local outbound calls whether or not you have an in-country presence.
VoIP providers offer LCID to help global businesses reach their customers by matching area codes and improving engagement rates. This call ID display is numeric only and goes by several names, including Local Presence Dialing, Calling Line Identification (CLI), and more.
What is CNAM?
CNAM is short for Caller Name (Caller NAMe). This is a text-based display that’s associated with your United States and Canada business numbers– typically the company name that’s calling.
The CNAM process is the responsibility of the call terminating provider. Once the call comes through, they dip into the public CNAM database to find a name match and pass it along to the recipient’s phone screen.
What is the Difference between Local Caller ID and CNAM?
While both of these call displays work together, supported line types, phone systems, and global coverage are vastly different. We’ll explore them below.
1. Line Types
You can access Local Caller ID service on landline, virtual, and mobile line types. CNAM is confined to only landlines.
2. Phone System
There are more ways to integrate your voice service when you use Local Caller ID vs. CNAM. Caller Name is only supported for Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) phone systems. In contrast, LCID works across both PSTN and SIP-enabled systems so you can gain the benefits of Local Caller ID for your on-premise, virtual, or hybrid phone systems.
3. Coverage
You have greater coverage using Local Caller ID. International voice services with guaranteed caller ID are available in more than 80 countries worldwide. CNAM identification, however, is only available for calls terminating in the United States and parts of Canada.
Commonly Asked Local Caller ID vs. CNAM Questions
Local Caller ID is set by the caller and works the same regardless of where the calls originated from and where they’re terminating. When a phone call is placed, the number with the selected area code is routed by the originating voice provider and delivered to the terminating carrier.
CNAM, on the other hand, lies with the terminating carrier. In the US, when the phone call is delivered, the terminating carrier looks up the number within a public CNAM database. If there’s a match, the caller name and phone number are passed along and displayed on the call recipient’s screen.
In Canada, CNAM works differently. There are no centralized databases for CNAM dips. The text chracters are set up on each company’s PBX system and passed along through the receiving line.
Be Local Every Time with Local Caller ID Services
A robust outbound call strategy with guaranteed local ID match is a must for global businesses looking to build an in-country presence and improve their customer engagement. That’s where LCID adds more value than CNAM. With more flexibility and benefits, Local Caller ID phone numbers are guaranteed to display the associated area code on the recipient’s screen and increase answer rates.
Here at AVOXI, we help businesses grow their local presence, improve answer rates, and bolster engagement using two-way voice numbers that drive conversations. If you’re ready to see how these phone numbers work, check out our webinar to learn more.
Look & Sell Local
Looking for a simple way to make better connections and increase global answer rates without having a physical market presence? Local voice + caller ID is the way to go.
