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Ashcor Requirements for STIR/SHAKEN Leads to ClearlyIP SIP Trunking Migration

The transition to ClearlyIP’s SIP Trunking Platform was a flawless process with easy integration with FreePBX® and all the number porting work done in the background- in an average of five days. I now have peace of mind of our compliance with the FCC’s STIR/SHAKEN requirements along with extensive e911 features enabled for our organization to be Kari’s Law and Ray Baum Act compliant.

~ Jeff Mckeon – Ashcor Technologies LLC

 

OUR CUSTOMER

 


 
With 25 years of IT and technology experience in both the commercial and residential markets, the founder of Ashcor, Jeff Mckeon, recognized the need for responsive, reliable, and affordable technology support for the local small/medium business and residential markets. Ashcor, a successful tech firm in Rockaway, NJ, offers Voice and Video Communications solutions for commercial businesses.

As a leader in VoIP systems, in 2015, Ashcor developed its own small business phone system platform using the open source FreePBX® platform as its backbone. After supporting 3rd party business phone systems for clients for years, it was time to develop their own offering to deal with the shortcomings, complexity, and high price of existing 3rd party solutions.

The long-term goal for Ashcor is to provide clients with a communication system that provides the same functionality available from large corporate PBX systems at an affordable price point and offers ease of use that makes sense for the small business market.

With its commercial portfolio of Voice, Video & IT/Network services, Ashcor has a diverse portfolio, including a residential division specializing in Smart Home Automation, Home Theater & AV, and other Technology Services.

BUSINESS CHALLENGES

In 2021 the United States FCC call handling protocols became serious business. STIR/SHAKEN was introduced as a suite of protocols and procedures intended to combat caller ID spoofing on public telephone networks. With this new authentication framework designed to reduce fraudulent robocalls and illegal number spoofing, Ashcor quickly identified it needed to help its customers by quickly understanding and navigating these new calling FCC STIR/SHAKEN requirements.

[STIR defines how the protocol could be implemented, while SHAKEN documents how the protocol will be implemented. Used together, the originating and terminating service providers work in tandem to deliver valid calls.]

Ashcor reached out to its current SIP Provider that held its customers’ trunking services, but due to FCC rules, they were unable to meet Ashcor’s STIR/SHAKEN requirements. Ashcor began a search for a carrier that:

  • Understood STIR/SHAKEN.
  • Provided tight integration with FreePBX®.
  • E911 services for Kari’s Law and Ray Baum Act Compliance
[Kari’s Law includes direct dial access to 911 services and the notification of designated personnel when an emergency call is made, while the RAY BAUM’s Act relates to the identification of dispatchable locations of 911 callers.]

Ashcor began the project of seeking a new Carrier Grade Sip Trunking Provider already invested in STIR/SHAKEN, located in the United States, but with a global reach to enable migration from VoIP Innovations to ClearlyIP Trunking.

THE SOLUTION BY CLEARLYIP

ClearlyIP was a fast adopter of STIR/SHAKEN, and its SIP Trunking Platform meets the FCC’s requirements with digital certificates based on common public key cryptography techniques to ensure the calling number of a telephone call is secure.

Tony Lewis, CEO of ClearlyIP, explains, “When you make a call, your telecom provider will use your particular identifying number and create a “token” or digital signature. This signature accompanies the call as it is being completed. At the receiving end, the system verifies that the signature is valid, and that nothing was tampered with. This ensures that the call came from an entity with the legitimate right to use that specific number.”

As a certified Communications Service Provider, ClearlyIP is authorized to sign outbound calls with the appropriate attestation level. ClearlyIP also showcased its superior SIP Trunking Platform, with competitive rates in both metered and unmetered call paths and vast offerings of local, toll-free, and vanity numbers in 80 countries.

Ashcor was confident with ClearlyIP’s easy integration into FreePBX® for client system continuity. And the extensive e911 Location-based services in the US and Canada were necessary to comply with Kari’s Law and The Ray Baum Act. With all the boxes checked, ClearlyIP was the clear choice for Ashcor to move its SIP services and customer services.

STIR defines how the protocol could be implemented, while SHAKEN documents how the protocol will be implemented. Used together, the originating and terminating service providers work in tandem to deliver valid calls.

THE RESULTS

Ashcor was pleased to find a SIP Trunking Provider that met and exceeded their needs at a flexible price point that could grow and scale with their business. ClearlyIP offered helpful guidance on the setup of the trunk configuration and integration with the multiple FreePBX® instances.

Making the switch was easy and required no interruption to their existing clients. Ashcor’s existing trunking services were ported over with ClearlyIP’s personal onboarding service offered by a Porting Specialist who oversaw a seamless transition. All customers were moved over with the implementation of STIR/SHAKEN during a multi-step process. A complete e911 solution was introduced with enhanced call routing, location management, and other life & safety protocols for Kari’s Law and Ray Baum Act compliance.

Going forward, Ashcore was confident that ClearlyIP would keep innovating and providing the best options for their clients for years to come.


“One of the key aspects for my choosing ClearlyIP is the ability to manage/troubleshoot the clients’ trunking on their behalf that allows Ashcor to provide end-to-end support for our customers with their phone systems. When issues do arise, I can always get a live tech engineer on the phone when I need to, and that’s incredibly important to support our clients’ needs.” ~ Jeff Mckeon, Aschor Technologies LLC

 

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Top 5 Contributors to Move to ClearlyIP SIP Trunking

 

  1. STIR/SHAKEN
  2. Tight Integration with FreePBX®
  3. E911 to be Kari’s Law and Ray Baum Act Compliant
  4. Self-Management Store
  5. Tier-1 Geo-Redundant Network