Overview
Caller ID is a best-effort service that is managed by both the sending and receiving carriers.
A request to fix an incorrect caller ID on our end can be made by emailing CoPilot VoIP support (support@copilotvoip.com) with the number(s) you want to have updated, along with what you would like them to be updated to say.
CNAM names are limited to 15 characters including letters, spaces, and punctuation.
If a different name is appearing than intended and you have already confirmed that the name has been updated in our platform by CoPilot VoIP’s support team, then the receiving carrier will need to be reached out to next to update the information that they use for their customers. This is not something CoPilot VoIP is able to assist in as it is an update to another phone carrier.
Outbound Caller ID Information
Outbound Caller ID Information comes in 2 parts: the Caller ID Number and the Caller ID Name.
Please keep in mind that this article is NOT referring to 911-emergency number Caller ID.
Those are completely different and only come in to play when dialing 911 from your CoPilot VoIP Phones.
911 Numbers can only be updated by CoPilot VoIP Technical Support members.
CoPilot VoIP customers can dial 933 from any of their CoPilot VoIP phones to confirm their current 911 number and address information.
We suggest doing this from each device, including softphones, as each device is able to have different 911 Numbers if needed.
Caller ID Number
The Caller ID Number is the number that is used to identify the caller of the phone call. This number can also generally be used as a callback number to reach the same party that called out using it, though this is not always the case.
The Caller ID Number is generally easy for phone providers to control. It is usually a setting that can be toggled or selected through a customer management portal. CoPilot VoIP is able to change the caller ID Number for individual phones or for the entire account.
Please contact Technical Support if an outbound phone number needs to be updated on your account.
Most all phone carriers will validate legitimate calls by making sure that the Caller ID number is a valid number. This is a typical check to block blatant spam calls from numbers like “000000” or “111111”.
In the CoPilot VoIP Portal, the caller id number can be configured by users with an Office Manager or similar user scope.
Navigate to the Users section of the portal. Select the User whose caller id number you would like to update. Navigate to the Caller ID Information section in the user’s profile to modify the Caller ID.
Caller ID Name
The Caller ID Name (sometimes referred to as CNAME or CNAM) is the name that is associated with a Caller ID Number. This is the name that appears on your phone when an inbound phone call reaches your phone device.
This is harder for phone carriers to control for multiple reasons. The primary reason is that the Caller ID Name has to be applied by the inbound carrier (the side receiving the phone call). This means that even if everything has been set up by the phone carrier of the phone that places the call, the receiving carrier will still need to be the one to allow for the Caller ID Name to appear on the receiving phone.
There is a national database called the CNAM Database. The CNAM Database is a national database used by many national carriers, including CoPilot VoIP. The database hosts a list of phone numbers and their associated Caller ID Names. Companies, such as CoPilot VoIP, will use the database to help gather caller ID Name information for their inbound calls.
Because the CNAM Database is a 3rd party organization, requests have to be made to update the information in the data by phone carriers. These requests can be made by emailing support@copilovoip.com to request that specific numbers have their CNAM Database entry updated.
CNAM names are limited to 15 characters including letters, spaces, and punctuation.
CNAM changes are usually applied within 48 business hours but can take up to 5 business days with larger carriers and up to 30 days with smaller carriers, depending on how often they update their database.
Not all phone providers use a database such as the CNAM Database. Most cell phone carriers, for example, will not include the use of a caller id name database in their service plan. The most a cellular carrier might do is provide information on the Rate Center (geographical information such as the city or region) of the number that is calling.