A Complete Guide to Understanding CNAM Lookup

November 9, 2023
General

In today’s digital age, identifying incoming calls is crucial for businesses and individuals alike. This is where CNAM (Caller ID Name) Lookup APIs come into play. A CNAM Lookup API allows you to retrieve the name associated with a phone number, providing valuable information about the caller’s identity. In this guide, we’ll explore what CNAM Lookup is, how it works, and the benefits of it.

Introduction to a CNAM Lookup API

  1. What is CNAM Lookup? CNAM is a process that allows you to retrieve the Caller ID Name associated with a phone number. It provides valuable information about the caller’s identity, enabling businesses to make informed decisions about handling incoming calls.
  2. Why is it important? Knowing the identity of an incoming caller can significantly impact how calls are handled. It can improve customer service, confirm compliance, and enhance overall communication efficiency.

How Does CNAM Work?

CNAM is a 15-character string containing the name of a caller which can be displayed on a number of different devices. Unlike Local Number Portability data, or LNP for short, there is no master CNAM database that contains all of the authoritative CNAM values in one place. Instead, each carrier supplies CNAM values to one of 12 databases. When a CNAM query is launched by a terminating carrier (i.e., recipient’s carrier), assuming the CNAM vendor is properly routing requests, the CNAM query will be routed to the database that has been populated by the originating carrier.


Problems with Traditional Providers:
Providers that are following this industry standard see roughly 50% coverage, and when a name is not returned, filler data like ‘Wireless Caller’ is returned instead. This provides no value to the consumer. Because of this, CNAM providers have started to supplement network data with non-authoritative data, sacrificing accuracy to increase coverage.

Benefits of Using Trestle’s Smart CNAM API

At Trestle, we have created a CNAM product that uses modern technology to validate a phone number and provide the name of the person or business to which it belongs. Here are some of the many benefits and features of Smart CNAM API.

  1. Improved Accuracy and Coverage: Smart CNAM API provides unparalleled name accuracy and coverage compared to traditional CNAM. At Trestle, we are not reliant on carriers to supply data, so we have built a CNAM product that has 94% coverage and over 90% accuracy.
  2. Caller Identification: Smart CNAM API allows businesses to identify the name of the person or business associated with an incoming phone call. This information can help agents more efficiently handle calls and deliver an optimal customer experience.
  3. Confirm Compliance: Smart CNAM API allows businesses to confirm the phone still belongs to the person they intend to reach and that it has not changed hands or been reassigned. This ensures compliance with outbound dialers and text messaging right party contact requirements.
  4. Enhanced Security: Smart CNAM API can be useful for detecting suspicious callers. By displaying the caller’s name, users can identify the caller and protect themselves. 
  5. Scalability: Our APIs are low-latency and can easily scale to whatever business needs you may have. 
  6. API Features: At Trestle, our Smart CNAM API has real-time data, supports batch processing, and can easily be integrated with the help of a developer. 

Use Cases for CNAM Lookup

Many different industries can leverage a CNAM Lookup API. If a business deals with routing or handling calls but only needs a low-weight solution, Smart CNAM API could greatly benefit the business.. 

As you can see, there’s many uses and benefits to a CNAM Lookup that many companies can leverage to enhance their call handling processes and improve customer interactions. If you want to learn more about Smart CNAM API, feel free to look at our API Documentation or contact us.

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