Virtual Private Number
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Virtual Private Number is a telephone number that forwards incoming calls to any of a number of pre-set telephone numbers.
Usually a Virtual Private Number can be set to forward calls to different telephone numbers depending on the time of day and the day of the week; for example, between 9-5 on working days incoming calls will be forwarded to one's workplace, but in the weekends to one's cellphone.
Some companies are offering International Virtual Private Numbers (or just Virtual Numbers). Thus, a company located in China can have a phone number in Los Angeles. Virtual Numbers are very popular among call centers which pretend to be located in one country, when in fact they are in another. Other popular users of international virtual numbers are immigrants, which appreciate the fact that their friends and family back home can contact them using a local call.
Some countries limit the use of Virtual Phone Numbers because they may bypass restrictions on international calls.
Some companies offering Virtual Numbers are JetNumbers.com [1] (forwarding to any phone number), and Vonage (forwards virtual numbers to a VoIP service).
The term is not to be confused with the unrelated concept of Virtual Private Numbering.
