What is a Virtual Phone Number?

We hear this question a lot. What exactly is a virtual phone number, and how are they used? To understand why they're called virtual phone numbers, you must understand the history of regular phone numbers (often called DIDs).

A little background about phone numbers.  Let’s go back a few decades.  In the past, phone numbers were physically assigned to a piece of communications hardware such as an office PBX, voicemail system, or conferencing system.  This required that the local phone company deliver physical phone lines to the office location of the intended equipment. Inbound calls to these numbers were only answered by that hardware at that location.