Virtual Assistant 

Node Noise Sensitivity

Virtual Assistants can sometimes struggle to capture short responses like "Yes" or "No," resulting in blank or incomplete transcriptions. With our new node-level noise sensitivity control, you can fine-tune sensitivity at specific points in your conversation flow to ensure every word is heard clearly.

Key capabilities

• Precision for short prompts: Designed to eliminate blank transcriptions for simple confirmations and one-word answers

• Node-specific tuning: Adjust sensitivity for individual Listen and Collect Input nodes, without affecting the rest of your agent configuration

• Universal AI engine support: Fully compatible across all AI engines, including Traditional NLU, Hybrid NLU, and Agentic NLU

• Global availability: Available for all existing and new voice agents

For administrators: Configuration & setup

The new sensitivity control is designed to be flexible and low-touch, allowing you to implement it only where needed:

• Optional overrides: Each Listen and Collect Input node now features an optional "Noise Sensitivity" configuration field.

• Smart defaults: If you leave the node-level field blank, your Virtual Assistant will automatically continue to use your existing agent-level sensitivity settings.

• Override logic: When you provide a value at the node level, it overrides the agent-level setting for that specific interaction step.

• Guided implementation: You can selectively update high-impact nodes (like those asking for "Yes/No" confirmations) to immediately improve capture rates.

Silence Overlay

Silence Overlay is a new feature designed to improve the caller experience during moments of latency. It automatically fills "dead air" with background audio, reassuring callers that your Virtual Assistant is actively processing their request.

Key capabilities

• Automatic activation: The overlay track starts automatically during prolonged periods of silence caused by backend processing, and stops instantly once the VA responds.

• Natural "thinking" sound: The system uses a pre-set audio track of office sounds (typing and mouse clicks) to intuitively signal that work is happening in the background.

• Universal engine support: It’s fully compatible with all Vonage VA engines, including Traditional NLU, Hybrid NLU, and Agentic NLU.

• Channel specific: The feature is optimized specifically for the Telephony channel, where silence is most disruptive.

For administrators: Configuration & setup

We’ve added a simple, one-click configuration to your existing workflow:

• Simple toggle: Enable this feature using the new "Silence Overlay" toggle located within the Start Node of your Telephony agents.

• Standardized audio: The audio track is managed by the system to ensure consistent quality and performance; no file upload is required.

• Recording compatibility: If you have call recording enabled on the Start Node, the Silence Overlay audio will be captured in the recording, providing a complete and accurate artifact of the customer experience.

Audit Log

Audit Logs is a powerful new reporting tool that provides full traceability of every change made to your AI Studio agents. This feature empowers you to track modifications, maintain compliance, and manage version control with confidence.

Key capabilities

• Comprehensive activity tracking: Automatically log every significant action, including agent edits, version publications, and deletions.

• Granular details: View precise information for each event, such as the Agent Name, Agent ID, timestamp, and the specific user who initiated the change.

• Deep dive analysis: Click on any individual log entry to open detailed information about that specific event for closer inspection.

• Flexible export options: Download your audit history as a CSV file to perform offline analysis, archive records, or support internal regulatory audits.

For administrators: Usage & governance

The Audit Logs report is designed to support your security and operational needs directly within the Studio interface:

• Access: The tool is located under the Reports tab – generate an Audit Log just like any other report by selecting it from the report type dropdown

• Troubleshooting: Quickly identify the source of unexpected behaviors by pinpointing recent changes and the user responsible.

• Compliance: Use the export feature to maintain a permanent record of system changes, satisfying strict internal governance or external regulatory requirements.

Vonage Business Communications

Important Updates

Provision of Auto Activity Creation with Transcript in VBC

Available for: VBC Users with CRM Integration | Administrators and Agents

VBC users can now automatically share call transcription summaries and detailed transcripts to any linked CRM when auto activities are created. We’ve added two new configuration options, allowing you to append either a brief call summary or detailed transcripts (or both) to CRM activities.

How to configure

1. Navigate to Auto Activity Settings for your CRM integration in VGIS.

2. Select which CRM object types will receive transcript data (e.g., Task, Case, Lead, Opportunity).

3. Enable "Transcript Summary" or "Transcript Details" (or both) based on your business needs.

4. Select the specific CRM field that will receive the transcript data.

5. Save your configuration – transcript data will be automatically appended to auto activities once call transcriptions become available.

User Settings & Security Enhancements

Available for: All VBC Users | Administrators and End Users

We have redesigned the User Settings experience across the Admin Portal, Desktop, and Mobile apps to make account management clearer, more consistent, and easier to use.

New Security page

A dedicated Security page is now available for all users, bringing account access and recovery settings into one central location.

What’s changed

• Password and SSO enablement status have moved from Basic Info to the new Security page.

• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) settings have moved from Settings & Permissions to Security.

• The page layout is streamlined for clarity, with SSO settings displayed first.

• Clicking a user avatar now redirects directly to the updated User Settings experience.

Partner & Enterprise account enhancements

The Account Security page is now available for Partner and Enterprise accounts, creating a consistent experience across all account types.

New capabilities

• Vonage Superusers, Partner Superusers, and Enterprise Superusers can now enforce 2FA policies for their accounts.

• Partner users will see a new Security section within their user settings.

• Account Superusers can now reset SMS Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) phone numbers for their users.

Streamlined MFA recovery

• Account Superusers can now reset SMS MFA phone numbers for their users.

These updates strengthen account security while simplifying how users and administrators manage access – supporting a safer, more intuitive experience across the platform.

Emergency Call Notification Enhancements

Available for: All VBC Users | Administrators

Emergency call notifications are now easier to manage, with more media options and location granularity to best meet your business needs.

New capabilities

• Notifications by email and SMS are now configurable by admins in the User Portal.

• Notification contacts can be set at the Emergency Location Level.

Account Management Enhancements

Available for: All VBC Users | Administrators

Managing large-scale deployments just got significantly easier. We've introduced three powerful enhancements that reduce administrative overhead and improve the customer experience for high-volume contact centers.

Key capabilities

• Bulk phone number assignment (10x increase): Assign up to 5,000 phone numbers in a single operation, up from the previous limit of 500. This dramatically accelerates large-scale deployments, migrations, and reorganizations, reducing what used to take significant repetitive work into a single streamlined task.

• Dynamic call monitoring via account Groups: Set extensions to automatically monitor all members of a specific group (for example, "Sales Team" or "Customer Support"). When you add or remove team members from the group, call monitoring assignments update automatically – no manual reconfiguration required. This ensures consistent quality assurance coverage without administrative overhead.

• Smart call queue timeouts: Define exactly how long customers should wait in a queue before being automatically routed to an alternative destination. Instead of leaving callers stranded until they hang up in frustration, you can now route them to voicemail, another queue, or an overflow team after your specified timeout period.

For Administrators: Configuration

• Bulk phone number assignment: Navigate to the Admin Portal → Phone Numbers → Bulk Assignment. You can now select and assign up to 5,000 numbers simultaneously to available extensions.

• Auto-updating call monitoring: Go to Call Monitoring Configuration and select "Monitor by Group" instead of individual extensions. Choose your target group (for example, "Sales Team"), and monitoring assignments will automatically sync as group membership changes.

• Call queue timeout forwarding: Open Call Queue Settings, enable "Timeout Forwarding," set your maximum wait time (in minutes/seconds), and select your overflow destination. Customers who exceed the wait time will automatically route to your chosen backup option, ensuring no caller is left waiting indefinitely.

VBC Lite for Microsoft Teams

Available for: All VBC Users with Microsoft Teams Desktop | No Additional Licensing Required

Make and manage VBC calls directly within Microsoft Teams – without purchasing additional Teams Phone licenses. VBC Lite brings essential voice capabilities into the Teams workspace your employees already use every day, streamlining communication and eliminating the need to switch between applications.

Key capabilities

• Voice call control within Teams: Originate, answer, and end VBC calls without leaving the Teams application. Your team can communicate seamlessly while staying in the environment where they manage chats, meetings, and collaboration.

• Essential call management features: Put calls on hold, and mute/unmute as needed – all using familiar Teams interface patterns. In-call DTMF (touch-tone) support ensures compatibility with IVR systems and conference bridges.

• No Microsoft licensing required: Unlike Teams Phone System, VBC Lite requires no additional Microsoft licenses. If your users already have VBC access and Microsoft Teams, they can use VBC Lite at no extra cost.

• Seamless integration with existing workflows: Access all VBC calling features from within the Teams desktop application, reducing context switching and improving productivity for teams who rely on Teams as their primary workspace.

Important requirements

• VBC Desktop dependency: VBC Lite works by connecting to the VBC Desktop application running in the background. Users must have VBC Desktop installed and be logged in for VBC Lite to function. Think of VBC Lite as a Teams-based interface to your existing VBC Desktop session.

• Desktop-only availability: VBC Lite currently works with Microsoft Teams Desktop only. Functionality is not available through the Microsoft Teams web browser interface.

For administrators: Setup & deployment

1. Ensure VBC Desktop is deployed
   Verify that your users have the VBC Desktop application installed and configured on their workstations. VBC Lite will not function without this prerequisite.

2. Add Vonage Apps to Teams
   Administrators can deploy the Vonage Apps application from the Microsoft Teams App Source to users' Teams desktop instances. Users can also self-install by searching for "Vonage Apps" in the Teams App Store.

3. User login
   Instruct users to log in to both VBC Desktop and Microsoft Teams. Once authenticated, VBC Lite calling features will appear within the Teams interface.

4. Training & rollout
   Educate your team that they must keep VBC Desktop running in the background for VBC Lite to work. Consider creating a quick reference guide highlighting the voice controls now available within Teams.

Bulk Download "AI Transcription for Company Call Recording" from the Admin Portal

Available for: VBC Administrators | Company Call Recording (CREC)

Administrators can now export hundreds of call recordings, AI-generated transcriptions, and call metadata simultaneously from the Company Call Recording dashboard – all bundled into a single organized ZIP file. This eliminates individual file-by-file downloading, reduces data-gathering time dramatically, and delivers pre-linked audio, transcript, and metadata packages ready for compliance audits, analytics platforms, CRM imports, or AI processing.

Key capabilities

• High-volume bulk selection: Use the existing CREC dashboard filters to select dozens or hundreds of recordings simultaneously for export. Filter by date range, agent, queue, customer, call outcome, duration, or any available CREC dimension, then select all matching records with a single action rather than manually selecting files one at a time.

• Multi-modal bundled export: Each export package combines three synchronized file types for every selected call:

  • Audio recording (MP3): Complete call audio for playback, quality review, or AI processing

  • AI transcription (JSON): Machine-readable transcript in developer-friendly format for CRM import, sentiment analysis, LLM processing, or custom analytics

  • Call metadata (CSV): Structured data mapping call IDs to participants, timestamps, queue tags, durations, and other interaction attributes

• These three files remain linked within the ZIP structure, eliminating manual correlation between recordings, transcripts, and metadata.

• Unified ZIP packaging: All selected recordings, transcriptions, and metadata export as a single compressed ZIP file, delivered to the administrator's local environment through a single download action:

  • Eliminates multiple browser download pop-ups and simultaneous file downloads

  • Organizes exported files in a structured directory (all files for each call grouped together)

  • Enables reliable large-volume downloads without browser performance issues

  • Provides a clean, archive-ready package for compliance storage or analytics platforms

• Background processing: Large export jobs run as background processes, allowing administrators to continue working while the system compiles recordings, transcriptions, and metadata.

• Metadata synchronization: Every export includes a comprehensive metadata file mapping all exported calls to their participants, timestamps, queue tags, and other contextual attributes. This pre-linked structure means exported data is immediately ready for database import, compliance filing, or analytics processing without additional correlation work.

• Direct-to-local storage delivery: Exports download directly to the administrator's local environment, enabling immediate offline analysis or secure transfer to private cloud storage, compliance archives, or analytics platforms.

For administrators: Performing bulk exports

1. Access CREC Dashboard – Navigate to Company Call Recording (CREC) in the VBC Admin Portal.

2. Filter to target recordings – Apply dashboard filters to identify the specific recordings for export. Available filters include:

   1. Date and time range

   2. Agent or agent group

   3. Queue or department

3. Select recordings for export – Use bulk selection controls to select all filtered recordings simultaneously.

4. Configure export option

5. Initiate export – Click Export to begin background processing. The system compiles recordings, transcriptions, and metadata into a structured ZIP file.

6. Download completed export – When processing is completed, download the ZIP file to your local environment.

For administrators: Security and compliance considerations

Sensitive data handling: Call recordings and transcriptions contain sensitive customer information. Administrators performing bulk exports should:

• Transfer exported files to secure storage immediately after download

• Ensure local machines meet organizational security requirements for handling customer data

• Follow data retention and destruction policies for exported files

• Consider encryption requirements for exported archives.

Custom Tag on Call Queue Reports

Available for: VBC Admins, Reporting Admins, and Supervisors | Call Queue Reports

Administrators and supervisors can now apply custom business context labels to calls in Call Queue Reports, enabling segmented analysis by categories that matter to your organization, such as "VIP Customer," "High Priority," "Product Inquiry," "Escalated Issue," or any label reflecting your specific business needs. Filter, group, and export reports by these tags to instantly surface trends, compare segment performance, and make resource decisions based on meaningful business categories rather than raw call data.

Key capabilities

• Tag creation and management: Create and maintain a library of custom tags reflecting your organization's business taxonomy:

  • Define tag names reflecting business categories ("VIP Customer," "Enterprise Account," "Product X Issue," "Compliance Required").

  • Organize tags into logical groupings; activate or deactivate tags as business needs evolve.

• Manual tag application: Apply tags to individual calls post-interaction directly within Call Queue Reports:

  • Administrators and supervisors select calls from the report and apply relevant tags.

  • Multiple tags can be applied to a single call (a call can be both "VIP Customer" and "Escalated Issue" simultaneously).

• Automated tag application rules: Reduce manual tagging effort by configuring rules that automatically apply tags based on call attributes:

  • Caller ID-based automation – Automatically tag calls from specific phone numbers or number ranges. For example, tag all calls from known enterprise account numbers as "Enterprise Account" or tag calls from VIP customer lists as "VIP Customer."

  • Queue-based automation – Automatically tag calls routed through specific queues. For example, all calls through the "Premium Support" queue receive a "Premium Support" tag, or all calls routed to the compliance queue receive a "Compliance Required" tag.

• Tag-based filtering and grouping in reports: Slice Call Queue Report data by tags to analyze specific business segments:

  • Filter by tag – Show only calls with specific tags (display only "VIP Customer" calls, or only "Escalated Issue" calls), removing irrelevant records from analysis.

  • Group by tag – Compare performance across tag categories (side-by-side metrics for "Product Inquiry" vs. "Technical Issue" vs. "Billing Question" calls).

  • Multi-tag filtering – Combine tags for precise analysis (show calls that are both "VIP Customer" AND "Escalated Issue" to understand your most at-risk high-value customers).

• Tag-based report export: Include tag data in exported reports for offline analysis, CRM import, or external business intelligence tools:

  • Tags appear as columns in CSV exports, enabling pivot table analysis in Excel or import into BI platforms.

  • Filter exports to specific tags, reducing file size for targeted analysis.

• Tag analytics dashboards: Visualize tag-based trends and patterns through dedicated analytics:

  • Track volume trends by tag category over time (is "Escalated Issue" volume increasing or decreasing?).

  • Compare handle time, resolution rates, and other KPIs across tag categories.

  • Monitor tag distribution to understand call mix by business category.

Call Queues to VBC Contacts

Available for: VBC Users | Desktop, Web, and Mobile (Android and iOS)

Call queues now appear directly in VBC Company Contacts, allowing any VBC user to call or transfer calls to contact center queues with a single click, on any device. Receptionists forwarding callers to the right department, salespeople routing billing questions to support, and remote workers transferring calls from mobile devices can now reach any queue through the same familiar contacts interface they already use to call colleagues.

Key capabilities

• Call queues in Company Contacts directory: All configured call queues appear as named entries in VBC Company Contacts alongside individual colleagues and departments. Users find queues by name ("Technical Support," "Billing," "Sales") rather than by extension number – the same way they find any contact. 

• Single-click queue calling: Call any queue directly from Company Contacts with one click, exactly as you would call a colleague. Use this when you need to reach a queue to check availability, test hold messaging, or connect directly for internal purposes.

• Single-click call forwarding to queues: When handling an active call that needs to be routed to a specific department or queue, transfer directly from Company Contacts with a single click. There’s no need to memorize extension numbers, no manual transfer menus, and no risk of mistyping digits during a live call.

• Consistent cross-platform experience: Queue forwarding works identically across all VBC platforms, ensuring consistent capability regardless of how employees are working:

  • Desktop app: Same interface as web and mobile

  • Web browser: Full queue access through browser-based VBC

  • Mobile (Android and iOS): Complete forwarding capabilities on smartphones and tablets, enabling remote workers and field staff to route calls to queues from anywhere

• Caller experience preservation: When customers are forwarded to a queue through Company Contacts, they enter the proper managed queue experience, including hold music or informational prompts while waiting, appropriate agent assignment when answered, and supervisor monitoring visibility. This prevents customers from experiencing silence or dropped calls during transfers.

• Queue discoverability for all employees: By appearing in Company Contacts, queues become visible to all VBC users, improving awareness of available routing options, departmental structure, and appropriate escalation paths. Employees who previously didn't know which queues existed can now browse available options and route customers more appropriately.

For users: Forwarding calls to queues

Finding queues in Company Contacts:

• Open Company Contacts in your VBC application (Desktop, Web, or Mobile). Queues appear by their configured names (e.g., "Technical Support," "Billing Department," "Sales Queue"). Search by queue name or browse the contacts list to find the appropriate queue.

Forwarding an active call to a queue:

1. While on an active call with a customer needing to be routed, open Company Contacts.

2. Search or browse to find the appropriate queue.

3. Select the queue and initiate transfer.

4. Complete the transfer – the customer enters the queue and experiences hold music or prompts while waiting for an available agent.

Best practices for queue forwarding:

• Match customers to the right queue: Use queue names to route customers to appropriate expertise – "Technical Support" for product issues, "Billing" for payment questions, "Sales" for upgrade inquiries.

• Communicate before transferring: Let customers know which queue they're being transferred to and approximately what to expect (wait time if known, that they'll hear hold music). This reduces hang-ups during transfer.

• Use warm transfer when context matters: This is appropriate for complex situations where the receiving queue or agent benefits from background information.

Live Captions for VBC Meetings

Available for: VBC Meeting Hosts and Participants | Desktop, Web, and Mobile

VBC Meetings now display real-time captions showing spoken words as text directly on screen during video calls, with less than half a second delay. Participants can independently enable or disable captions without affecting others in the meeting, helping hearing-impaired colleagues follow conversations fully, supporting participants in noisy environments, and improving comprehension for non-native speakers and technical discussions.

Key capabilities

• Real-time caption display with under 0.5 second latency: Captions appear on screen within half a second of words being spoken, nearly matching natural conversation pace. This almost-instant synchronization ensures captions reflect what's being said now – not a confusing delay showing text from several seconds ago – making them genuinely useful for following fast-paced discussions.

• Speaker identification: Captions identify who is speaking alongside the transcribed text, showing the active speaker's name before their words. This provides essential context in group meetings. Participants know immediately whether a statement came from their manager, a client, or a colleague, without needing to look away from the conversation or shared content.

• Individual participant control: Each participant can independently enable or disable captions for their own view without affecting anyone else's meeting experience. A hearing-impaired participant can keep captions enabled throughout a call, while colleagues who find them distracting can opt out – all within the same meeting session, simultaneously.

• Comprehensive audio captioning: Beyond spoken words, captions represent all audio types relevant to understanding the full meeting context: 

• Full live transcript panel: In addition to the caption overlay, participants can access a complete running transcript in the meeting side panel, displaying the full conversation history from meeting start for reference, review, or note-taking during the call.

• Privacy-first design: VBC does not store caption transcriptions during or after calls. Caption data is not shared with Vonage or third parties. Transcription processing occurs in real time for display purposes only, with no retention of meeting content. This ensures live captions don't create compliance or privacy concerns about meeting content storage.

Enabling and using live captions

• For meeting hosts: Enabling captions for your meeting room

• Meeting hosts control whether the caption functionality is available for participants in their meeting rooms.

To enable captions for your meetings:

1. Navigate to your VBC Meeting Settings and locate Closed Captions.

2. Toggle "Allow closed captions for all my meetings" to enable caption availability for your room.

3. When enabled, any participant joining your meeting room can independently activate or deactivate captions for their own view. As host, enabling this setting does not force captions on for all participants – it makes captions available for those who want them.

To enable the full transcript panel:

• Within the same settings area, enable "Full Live Transcript" to allow participants to access the complete running transcript in the meeting side panel during calls.

Caption display and quality

• Caption position: Captions appear as text overlay in the lower portion of the meeting screen, following standard broadcasting conventions for caption placement.

• Accuracy considerations: Live captioning accuracy depends on several audio factors.

Best results:

• Clear microphone connection with minimal background noise.

• Distinct, moderately paced speech.

• Standard accent and pronunciation.

• Good audio quality connection.

Reduced accuracy scenarios:

• Heavy background noise or multiple simultaneous speakers.

• Strong accents or unusual terminology.

• Poor microphone quality or connection issues.

• Very rapid speech.

Accessibility and compliance

• ADA compliance support: Live Captions help organizations meet United States ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for telecommunications accessibility in workplace communications.

• Workplace inclusion: Organizations with accessibility policies requiring equal participation for employees with disabilities can use Live Captions as part of their reasonable accommodation practices for hearing-impaired employees in video meeting contexts.

Privacy and data handling

• No transcription storage: Vonage does not store, record, or retain caption transcriptions during or after meetings. Captioning processes speech in real time for display only.

• No data sharing: Transcription content is not shared with Vonage or any third parties for training, analytics, or other purposes.

• Meeting content confidentiality: Enabling live captions does not create a stored record of meeting content – the same privacy expectations applying to audio in standard VBC meetings apply to meetings with captions enabled.

Vonage Contact Center

Important Updates

Rename of Virtual Agent applet to Voice API applet

Since the introduction of the virtual assistant applet, the Virtual Agent has become obsolete for the intended purpose of connecting to Vonage AI, and has become used to connect to Vonage Voice API for multiple custom connections. As part of this release, we are renaming the Virtual Agent applet to “Voice API” applet to better fit into its new and future function. Any Virtual Agent applet being used to connect will continue to work as before with no changes to functionality.

Vonage Contact Center Administration

10DLC Campaign Registration for VCC

Available for: VCC Administrators | US and Canada SMS Campaigns

Manage your SMS compliance directly within VCC with our new self-service 10DLC registration portal. Administrators can now create brands, register campaigns, and assign phone numbers without relying on external support – eliminating delays and reducing costs while ensuring regulatory compliance for outbound SMS in the U.S. and Canada.

Key capabilities

• Brand registration: Create and verify multiple brands directly with in the VCC portal. Each brand represents a legal entity or organization sending SMS messages, and you can manage multiple brands from a single interface.

• Campaign management: Register new campaigns and associate them with your brands. Campaign types include two-factor authentication (2FA), marketing, customer care, account notifications, and more. Each campaign type has different throughput limits and compliance requirements automatically enforced by the system.

• Number assignment: Assign SMS numbers to specific campaigns with a few clicks. Important: SMS numbers requiring 10DLC registration will be blocked from outbound use until assigned to a valid, approved campaign. This prevents accidental compliance violations.

• Real-time status visibility: View the current registration status of your brands and campaigns at a glance – Verified, Pending, Failed, or other states. 

How to access

• Navigate to Interaction Plans → Channels in the VCC Admin Portal. Select the SMS channel, then click the Brands and Campaigns (10DLC) tab. From there, you can view your existing brands or launch the setup wizard to create a new brand or campaign.

SCIM Integration

Available for: VCC Administrators | Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) Only