International number call forwarding is advantageous to businesses for several reasons. When doing business globally, companies with call-forwarding capabilities don't have to worry about time zone differences that could lead to a call landing on the voicemail of a closed office. Instead, the call can be routed to an office or call center that is still open. Also, call forwarding allows incoming calls to be directly routed to mobile agents in the field. Perhaps most importantly, it lets calls bypass local telephony networks which — depending on the country — can be dilapidated, unreliable or under the control of corrupt or inept state-run agencies.
With a single international number linked to a call-forwarding service, businesses can maintain just one phone number. This negates the need to maintain multiple local numbers that vary across different regions. This is especially important with vanity numbers that are part of the company's branding, such as 1-800-FLOWERS. Not only does the business not absorb the extra expenditure of maintaining separate lines, but it requires customers to recall only one phone number.