By Karen Axelton

photo asianDoes your company do business with a supplier in China? Calling them could get a lot easier if they sign up for a new service offered by RingCentral and Alibaba.com.

The new cloud-based business phone system enables simpler communication for global businesses. With the service, Alibaba.com suppliers based in China can instantly set up U.S. toll-free phone and fax numbers online and connect them with their offices in China.

Until now, Chinese suppliers had no easy way to have a local U.S. point of contact and enable their prospects and buyers to easily connect to supplier offices in China. Suppliers can now set up custom routing and answering rules that can be used to manage the time zone difference, and provide prompt service to buyers.  The service also offers key business capabilities including the ability to receive faxes and voicemail via email.

The U.S. toll-free phone and fax numbers will automatically appear in the “Contact Us” section on the supplier’s profile page, making it easier for buyers to reach them.

I know several entrepreneurs who would love it if their Chinese suppliers started using this service. If you do business with suppliers in China, urge them to look into it! Find out more about the service at RingCentral’s site.