In-Network Recording: How 1GLOBAL revolutionizes carrier-level compliance

For any highly regulated business sector, most notably financial and legal services, recording communications has been mandatory for years.

Essential for operational integrity and risk management, regulations like MiFID II and Dodd-Frank demand comprehensive recording of interactions that even could even possibly lead to a transaction or client instruction, with harsh penalties for non-compliance. This makes the choice of recording technology more than just an IT department to-do, but a critical top-level business decision.  

Two main approaches exist: in-network recording, which captures communications at the carrier or SIM level, and app-based recording, which relies on software installed on user devices.

In-network solutions, particularly eSIM-based types, operate independently of the user's device, cannot be easily bypassed (intentionally or otherwise) and offer several distinct advantages over app-based options.

This article will highlight why in-network recording, particularly that developed by 1GLOBAL, is a more robust and reliable choice for regulated entities, especially when combined with local market telephone numbers to help boost customer engagement without sacrificing compliance.

Rise of the apps

For a long time, in terms of telco technology, app-based recording was the preferred solution. This happened not so much because it offered great advantages, but simply because it was familiar and was implemented piecemeal over the early 2000s and then further entrenched by workplace adaptations deemed necessary with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.  

Using the UK regulatory environment as an example, the requirement for mobile call recording has only been enforced since 2011, following a decision by the FCA that ended the exemption for mobile devices from its telephone taping regulations.

The tech for mobile recording was still rudimentary, with only a small number of FCA-compliant vendors operating in the market. Prohibitive costs – compounded by technical deficiencies like significant call delays, dropped connections, and severe battery drain – made ‘on top’ solutions unattractive. Many companies chose to simply outright ban using mobile phones for official business, also known as ‘policy-based compliance’.

Predictably, taking digital devices out of the hands of employees was a short-lived strategy, and almost no business would attempt it today.

App-based recording reached its peak when COVID-19 hit at the end of 2019.  Widespread lockdowns with staff suddenly working from home sent companies scrambling to find overnight solutions for recording communications. This often meant getting off-the-peg recording apps on the simple expedience of immediate availability, which in many cases were far from ideal and caused as many problems as they fixed.

Critical vulnerability

App-based recording solutions, while easy to deploy, install software directly on to user devices, making them dependent on the device's OS and hardware. This creates several vulnerabilities critical in a compliance context:  

• User circumvention: Employees can disable, forget to activate, or uninstall recording apps, or use unmonitored communication channels. This instantly fails almost every regulation requiring complete and consistent capture.  

• Technical unreliability: App functionality can be disrupted by OS updates, which may require app updates to maintain compatibility. Exactly when Apple or Google pushes its latest OS will depend on different regions, or when the user decides to get around to the task of updating, and could conflict with third-party apps. Missed recordings are not exempted for hardware crashes.

• Security risks: Recordings stored locally on devices are vulnerable if the device is lost, stolen, or compromised. App-based systems or their cloud storage can also have security flaws, as seen recently when a ‘call recorder’ app caused embarrassment for the US government. They may also fail to capture complete metadata crucial for audits.    

These issues have progressively made a technology that was an understandable stop-gap measure into an increasingly risky strategy for firms under strict mandates like MiFID II or Dodd-Frank. Even after the workforce returned to the office, the rise of ‘Bring Your Own Device’ (BYOD) policies continued to further complicate enforcement as organizations found themselves with less and less control over device environments.  

Uncompromising compliance

In-network recording captures communications directly within the network infrastructure at the carrier or SIM level, before they reach the user's device. This ‘carrier grade’ approach ensures high availability, performance, and security.  

Key advantages of in-network solutions for compliance include:

Certain capture
All designated communications are automatically recorded without user intervention. ‘Zero Touch’ architecture that depends to the least possible amount on the user is invariably the most reliable.  

Tamper-proof
Recordings are secured within the network or streamed directly to a dedicated secure facility, inaccessible for user tampering. This is vital for data integrity under MiFID II and Dodd-Frank's Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage rules.  

Superior reliability
Carrier-side infrastructure is less susceptible to device-specific issues or OS updates that affect apps, as data is encrypted, securely stored and monitored by IT professionals. 

Central oversight
These systems allow unified capture of voice, SMS, and even messaging app data, facilitating centralized policy management and auditing.  This shifts the recording burden from end-user to a professional service, providing far greater organizational control and reducing risks of non-compliance.

Leading the in-network revolution

Today, in-network compliance solutions are recognized as the most reliable and most cost effective, and no other partner does it better than 1GLOBAL.

Typical of nearly all tech solutions that deliver both reliability and zero-touch simplicity of use, the actual development and implementation of that architecture is anything but easy.   

In order to implement its leading compliance solution, 1GLOBAL expanded to become a fully registered MVNO in ten different countries, most recently Brazil (joining UK, US, Germany, Spain, Poland, France, Australia, Hong Kong and the Netherlands). Setting up this level of network integration is far more complex than just paperwork or registering domains; in Brazil 1GLOBAL opened an office, obtained full governmental legal and regulatory approval to operate, passed all licensing requirements, and negotiated carrier partnerships for local spectrum.

This means that today, 1GLOBAL can offer the full network compliance features of SIM and eSIM cards with ‘real’ telephone numbers, rather than just virtual numbers generated by apps.   

Businesses using 1GLOBAL’s compliance solution can keep all of their assets on the existing number and simply let the in-network compliance recording architecture take care of everything else every time a call is made or an SMS sent.

No additional on-top apps. No circumvention. No room for mistakes. Just a really clear and clean mobile compliance.

As an added competitive bonus, businesses using 1GLOBAL in-network solutions enjoy genuine local phone numbers to project a regional presence to their clients and consumers.   

Next steps

For organizations facing stringent regulatory demands, in-network recording offers a fundamentally more secure and reliable solution than app-based alternatives.

Its architectural strengths of immutable capture, tamper-proof design, and centralized management directly address the requirements of modern compliance regimes.  

When combined with the strategic use of local telephone numbers, 1GLOBAL’s in-network recording not only ensures compliance but also enhances customer trust and market reach. This transforms compliance from a pure obligation into an enabler of business growth.

Commercial leverage of apps for communication and productivity is obviously far from redundant, or even without significant advantages in certain situations. 1GLOBAL’s own innovative Message+ solution helps financial organizations ensure that all communication threads on WhatsApp and Microsoft Teams are securely captured to help support adherence to regulatory compliance.  

 However, as regulations continue to evolve and expand, securing a robust in-network recording framework is a strategic essential for long-term operational resilience and business success.  

Get in touch with us today to find just how quick and easy it is to move your entire organization to 1GLOBAL in-network compliance recording.