Press Release: First Orion and Neustar Partner to Speed Adoption of Branded Calling and STIR/SHAKEN Call Authentication

Collaboration provides enterprises with a unified solution to get calls answered―and protect consumers from fraud

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. and RESTON, Va. — January 25, 2022 — First Orion, a leading provider of communication protection and branded communication solutions for carriers and enterprises, and Neustar Inc., a TransUnion company, today announced the expansion of their partnership to focus on speeding adoption of branded calling and STIR/SHAKEN call authentication for enterprises through one consolidated platform.

Branded calls enable businesses to create customized mobile displays for outbound dialing that deliver call context to consumers’ devices – including full name, business logo, the reason for calling, custom background and other media-rich branding elements. Additionally, branded call experiences are secured with STIR/SHAKEN call authentication providing additional confidence and trust. Branded calling delivers a superior customer experience and can increase call answer rates by nearly 200%, improve customer engagement, and drive revenue back to the business.

“Neustar has a legacy of protecting customers by ensuring trusted connections online and over the phone. 2021 saw broad adoption of call authentication with Neustar providing STIR/SHAKEN solutions to over 100 carriers authenticating over 30 billion domestic and international calls each month, and growing,” said Charles Gottdiener, President and CEO of Neustar. “Not only does call authentication address immediate issues like call spoofing, it enables cutting edge capabilities like branded calling that improve customer engagement and go beyond consumer’s basic need for trust.”

“At First Orion, our mission is simple – we connect businesses to customers while providing confidence in phone communication. We believe delivering the most superior branded calling experience lies in the ability to bring complete access and protection to all devices directly to businesses through one channel, a vision that we share with Neustar,” said Charles Morgan, CEO of First Orion. “Enterprises spend millions to ensure all of their communications with their customers have branding but have not been able to brand one of the most important methods of communication, the phone call. Now they can. First Orion and Neustar deliver nearly 100 million branded calls each month. We expect 2022 to bring exponential adoption, bringing this incredible technology to more businesses and consumers.”

Businesses engaged with First Orion and Neustar include top financial institutions, healthcare and insurance organizations, retailers, and government agencies. Through this partnership, enterprise customers can improve call answer rates, enhance the customer experience, reverse revenue loss – and set the stage for the next generation of calling features.

For more information, visit firstorion.com and home.neustar/stir-shaken-resource-hub.

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About First Orion

First Orion provides true digital call experiences for the world’s leading mobile carriers, enterprises, and mobile apps developers. The company’s Branded Communication Solutions – INFORM® and ENGAGE® – allow businesses to brand their outbound calls while empowering consumers to connect over a trusted, verified call. First Orion’s Communication Protection Suite offers scam, fraud, and spoof protection solutions to hundreds of millions of consumers. Processing more than 100 billion calls annually, First Orion powers digital call experiences for T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile, and Boost Mobile networks along with Fortune 500 brands, PrivacyStar®, and other mobile apps. For more information about the ISO certified company, visit www.firstorion.com.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing an actionable picture of each person so they can be reliably represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good®. A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences, and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people. https://www.transunion.com

About Neustar

Neustar, Inc., a TransUnion company, is a leader in identity resolution providing the data and technology that enable trusted connections between companies and people at the moments that matter most. Neustar offers industry-leading solutions in marketing, risk and communications that responsibly connect data on people, devices and locations, continuously corroborated through billions of transactions. Learn how your company can benefit from the power of trusted connections. home.neustar

Media/PR Contact:

Uproar PR for First Orion

Rachel Gunia

rgunia@uproarpr.com

 Finn Partners for Neustar

Rob Bitter

Neustar@finnpartners.com

(914) 471-5615