VoIP is acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It’s also called IP telephone but commonly known as telephone services that operate through the computer. In addition to traditional voice services, VoIP solutions aimed at businesses have evolved into unified communications.
Businesses use VoIP because VoIP providers offer lower rates compared with traditional phone companies.
How VoIP Works
VoIP phone services turns your voice into digital signals that travel through the internet. When calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone.
VoIP allows you to make calls directly from a VoIP phone, a traditional phone with a special adapter and on the computer.
Why Get VoIP?
VoIP allows for both data and voice communications to run on a single network. This reduces infrastructure costs immensely. Many business choose VoIP options because you avoid paying for a broadband connection and a telephone line.
1) Lower Costs
Generally, VoIP costs less than similar services from a traditional phone service. Phone services, as a result of monopolies or government, have higher service costs.
There are many additional costs when using a traditional landline. Placing calls over a regular phone line means two callers will use it up.
Since there are a limited number of lines that can be installed, landline calls are more expensive. However, using the internet as a call system avoids this issue, making long distance and domestic calls cheaper in the long run.
Read our e-book on how VoIP can drive revenue for more details.
2) Mobility
VoIP is a very good option for those who wish to run their business remotely or whose business requires them to be on the move often.
On a traditional phone line, you’re tied to a physical location. Furthermore, migrating phone systems to another office or a home requires contacting phone companies to transfer services and phone numbers to those locations.
3) Improved Communications
With VoIP, you can choose how your phone rings and where. For example, you might decide that the first few rings will be forwarded to your office.
If it rings past more than that, you can choose to send the call to a personal mobile device or computer, should no one in the office be available. In other words, urgent calls don’t have to be missed.
Moreover, documents that need forwarding do not have to wait either. Businesses can e-fax documents rather than waiting an indefinite amount of time to get it through traditional fax.
4) Functionality
In the age of connectivity and mobilization, business happens everywhere. That mean that travel is a necessity. If you are not available at the office, you might be missing on valuable opportunities for your business.
With a VoIP service, incoming calls are rerouted to your phone wherever you have it plugged to the network. This can be done on a cellphone as long as it’s connected to the internet. So you can always answer business calls whether on a business trip or in an emergency.
When switching to VoIP, long distance calls and international calls are also free.
5) Versatility
Adopting VoIP phone systems allows for multitasking and increased productivity.
If you miss any calls you can read a transcript of the voicemail that are sent to your email directly.
This is just one example of the many useful features available on VoIP phone systems.
6) Flexibility
What were to happen if the office became inaccessible? In the case of a natural disaster, pandemic or electrical outage, a traditional phone service leaves your operation vulnerable.
VoIP phone services are a shift away from traditional telephoning and with that shift comes innovation. You can choose where you receive a call and how, giving you more control over your client interaction.
If your internet is down, you don’t have to worry about your ability to make calls. VoIP offers flexible features like call forwarding, which gives you the opportunity to answer on your mobile device.
If there’s an outage your business doesn’t have to stop. These types of features are invaluable for any business and deserves looking into.
VoIP can be integrated into your business continuity plan. This ensures your business continues to function regardless of the circumstances.
What Equipment is Needed?
High speed, broadband, internet connection is needed for VoIP. It can be through high speed services like DSL or a local network, or a cable modem.
Some VoIP services work exclusively with computers, while others allow for traditional phones connected to a special adapter. On a computer, you’ll need a microphone and some software.
A headset works fine for this purpose. The VoIP phones connect directly to the internet. A phone with a VoIP adapter works like any other phone.
If you’d like to learn more about our VoIP Phone System Solutions, click here.
