Voice Over IP for Your Business – Is It Worth It?
Many companies across the world are making the switch from their old analogue phone systems to new VoIP solutions. If your business hasn't made the jump yet, you probably have a few questions: How exactly does VoIP work? What are the benefits of VoIP? How much does it cost? Aren't there a lot of drawbacks?
We'd like to walk you through VoIP, and the impact it can have on your business.
What is VoIP?
VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol", and it means that a phone solution uses the Internet to make phone calls, rather than a traditional phone line.
VoIP works exactly like an analogue phone - you can even use your existing phone with it (though there are also more advanced phones that take advantage of the host of features that VoIP offers).
What makes VoIP better than using a traditional phone?
There are a number of reasons why VoIP is preferable to traditional phone networks.
- Save between 30% to 75% in phone costs: With traditional analogue phones, your business needs a full phone AND Internet network. When you're using VoIP, you only need the Internet - already a big savings, as you're cutting out your phone carrier's expensive infrastructure.
- VoIP offers great features that traditional solutions can't compete with:
- VoIP offers voicemail-to-email and fax-to-email delivery, along with voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding and much more.
- With a traditional phone solution, only two people could speak to each other at a time. As VoIP conversations are carried in small packets across the Internet, there's no limit on how many people can be on a call, which makes conferences quick and easy!
- Don't have a phone available? You can make calls from your laptop using your usual number.
- Business location is no longer a concern: Traditionally, businesses would have to have a phone number that correspond to where they're located. With VoIP, there's no restrictions on what number you have - you can have a company based in Boston, but advertise a Washington area code if it makes more business sense.
But aren't there quality issues with VoIP? Isn't the sound quality not as good as normal analogue phones?
While in the early days of VoIP there were some sound quality issues, the technology (like everything else Internet-related!) has come a long way in the last few years. Modern VoIP solutions are indistinguishable from analogue in terms of sound quality, and offer many features that analogue solutions do not.
Could you give me some examples of VoIP hardware companies?
There are a number of business phone systems solutions out there, and if you're looking to convert your business, we'd recommend working with a VoIP advisor to help you discover the best solution for your business, and implement it accordingly. In terms of the industry leaders, companies like Shoretel, Allworx and Cisco are all offering very strong VoIP solutions.
Spirinet recently announced their new partnership with Shoretel . They are now authorized to service and sell Shoretel VoIP solutions. For more information, you can read our recent press release here.
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