When you think of VoIP, what comes to mind? For many people, the only thing that they can associate with this acronym is video-based conferencing. But VOIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it has been around for quite some time. In fact, in the early days of the internet, many callers used a software program called Skype to make their calls and this used VOIP. VOIP phone systems were much more popular before smartphones and tablets took over as a primary means of communication but there are still plenty of benefits to be had when using them in your business environment today!
What is VOIP?
In the simplest terms, VOIP is a phone system that uses an internet connection for voice calls rather than a traditional landline. It is an alternative to traditional telephone technology Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) both of which are to be decommissioned soon.
VoIP phone systems provide voice calls at a much lower cost because they require less infrastructure. What’s more, it offers many useful features at a discounted price thus making it a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses, as otherwise, these functionalities would have been out of their budget’s reach when using traditional telephone systems.
What are the benefits of VOIP phone systems?
VOIP phone systems generally offer an improved level of service to business clients. This is due primarily to the decreased cost and increased flexibility offered by a platform that does not require traditional hardware infrastructures, such as wires or landlines. VoIP providers often offer flexible pricing plans with allocated minutes for each month, making it easier for companies large and small to budget their communications accordingly.
Reduce operating costs
The most common benefit cited in VOIP reviews is its lower price point when compared against similar services on traditional telephone systems. When potential customers first consider purchasing new telephone services, they may be considering costs over time rather than just up-front transaction fees – so if you’re looking for long-term savings on your telecommunications needs, then this could represent a major advantage because you can make a significant cost saving over time.
Installation
Another advantage of VoIP is that it’s easier to adapt than a traditional phone system because equipment for VoIP providers is usually plug-and-play, meaning they require little setup and installation work.
Security
VOIP services also offer a higher level of security thanks to its transmission being encrypted across networks – this means your conversations will be safe from eavesdroppers when you’re talking business on your mobile or office phone using VOIP service as opposed to traditional systems.
Flexibility
With VOIP services, you can be mobile, with offices in any location, and can scale or downsize your operation easily. Changing the way calls are taken or directed is much easier allowing users the flexibility to adapt to suit their business needs.
Functionality
VOIP offers business-grade telephone functionality at a fraction of the price, these features include:
- Call ID – inbound caller ID display in addition to showing or hiding your caller ID on outbound calls.
- 3 way calling – you can organise and run a phone conference
- Call director – save staff from having to redirect calls to the relevant departments by letting the caller specify who they’d like to speak to i.e. For accounts, press 1.
- Call forwarding – forward all inbound calls to any other VOIP phone, landline, or even mobile phone.
- Call recording – recording calls so you can use them for staff training or for keeping records which can be useful when handling a dispute.
- Call transfer – Transfer to a colleague.
- Call waiting
- Call whisper – if you have multiple numbers i.e. different geographic codes, you will hear a recording when answering the call telling you which number the inbound call has come on.
- Music on hold – when looking into accounts or asking a manager as businesses we can place a client on hold, rather than have the client sat in silence you can some quality music playing whilst the customer waits.
- Time of day routing – you can configure this to have special out-of-office directing or to go to answer phone.
Is VOIP the future of phone calls?
We believe the answer is yes! VOIP solutions offer much more functionality whilst being very competitively priced and easily scalable to suit the business needs so it’s the preferred choice for small and large businesses alike. Putting aside what we discussed, traditional telephone systems will no longer be available after 2025 as BT has announced that it will be discontinuing all analogue lines and migrating all its customers to VOIP by 2025. So the future of phone calls will be VOIP!
We advise you to start planning your move immediately and we can help with this transition. For free advice and a competitive quote on your VOIP needs please email us at customerservice@bell-uk.co.uk or give us a call on 0330 311 2853
