The Benefits of VoIP for Business Use

Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is quickly becoming the go to solution for a telephone system not only for small companies but larger ones as well. Its main characteristic is its conversion of voice audio into a digital signal and transmitting it over the internet rather than using traditional phone lines, so simply put it is a way to make phone calls over the internet. But to define VoIP as simply a means of making calls is doing it a disservice since it has so much more to offer, but to the private individual and business entities. Here is a list of the major benefits that come with using VoIP:

Increased savings

The cost of installing and running VoIP for your business phone system is significantly lower than doing so with conventional means. VoIP is cheaper to use for both local and international calls, and comes with a host of additional features as standard; features that you would have to pay extra for in a traditional PSTN network. Calls within the system are usually free and the system uses a single wiring network for voice and data, doing away with the reliance on the traditional telephone infrastructure and its corresponding cost.

Flexibility

The system is very flexible when it comes to location. Changes and expansion within the office building is easily done without the need to install new lines and the system can be synched with mobile devices, such as smart phones and laptops, allowing employees to stay connected at the same phone number even when on the road. The system also comes with a forwarding feature that forwards voicemails to their respective email addresses to be followed up on at their earliest convenience. Since the system does not depend on location you can also adapt it to whatever your company needs such as having a California area code even if you are based in Florida, or pay US based rates for an office located offshore.

Functionality

As mentioned before IP telephony comes with a number of features designed to streamline the communication process. Features such as the ability to hold video cons, a private messaging service and a file sharing feature all allow you to handle things from different locations. It literally gives you the ability to be at two places at once. Other features include Caller ID, and call forwarding, transfer, blocking and waiting, enabled by an easy to use interface allowing the user to do multiple things at a time.

Easy Maintenance and administration

The system is usually managed via a centralized browser based administration system. This means that maintenance, and problem resolution can be done remotely if needed. This eases the burden on your IT team, and removes the need for multiple tams for multiple locations or to wait for a technician to arrive if any problems need to be addressed, as all the maintenance can be done by a single team from one location.

It is clear that the traditional phone system is quickly going the way of the dinosaur. When faced with all these benefits, it does not make sense anymore to pay a higher rate for less service. A major obstacle to switching to a VoIP system is an inherent distrust of change, but making the switch does not have to be drastic. Since the system can work in tandem, companies are able to gradually implement is a few phones at a time, allowing them also to test the new system out and get used to it. Since communication is already heading in that direction, why not try it out now, and stay ahead.