Advantages of VoIP for Business

Over the last few years VoIP phone systems have become more popular than ever. Small and large companies, even households have been moving to the digital telecommunication system. Following this trend the number of VoIP providers have soared, making the VoIP more accessible.

VoIP is by far the favourite way businesses communicate now and there are many reasons for it.  This article will explain the main benefits a VoIP phone system can bring to a business regardless of its size.  

Cost Savings 

It is easy to associate cost savings with the low cost of calls made via VoIP. Yes, this is one of the main benefits of VoIP phone systems, as conventional landline providers typically charge per minute of call time. These charges are even more expensive for long distance calls. Using VoIP, companies are only charged pre-arranged monthly fees, so it is very easy to forecast how much the phone bill will cost. However, it is not the only way VoIP can save money to its users.

When you set up the system in your business, you will need a VoIP provider. These companies are responsible for supplying and maintaining the system. That includes hardware and software required. In fact it is important to them that their customers have the latest technology, so the system can run smoothly without interruption and less maintenance. So good providers will always work with reliable technology, which would cost more if the business had to purchase it itself.   

Video & Call Conferencing 

Nowadays more people than ever are working from home, or remotely. It creates a demand for video and call conferences over the phone. It is very easy to achieve using VoIP. Sophisticated VoIP phones have built-in cameras with large enough high quality screens. 

On the top of that, the system allows transfer of data, photos, files and presentations. It eliminates the need of a presencial meeting where all the employees must be present in one room. Even presentations can be done through VoIP. To make it better, some VoIP phones can connect directly to Zoom, or Skype (conferencing apps), allowing you to reach any person using these same apps, even if they don’t use VoIP.

Mobility

When you think of cost-saving VoIP provides you probably think of low cost calls. However, indirect savings are one of the main ones a company can have. The mobility VoIP systems provide allows people to work anywhere they want, remote branches, home, head office and mobile working sites. Businesses don’t save money on office spaces, utilities, furniture, etc.

VoIP technology is portable and you can use it even overseas. It allows individuals to keep their number regardless of where they are. Customers or suppliers don’t even notice that a specific individual has moved, or is not local. It contributes to knock down distance barriers a business might struggle with.

Use of Bandwidth

This might come with surprise, but VoIP makes the use of bandwidth very efficient. It means it does not use as much data as you may think. During a phone conversation , roughly half of the time it’s made in silence, the system fills those gaps with other data from other users to optimize the use of resources. 

Unique Features

One of the great advantages VoIP offers businesses are the additional features available in the service. A wide variety of devices can be connected to increase the efficiency of the business. 

Virtual numbers, caller ID, contact list, voicemail to mention just a few features. These can all be used in ways to boost operational productivity. For example, voicemails and messages can be forwarded to multiple colleagues with a single click, and voicemail-to-text transcriptions can be sent directly to your inbox so they can be reviewed while on the go.

These and many more features can be included in the service offered by VoIP providers. It is a very flexible system, so good providers can offer customized packages in order to meet the expectations of their customers.  It means businesses can use the features they need, without payment for what they actually do not need.

Flexibility

This might not be appealing to VoIP users, but certainly will please the IT team; the  underlying network does not need to be part of a specific technology layout. It means the existing ethernet, SONET, ATM, or even your WiFi can be used as the foundation of the network.

PSTN (traditional telecom system) is very complex, so it is good news this phone network is virtually eliminated. Allowing a more standard system to be implemented. A system that supports different communication types while being tolerant of errors and requiring less management of equipment.

Fax over the Internet

Fax over the internet is often offered by VoIP providers as a standard feature. It eliminates high cost long distance facsimile, at the same time, improves the quality of the service of sending and receiving fax.

The information on the paper is turned into a digital signal and transmitted as data packets. This improves the efficiency. You don’t even need a fax machine to receive or send fax. How good is that?

Efficient Communication

It is very difficult to miss a call when you are using VoIP. The system can be set up to ring your desk phone first. If you do not answer, it tries your mobile phone, if it is still unanswered it can go to your tablet or laptop. Urgent calls get through more often and you will have less messages in your voicemail.

Reliability

You might think VoIP is not reliable because if the internet is down, you cannot make or receive calls. That is not true. Even if the internet service is not available the system is flexible enough to pre-set a contingency plan if the problem occurs. A common solution would be deviating calls to mobile phones. So even if the internet is down, VoIP will not do the same.

These contingency plans can also be applied to other problems like power outages of physical damage to software or hardware.

If you are interested in knowing more, please read this article: Does VoIP Require Internet?

Installation, Configuration, Maintenance

Even with all features and benefits, VoIP is extremely easy to install. You do not need to be an expert to do so. VoIP phones are plug-and-play, so that is an easy task to do for everyone, even not tech savvy people.

VoIP softwares are extremely simple to add new users, they often will offer a customer portal, where you can edit, move, delete and add users by clicking a button. With an easy installation and operation, you can expect the maintenance to be easy as.

Easy Integration with Other Systems

VoIP easily integrates with various existing business systems. It means upon installing the system you will need just a little, or none modification of your existing system, or IT structure.  For example, outbound calls can be placed via Outlook or other email systems and customer records can even be viewed during the inbound call with said customer.

Scalability

Scalability is fundamental to any business. The ability to grow as the need arises in a quick period of time is decisive to a success of a business, it cannot be achieved easily with traditional phone systems. VoIP offers this benefit. It supports your efficiency and productivity. At the same time, it remains cost effective. You only pay for what you need.

You can add a line as you hire a new employee and eliminate lines in the case of downsizing. You can also add or remove features to/from your VoIP system.

Conclusion

VoIP systems offer a comprehensive array of benefits. If the business has a clear picture of the features are needed by the organization and works with a good quality VoIP service provider, VoIP is almost problem-free; and if there is a problem, it will be easily fixed.