The Ultimate Beginner s Guide to VoIP If your business hasn t made the switch to a VoIP phone system yet, you re really missing out on a great opportunity. No matter how big or small your enterprise may be, the benefits of VoIP can greatly improve your business communications at very little cost. We know how important phone usage can be for businesses, and upgrading to a VoIP system is the best way to futureproof your telecoms setup. However, it s important that you have a good understanding of how the systems work before making the switch.
So, what actually is VoIP? VoIP stands for Voice-over Internet Protocol, which is a service that allows phone calls to be made over an internet connection. Instead of plugging your handset into a standard analogue phone exchange, your phone connects to your broadband line, either directly or via a computer. As VoIP systems use broadband lines to send and receive calls, there s no extra charge for making them. Your calls become another part of your broadband service, covered only by the monthly charge from your supplier. When making a call, your voice is converted into digital data and sent over your connection, just like any other internet data. With high-speed Fibre broadband now readily available across most of the country, VoIP is fast becoming the most progressive form of business communications. What are the benefits of VoIP? VoIP systems offer a whole host of beneficial features, many of which are major improvements when compared to traditional phone systems. There are so many advantages it s hard to know where to begin. Here are just a few of the ways VoIP can enhance your business telephone experience. Cost saving We ve already outlined how VoIP can save on your monthly call charges. As your voice data travels as digital signals over a broadband line, making a phone call becomes just like sending an email or browsing the web. This is especially handy for any business relying on long-distance or international calls, as these can deliver significant reductions in cost. Call handling Functions you d regularly associate with premium office telecoms are easily available and more affordable for small and medium businesses. Holding calls, transferring to other lines and having calls routed to specific people or departments are just some of the call features handled without the need for excessive wiring. Improved convenience It s not just handsets that can connect to your telephone exchange. VoIP calls can be sent and received using your computer, so you can just pop on a headset and answer calls with a click. No more distractions from those important documents, and no more faffing around to find a pen for those urgent messages. Multimedia integration Calls are not just confined to audio, either, as greater bandwidth can allow for video calls and conferencing with multiple callers. Other communication tools can be integrated with a VoIP system, like fax, email and instant messaging via the same inbox, creating a totally unified communications service.
Calling the Cloud There are many different types of VoIP system that you can implement into your business, but the one we d recommend for most is a Hosted PBX. This is an off-site phone exchange, located in a secure data centre owned by your provider. Much in the same way that a Cloud server can store data for you, a Hosted PBX manages your in- and out-bound calls through an IP connection. Similarly, the exchange can be accessed from absolutely anywhere, providing you have access to the internet. Portability With Hosted VoIP, employees can work remotely, whether from home or at an external branch. Simply plug the handset into the broadband line and all calls to the regular office number will reach you, as if by magic! Mobile integration Easy maintenance With the exchange hosted elsewhere, you needn t worry about managing and maintaining the system on your own premises. Should any technical emergency arise, a team of expert engineers will always be on hand to sort out the problem, so you don t have to. Often working on the go? Put your mobile on the VoIP network too, so now any time someone rings the office number, you ll be able to receive the call wherever you are. This is especially handy for important calls from certain numbers, which can be re-routed directly to your mobile.
Does it all sound too good to be true? Well, we re not going to lie; there can be a couple of potential drawbacks you may need to consider with a VoIP system. Fortunately, there are ways of dealing with them. The wellbeing of your telecoms structure should be the least of your worries. After all, you ve got a business to run! Sound quality In the early days of VoIP, sound quality was a bit of an issue at times because of mediocre broadband speeds and capacity. Recently, however, superfast Fibre broadband has offered wider bandwidths, allowing for clearer voice quality and video calling capabilities too. For many businesses nowadays, poor bandwidth isn t really a problem, but it s certainly something to bear in mind. Always online Bandwidth sharing Similarly, should you have too many VoIP phones and computers sharing the same IP, you could run the risk of overloading the line, causing the available bandwidth to suffer as a result. This shouldn t cause too much concern for a lot of SMEs, as most data connections can be managed through one or two IP lines. However, for larger businesses, it may be beneficial to expand to multiple broadband lines to share the load. Phones on the VoIP network also require a constant power supply and connection to the internet. This means that if your broadband service cuts out or the electrics go down for whatever reason, unfortunately, so do the phones. To combat this, an emergency forwarding system can be put in place, allowing you to still receive calls on your mobile using your data network. What are you waiting for? All things considered, the benefits of VoIP phone systems greatly outweigh the negatives. As internet communications are constantly developing in speed and stability, more and more businesses big and small are embracing VoIP systems every day. Now that you re a bit more clued up on what VoIP is and how it works, make sure your business doesn t get left behind where your primary point of contact is concerned. Sooner or later, all of us will eventually be feeling the benefits of VoIP in business, so why not get started today?
Thanks for taking the time to read our guide! Let us show you how we can improve your business telecoms. Get in touch today on 0800 195 5115