Traditional phone systems are not going away anytime soon. They still have a large install base in Corporate America. And, many residential customers still subscribe to phone service through their carrier. I’m pretty technologically inclined as you can surely tell, and I still have a landline.
But, there has been a shift over recent years. And, many of these changes are for good reasons. This is largely due to the more widespread acceptance of voice over IP, or VoIP. That does not mean you have to scrap your current phone system to convert to VoIP. But, there are some some key advantages to consider when you think about the concept of VoIP. The following lists some of the key benefits realized from using this VoIP as your phone system.
Define VoIP
Before we get too far down the line with the benefits, there may be some readers that need a little explanation first. As mentioned already, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It simply means that you can talk to people through a telephone using the Internet as the carrier of that conversation. All you need is an Internet connection to carry the packets versus the traditional phone lines you may be accustomed to. You still use the same phone that you are used to using. In fact, you may notice nothing different. However, you can also use a computer to make the calls.
Biggest Benefit – Cost Savings
Probably the biggest benefit to using a voice over IP phone system is the cost savings that is realized from using one. This is due to the fact that the calls are transmitted over the Internet. Therefore, you do not need the monthly cost associated with a phone line. This allows you to consolidate your Internet and phone service into one bill. If you do bundle both into one connection, you will need to check if you need a higher bandwidth service, however.
There is also a cost savings for a business that needs to make international phone calls. International calls are dramatically less expensive with VoIP small business phone systems compared to using POTS lines. There are even instances where international calling can be free using VoIP. A business that uses voice over IP can save between 40 and 90 percent
More Calling Features
Voice over IP also has a few pretty cool features that are worth considering. Some of these are not available with plain old telephone (POTS) lines.
One of the most useful features is the ability to set up virtual telephone numbers. This means you can set up a local telephone number and have it ring anywhere in the world. This is good for telecommuters where you want all your employees to have a local presence even if they are located in another geographical area. This is a very useful feature that cannot be realized with traditional phone systems
Call routing is another useful feature of VoIP. You can set all incoming calls to transfer to multiple devices. You can even have it rotate to multiple numbers until it is answered. With this feature, you never have to worry about missing a call if you are away from your phone. You can have all calls sent to a cell phone, PC or tablet.
Enhanced conference calling is another useful feature of VoIP. It is possible to get more people on a conference call from all over using VoIP. Furthermore, you can more easily integrate video calls to be able to see people during the call
As you can see, VoIP offers a great many advantages. There may be some transition costs to going with VoIP so you need to do your homework in advance. But, it could turn out to be a great change.