VoIP streamlines communication whether your team is working remotely or in the office. Features like auto-attendant and voicemail-to-email can save time and money, and conferencing helps boost productivity.
When choosing a provider, look for one that doesn’t inflate or hide fees and offers quality customer service. A few essential considerations include ease of use, scalability, and mobility.
Cost-Effectiveness
With its advanced features, VoIP saves businesses money compared to older phone systems. However, VoIP cost depends on the exact setup, hardware, and advanced capabilities you choose. For example, most providers charge for professional services that help with the initial installation and configuration. Some providers also charge for additional software or hardware, such as virtual receptionists, voicemail-to-email transcription, and call recording capabilities.
Typically, VoIP costs 50% to 75% less than traditional landlines and has advanced business features that make your phone system work more brilliantly. VoIP also offers flexibility and convenience for employees, allowing them to use their business numbers on their mobile devices and access their business calls from anywhere. This feature also helps with employee productivity and improves the company’s image.
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Convenience
VoIP systems don’t require dedicated phone lines. Instead, they run over your existing converged data network. This slashes your costs and allows your team to work from anywhere.
Call quality depends on your Internet connection, which should be fast enough to handle VoIP traffic without affecting productivity. Slow connections lead to problems like latency and jitters. To maintain VoIP call quality, consider upgrading your business to fiber if working from home or high-speed mobile data if on the go.
With VoIP, you can use a smartphone to take your office extension phone on the road. This also lets you cut outgoing calls and save money on international calling rates. Moreover, Ooma VoIP phone system assistance provides many call features that traditional phone services don’t, such as call transfer, hold, forwarding, auto-attendant phone menus, and conference calling.
Scalability
Unlike dedicated VoIP systems that require additional visits by installation crews and technicians to add lines, cloud communications allow you to deploy new phone numbers and extensions quickly—and then delete them if no longer needed. This means that when you grow your business, your unified communication system will grow with it—and you won’t pay anything extra for the privilege.
Additionally, the remote accessibility offered by VoIP is a huge benefit for businesses that use call-driven customer service. Because a VoIP number isn’t tied to a landline telephone, employees can work from any location with a data connection, cutting costs and ensuring customers are always well-supported by knowledgeable staff. Moreover, your customer calls can be redirected to agents’ mobile phones if no one is available in the office.
Mobility
Whether employees work at the office, at home, or on the go, VoIP systems give them the freedom to stay connected. All that is needed is a stable internet connection to make or receive calls. Many providers offer their customers free domestic and international calling as an added benefit.
Employees need a computer or laptop with a software-based VoIP phone application and a broadband internet connection to access a VoIP service. Some services require a particular VoIP phone that plugs into a router or adapter; others use softphone applications (apps) for computer or mobile devices. These telephony applications can also integrate with other business-enhancing tools to improve productivity and collaboration. Some examples include virtual receptionists, voicemail-to-email, and call logging.
Security
VoIP systems can take on extra security measures that traditional phone networks cannot. This includes using a virtual private network (VPN) to secure calls.
This helps prevent hackers from listening in on conversations or rerouting them maliciously. It also makes it nearly impossible to trace where the call is coming from.
Another added layer of security is using call behavior monitoring algorithms that track patterns or routes that are not typical for a business. Any rapid escalation in usage could indicate unauthorized activity and trigger a response from the provider. Other security features include blocking 1-900 numbers and the ability to deactivate accounts when an employee leaves the company. This helps minimize workplace disruptions and reduce costs associated with the maintenance of inactive accounts.
