What are benefits of a VOIP phone system?

VoIP provides excellent call quality. The person you’re calling can not tell whether you are using VoIP or POTS–there is very little difference in quality.

The largest advantage VoIP has over POTS is price . Domestic calls are free, or at the very least, less costly than POTS; while international calls are also not as costly and, in certain instances, free also. A VoIP phone number, sometimes referred to as a virtual number, isn’t directly connected with the physical network of a landline, but”seems” to be . Thus, people from a different country could make calls to you in the local rate rather than the higher international rate as your virtual phone number”seems” to be within their regional exchange, though it’s not.

Another benefit is convenience and flexibility . It is also possible to assign multiple phone numbers to ring on a single handset. At the most elementary level, getting VoIP service is practically hassle-free. There are myriad suppliers accessible to anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. All you’ve got to do is download the software, and in a few minutes you can begin making calls.

VoIP is very attractive to businesses. The expense of voice calls is reduced, a cost savings multiplied times the amount of workers and the frequency of calling. Also, VoIP integrates voice and data communications (including cell phones) in a more cost-effective method. Rather than trying to make two kinds of communications systems operate together, both are already bundled together. According to Forbes magazine, since 2008, more than 80 percent of PBX (private branch exchange) systems (the”switchboard” that functions office buildings) sold are VoIP. While the primary point of VoIP might be to make cheap phone calls, it includes additional functionality including high-fidelity sound, video, and Web conferencing; as well as file transfers, shared demonstrations, and computer desktop management –all with enormous capabilities for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting information.

SIP (Session Initiated Protocol)–enabled VoIP handsets can deal with any type of communication, whether data or voice: routine phone calls, faxes, voicemail, email, Web conferences, etc.. So you could, as an instance, listen to your email or record a voice message you could send into a fax machine. The plug-and-play capacity means that you don’t need a support staff to reconfigure the system each time new extensions are added. All you will need to do is plug the handset and it is ready to go.

VoIP is secure and efficient. Allowing data and voice communications to operate over one network greatly reduces corporate infrastructure costs; the bigger the company, the larger the savings. For companies concerned about security, VoIP has the capacity to utilize standardized encryption protocols, which is significantly more challenging to provide on a standard telephone connection.

VoIP hardware is affordable and versatile. Additionally, VoIP handsets are more affordable than traditional telephones and are more easy to reconfigure. Dual-mode VoIP handsets are capable of switching from a mobile connection to a construction Wi-Fi during a conversation, eliminating the requirement to provide employees with both a cell phone and a”regular” office phone. This not only reduces general expenditures, but lowers maintenance by half an hour, since there are fewer devices to monitor, control, and support.

VoIP includes a virtual assistant. Some other useful company features include Auto Attendant–also referred to as a virtual helper –that not only plays prerecorded messages or music for callers on hold, but also routes calls to departments in addition to individuals.

VoIP for a tracking system. It allows a handset (or a number) to move where the individual goes, whether it’s at work, in a conference center, or with a home phone or cell phone. A version of this is Presence, which lets you track where workers are, and also defines rules regarding places in which the handset should or shouldn’t ring.

Integrating VoIP along with other systems. Many VoIP systems also incorporate calendar and emails systems like Microsoft Outlook. This allows you”click to dial” an Outlook contact and record calls you make and receive.

A high-speed broadband Internet connection (at least 256 kilobytes a second: DSL, cable, newer satellite, or whatever is not dial-up).
A computer equipped with a microphone (nowadays even the cheapest computer has one), or an adaptor into a normal phone (only necessary in lieu of a pc ).
Generally, voice calls (if made by regular telephone or another VoIP number) put to your VoIP number could be received on the computer itself; or sent to a normal telephone, cell phone, or smartphone.

When there are committed VoIP phones for customers, the majority of these systems are targeted at business use. A hybrid strategy –intended mostly for customers without computers–would be to sell an adapter which can be plugged into a normal telephone handset.

The Downside of VoIP (because there is always a catch)
Consequently, if VoIP is such a terrific deal, why has not it put the phone companies out of business? While it’s true that traditional phone companies are slowly going the way of the dinosaur–and VoIP is just one of several factors contributing to final extinction– there are still quite a few things good old copper wire connections which date back to Alexander Graham Bell do really well. While you can find some sort of 911 service over VoIP, it’s generally expensive, and not necessarily as reliable.

The old dinosaur phone company has backup power for all its circuits, which explains why even in a blackout, you can still call for help in your corded phone, or simply speak with your neighbors if need be.

International calling can be somewhat iffier on VoIP compared to a normal landline connection, especially to countries where the phone network is more extensive than the Internet, and especially so when neither is of top quality. (make certain to observe the listing of countries covered by the specific VoIP plan.)

Last, while VoIP quality for the most part resembles a landline (and occasionally spotty cell phone reception has decreased general perceptions of acceptable quality), a slow, spotty, or crowded network can affect sound quality, even to the verge of dropping calls.