Whether you are an established business seeking to streamline and upgrade your telephone system or a startup looking for the most cost-effective telecommunication solutions, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the best solution for you.
In this guide, we’ll explain what a VoIP phone system is, how it works, and why VoIP is beneficial to your business.
A VoIP phone system is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular phone line. It is also referred to as IP telephony or internet telephony.
It converts your voice into a digital signal, compresses it, and sends it over the internet.
VoIP can be used on various devices such as smartphones, computers, and tablets.
Landline phones use copper wires while VoIP uses the internet to make calls. VoIP calls can be made anywhere as long as there is an internet connection, while landline calls are restricted to certain geographical areas.
Landline phones are expensive to set up and maintain while VoIP is much cheaper.
In VoIP, analog messages are converted into a series of data packets. The user packets traverse the Internet like any other kind of data, such as email or IP traffic, anything else.
There is an option of making VoIP calls to landline and cell phones. Furthermore, you might want to call it computer-to-computer, which means that both parties communicate through computer microphones and listen through computer speakers or headphones.
Furthermore, it is noticeable that landline telephones can be used both to make or take calls. It is only an analog telephone adapter connecting to your network that you need. Moreover, for the best voice quality and security, you may have to make use of your VoIP or other communication channel on a private IP network.
To help you understand VoIP and make the right decision for your business, we’ve listed some of our top practical benefits that using a VoIP telephone system can bring.
First impressions are important in all types of communication and even more so in telecommunications. One of the simplest but most practical features of VoIP systems is the ability to set up professional welcome messages for inbound calls.
While this technology has been there for some time, the importance of a professional welcome not only helps boost your company image, but it could also be the difference between making that all-important first impression.
With VoIP telephone systems, calls can be taken exactly where they need to be, meaning customers, prospective clients or even general inquiries can be connected directly with the person they need to be speaking to.
Not only is this convenient for customers, but it also frees up time for employees, previously responsible for answering and transferring calls between various departments. Furthermore, to make sure you don’t miss any urgent calls, VoIP phone systems allow companies to add direct employee extensions or additional devices and mobile numbers so calls can be transferred directly to them when required.
For example, if a department or individual is unavailable to answer within the first few rings, the call can be forwarded to a secondary device meaning you can pick up those important calls even if you are away from the desk.
In addition to smart call forwarding, VoIP telephone systems also come packed with a heap of impressive and useful features. Functions such as call queuing, for example, are particularly useful for those companies that frequently experience heavy inbound call traffic, such as customer service departments.
Inbound callers are not only put on hold, but they are also given a queue number ensuring their call is transferred successfully in the order the call was placed. Furthermore, the call groups function allows for multiple call transfers to a pre-selected group of individual extensions, meaning any one individual in that group can answer the call.
This can be especially useful to ensure calls are answered promptly and that customers are not kept on the line waiting.
Most standard VoIP phone systems also contain some inbuilt features such as call recording, call conferencing, shared company phone books as well as voicemail to email. Call recording, for instance, can be particularly useful for company training purposes as well as when needing to review client feedback.
Having call conferencing built into a VoIP phone system can also eliminate the need to invest in a separate digital conferencing solution, and by having a shared company phonebook employees and managers can search between both internal and external extensions rapidly, meaning quick access and greater speed of communication.
Finally, some VoIP telephone systems also can transfer and send received voicemails into email attachments, saving time and providing a written transcript of the recorded message.
Unlike conventional telecom systems, VoIP phone systems allow phones to be plugged in anywhere that there is an active internet connection, meaning you are not bound to your office permanently. What’s more, most VoIP systems will usually have an access panel, meaning you can change the setup at any time, view call data records as well divert calls.
If you are out and about on business, many VoIP systems allow business calls made to a landline number to be received via an App on your mobile device.
A final useful feature of many VoIP telephone systems is the ability to assist in personal time management.
If you have limited availability or wish to schedule some personal time to work on a project, VoIP allows for specific phone lines to open and close automatically at pre-set times, meaning you won’t be disturbed when you don’t wish to be.
Choosing or making the switch to a VoIP system is not just about its practical benefits, however, but also ensuring that businesses can operate cost-effectively. At Icon Offices, we offer flexible and bespoke VoIP packages to ensure that businesses can enjoy the benefits that VoIP telephone systems bring, without the need to spend overboard.
Not only do we have some of the most competitive pricing in the market, but we also offer a wide range of VoIP service solutions including complementary minutes, international calls as well as tailored service packages.
Furthermore, our flexible plans mean you can cancel at any time with as little as 5 days' notice required from your billing date, allowing you to upgrade or downscale your service package as per your business needs.
Our team has over 10 years of experience providing bespoke in-house VoIP and telecommunications solutions and can supply VoIP lines and numbers for any UK city of your choice.
Regardless of your business needs or where you are based in the world, we are confident we can provide the right combination of value and functionality.