It's hard to find an article about VoIP that doesn't extol its many virtues but the fact is the technology provides a feature set equal to or greater than that of traditional landline service — all at a much lower price point. Indeed, the reasons would have to be pretty compelling for business VoIP to more or less render landlines obsolete; businesses are notoriously careful when adopting new technologies, after all.
The fact is, VoIP hits all the sweet spots for business communications, staring with cost. On average, business VoIP can cost between $20 to $35 per user, much lower than the cost of landline, which typically costs between $30 and $60 per user. Meanwhile, a feature like 411 directory assistance is generally provided at no extra cost with VoIP, while each 411 call can cost up to $1.79 per call on a landline.
Of course, the cost savings become even more noticeable when you begin to factor in long distance and international calling which cost pennies over VoIP but can lead to hefty charges over a landline. This is probably the most important factor for businesses, for which international calls are a regular occurrence.
To be fair, landline telephony does have its advantages — namely more consistent call quality and an independent power grid — but for businesses, these don't even begin to match what VoIP brings to the table.
Aside from cost, VoIP offers a level of convenience crucial for businesses today. For example, using a softphone's click to call feature eliminates the need to cycle through an office's phone's address book. More significantly, though, VoIP caters to the rising trend of mobility in business as it can enable calling through any Internet connection.
Finally, VoIP is customizable to a degree absolutely unmatched by landline service, particularly in terms of the ability to change your subscription at any time.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey