The headlines mostly go to smartphones, but cellular calling is not the only digital calling to displace traditional telephone landlines. At the same time cellular is eating into the landline pie, so too is voice-over-IP (VoIP).
While it is obvious why analog landlines are going the way of the dinosaurs, some may wonder why VoIP is in the picture given the power and prevalence of mobile phones.
There are a few reasons, actually.
First, VoIP is a company asset and not something that leaves with an employee. Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies are great for enabling employees to use their own familiar equipment at work to get things done, but there’s still a place for enterprise-owned phones that can be monitored and transferred to other staff when needed.
VoIP is more portable than mobile phones, too, making that a second reason for adoption. While smartphones untether workers from their desks, there still is the issue of cellular coverage and battery life. Coverage is improving, and we’re learning to charge our phones every night before the start of work. But still there are times when smartphone calling is not possible.
This is not the case with VoIP, where any place with an Internet connection is a place where calling can occur. VoIP calling can happen in the office or from a worker’s smartphone, but it also can happen at home or in a hotel. No matter the location, pretty much VoIP follows. This gives it greater mobility than mobile phones.
A third important reason for VoIP in the enterprise, however, is the features. Unlike analog phones or even smartphones, VoIP brings the goods when it comes to calling functionality.
This functionality, often bundled for free with VoIP plans, can include basic features such as voicemail, conferencing and call forwarding. But it also often comes with more advanced functionality such as simultaneous ringing, call hunting, and interactive voice response. Need an auto attendant, for instance? Yeah, VoIP will take you there.
It does this at a low cost, too, since VoIP does not require a dedicated copper wire like analog calling, or cellular minutes like smartphone calling. Some estimates put the cost savings at 90 percent over its analog counterparts.
Smartphones get the lion’s share of the headlines, but calling is as much about VoIP in 2015 as cellular calling.