So you’re considering making the switch the VoIP, which, if you haven’t already heard, is a pretty solid business move. With its many benefits, it’s a rather attractive solution for a business in need of efficiency and a cheaper communications bill. But before making the switch, it’s common sense to do your homework to see what solution and respective products will fit your needs, as not all VoIP solutions are created equal.
Shopping for VoIP from reputable business VoIP providers can be a bit daunting, but outlining your needs will streamline the process. What exactly do you need and how do you know what you’re getting? How can VoIP work for your office?
Features
Before settling on a VoIP provider, PBX (News - Alert), and/or IP phone system, businesses need to think about the feature set that is suited for their needs. If a particular business is small, some of the more basic features such as call forwarding, voice mail and three-way calling might be all that are necessary. Larger businesses will need more features, like integration with other platforms, analytics, mobility, and unified messaging.
Phones
VoIP and IP telephony are bringing voice into your network, just like all the other applications that you have been using for years, such as email, databases, and instant messaging. Do you need a phone that matches all of the benefits? IP phones come with features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and three-way calling, so selecting the right phone is a key step to using IP telephony to its fullest potential.
Applications
Will you need applications to work with your VoIP system? Web-enabled call centers, remote telecommuting, collaborative white boarding and even applications for personal productivity such as the unified messaging and “follow me” services make VoIP a multifaceted solution.
VoIP technology treats services on the phone like any other kind of data, enabling the users to attach documents to voice messages, or participate in virtual meetings with the help of shared data and video conferencing. Sound clarity is better than it has ever been, and rarely do the calls get dropped.
The most important benefit of VoIP technology is its cost efficiency, which in turn adds to the savings of consumers and companies using it. Generally, it can save almost half of the traditional phone bills, and sometimes more. For large organizations, the savings can translate to a lot.
VoIP is not at all a hefty investment. In fact, the technology pays for itself within a few months. The money saved within the first few months of use will be rather evident in the communication bills. It’s just a matter of knowing what you need and how much you’ll need.
Given all of its features and how they can improve business functions, are you still convinced landlines are the way to go?
Edited by Rory J. Thompson