What Is VoIP And Why Does Your Business Need It?

Just when you think that technology has reached the pinnacle of success in a particular field, some disruptive tech comes along and reinvents the wheel. It wasn’t that long ago that not everyone had a home phone, and telephone numbers were only 5 digits long. We could connect with our Great Aunt in the south of England and were no longer just exchanging postcards. It was an exciting time. Fast-forward a couple of decades and now everyone has a smartphone, and we’re more connected than ever. And then there’s VoIP. What is VoIP, and how can it save your business money?

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, but the terms “IP telephony,” “Internet calling” and “Internet telephony” are often used interchangeably. Essentially, this service converts voice to data and makes use of the existing network infrastructure to deliver these data packets to the other end where they are unpacked and translated back to voice. This service is significantly cheaper than analogue voice calls and can be completely free, depending on the service you acquire.

VoIP is not just an upgraded phone line. Rather, it is a completely different technology which delivers voice as data in a whole new way.

What Are The Main Differences Between VoIP and Traditional Phone Services?

Handsets

A traditional phone will use a fixed handset connected to a standard RJ-11 connector linking to copper lines, and into the telephone exchange. VoIP, on the other hand, makes use of an internet connection to connect to any other VoIP service or traditional analogue voice system is not held hostage to a physical connection in a building. For example, VoIP calls can be made from computer to computer, as in the case of a Skype call. In a business, you may want to make use of a desktop handset. IP phones look and act just like traditional phones (in that you can answer, transfer, hold and mute etc.) however they connected via an ethernet cable to your network and the internet. Various technologies turn your standard mobile phone into a VoIP handset, such as is the case with WhatsApp or Facebook calling.

VoIP handsets are superior to the normal analogue handsets. (For example, build quality (touch and feel) is in another league and volume can be changed without introducing noise.) Provided your VoIP supplier implements the system correctly, your voice quality will also be superior.

Cost

Interoffice and IP to IP calls are, essentially, free. Which, when you consider the amount of money the average business spends on their telephone bill, is a significant plus! Long distance calls have always been a painfully pricey subject, and this was simply due to the technology required to make that call. VoIP bypasses this entirely and – as long as you’ve got a data connection –physical distance doesn’t matter.

Mobility

Since VoIP services are linked to the Internet and not hardwired to your physical location, when it’s time to move offices, all you need is internet access at your new premises and you’re on your way. Simply unplug one side and plug back in the other, same number, no changes – simple.

What Can VoIP Do For Your Business?

It’s easy to see how VoIP can benefit your business, especially SMEs and start-ups.

• You save money immediately as there is no need to invest in an expensive PBX phone system for your office as the PBX is hosted in the cloud.
• Your company looks professional as you no longer need to use your personal cell phone number as your business number.
• Your number stays with you no matter where your office relocates to.
• Your customers are guaranteed to get through to you as your line will always be available. You can forward incoming calls to other numbers if needed, set an answering service and take messages.
• Your phone costs are slashed for both local and international calls.
• You can scale your phone requirements as your staff complement grows by simply adding a handset.

What Can You Do Right Now?

If you are reading this article, then it’s likely that you are interested in an IP phone system for your home or business. And no wonder, considering the above.

Our team at Huge Connect have been working to create systems and packages which benefit SMEs and start-ups. Some of these include IP voice technology to make sure that you are set up with a fully functional, inexpensive, and versatile system for your growing business.

If you have ever asked the question, “What is VoIP?”, then we’d like to invite you to call us right now on 087 820 0220 and let us help you to understand how your business can benefit from this incredible technology. Let’s connect.