Are you wondering what VOIP is and how it can improve your business? If so, that’s a good thing. Staying curious can help keep your business competitive.
Read on to learn more about VoIP and answer the question, “how does VOIP work?”.
What Is VOIP Phone Service?
VOIP stands for voice over internet protocol.
Other names people use for it are broadband phone, internet telephony, and IP telephony. This is because rather than using a traditional landline, it uses a high-speed internet connection to send your “voice” to the people you’re talking to on the phone.
How Does VOIP Work?
VOIP sends your voice over IP by converting your voice signals from analog to digital. These digital signals are then stored as data that is sent through your router using your broadband or other high-speed internet connection.
From there, your call goes to your VOIP service provider who then sends it on to the Public Switched Telephone Network.
Does VOIP Offer Standard Phone Features?
A VOIP interface offers all the standard phone features such as call waiting, call forwarding, and placing calls on hold. It also allows for voicemail and conference calling.
In addition to all the standard phone features, it offers a lot more options. For instance, you can pull (transfer) calls back and forth from your phone to your cell phone to keep you mobile.
You can also set it up so when someone dials your extension, the call gets forwarded to one or more phone numbers you designate by using the Find Me/Follow Me features.
What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages?
VOIP has several advantages over using landline phones, including lower costs, more mobility, and easier scalability.
Since all your calls are placed for using the internet, your business will no longer pay the phone company for these calls. So long-distance and international calls will all be covered under monthly subscription with your VOIP service provider.
VOIP calls can be placed and received anywhere with an internet connection. This means members of your business team can stay in contact at more locations.
If you need to add phones and devices to your system, the only cost will be buying the new device. Your business won’t have to pay to have any new phone lines or phone jacks be installed. The new extensions can be added to your system through the interface.
The main disadvantage of this system is that it requires a working internet connection. However, choosing a VOIP service provider who can forward calls to mobile phone numbers you designate when your internet goes down can keep you from missing calls.
Who Hosts This System?
You can choose to use a hosted VOIP service provider or host it in-house. Choosing a hosted service provider requires less in-house hardware than hosting it yourself. It also creates less drain on your internet bandwidth.
Check Out This System for Your Business
Take some time to compare what capabilities your current phone system has with what VOIP has to offer. Use what you know now about how does it works to determine if switching to it can save you money and improve your communication system.
Check our technology section to find more great info about tech solutions for your business.
