Determining if VoIP is Right for Your Business
by Rebecca Button on January 10th, 2008
After a period of time away, VoIP, or voice over IP, is returning to the world of business. Some businesses may be wary of switching to VoIP because of problems that early VoIP products caused. Originally, when using VoIP, people on both ends of the conversation needed to be at a computer, which was inconvenient. The VoIP system has improved tremendously, not only in its ability to use phones rather than computers, but also in the sound quality of the phone conversations.
The VoIP system saves substantial cost for businesses. Overall, the VoIP service is much less costly than traditional phone service. VoIP also saves additional money for companies by allowing them to have both data and phone service on one network, rather than separate networks.
VoIP is also incredibly convenient. For instance, the VoIP system allows you to make and receive calls from your regular business phone number anywhere where you have access to Broadband Internet . Therefore, your customers only need one number, and you can save money on cell phone bills. You can also have the ability to see everyone who is on the network simultaneously, which helps in matters of customer service. Another convenience is the fact that you can arrange for phone calls to ring on a few different phones before the call is sent to voice mail. This increases the chance that you will receive the call, allowing you to connect with your customers more easily.
One downside of the VoIP system is that if the network is down for any reason, you will not be able to make calls. A related downside is that if your broadband Internet connection goes out, so will your phone service. It is important to set up the VoIP system so that all calls received during this time will be forwarded to a voice answering service. Another thought to consider before the setup process is that the phone handsets in your office must be compatible with VoIP, and this will most likely require testing, etc. Additionally, some concerns have been raised regarding hackers. The best solution to this problem is to be proactive in securing your system in the highest security ways possible.
If you are unsure about whether or not your business should switch to VoIP, it would be advantageous to hire a knowledgeable person to assist and inform you. Also, you might want to try out the VoIP system with a small amount of people and see how it goes before making a big switch.