It wasn’t that long ago when the idea of using your internet to make calls seemed like a strange futuristic vision. You don’t have to be that old to remember when the only place you saw live video chats was on a science fiction movie.
Now we all use our Wi-Fi to keep in touch. We could even name 2020 as the Year of Zoom.
So, the idea of ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’ (or VoIP) is hardly revolutionary.
We’ve been there and done that.
Well not quite. Zoom is indeed a form of VoIP at a basic level, but it has its limitations.
When you hear the term VoIP, it generally refers to an all-in-one business communications package, which allows you to utilise your internet connection in a myriad of ways. These include using your computer as a phone, connecting safely to your company’s network, enjoying added security features, increased speed and quality – and reduced costs for business-level services.
Zoom offers a taste of VoIP but there is so much more. Here are six reasons why your business should incorporate the full potential of internet connectivity…
1. VoIP is easy and convenient
VoIP may sound technical, but quite simply, it means using an internet connection to bring together all of your communication needs. VoIP is the ultimate all-in-one comms system.
A VoIP service allows you to use all the familiar and handy phone business features such as call waiting, call forwarding, call blocking, call transfer and call return. You can also fax documents and flip your voicemails into texts or email.
You can choose how to communicate, whether it is a handset, mobile, or using your PC or Mac as a phone.
2. You save money with VoIP
VoIP may be able to do everything a traditional phone system can do (and more), but where’s the advantage?
It goes straight to the bottom line. It will save you money.
Firstly, you save on equipment. There’s no need for a costly private telephone network such as a Private Branch Exchange (PBX). Why have a bulky on-site kit when you don’t need it? All the capacity you need is ready and waiting on the cloud. You may need to upgrade your internet, but there’s no downside to having faster Wi-Fi.
If you already have a phone system, in virtually all cases it can be integrated into the VoIP network. Most phone systems have an IP capacity and the switch is simple – unless your existing system is really ancient! In which case you need a telecoms overhaul anyway!
Once hitched up to the cloud, you are connected to the world. The internet doesn’t care if you are calling New York or Newhaven. Forget those expensive call charges. Watch your telecoms bill melt away!
3. Improved call quality
Working from home means being at the mercy of your mobile network (who has landlines at home anymore?) If you are on an important business call, this can be a scary proposition. Those signal strength bars have an unfortunate knack of fading away at the worst possible moment. It results in the frustrating ritual of wandering from room to room in the hope of better reception.
With a VoIP network, you can enjoy reliable, crystal clear reception, as long as you ensure your internet connection is up to scratch. Home broadband can struggle with more than one person on a call.
It really is worth installing dedicated business broadband. We can set you up with a robust connection installed with a secure speech path. This ensures pristine sound quality and banishes the risk of call echoes.
Dropped and muffled phone calls can be safely banished to history.
4. Mobility
As the lockdowns fade away, we’ll be out and about again, and VoIP will keep you connected. You can take calls anywhere, as long as there’s broadband or 3/4/5G connection. You can manage your calls on the road, join meetings and transfer calls across the network.
Location really is no object, unless you really are out in the wilderness. In any case, if you are on a desert island or up a mountain, the chances are you are taking a well-deserved break from work!
5. Business Continuity
How do you implement a disaster recovery plan when people are dispersed and away from the office? In some ways, a separated team spreads the risk. If the office burns down, even the most robust disaster recovery plan is bound to be challenged. You can’t get much done if all the desks are on fire!
The biggest risk for individual home workers revolves around communications. Without a phone or connected computer, most workers will be unable to work productively, if at all.
One misconception is that switching to VoIP increases vulnerability. If all comms are on the internet, what happens if the Wi-Fi fails? What if there is a power cut? But a traditional phone line is just as vulnerable to failure and will take much longer to restore if the line is cut or broken.
The truth is that we all have some risk of losing connectivity. At an extreme level, if you are living in a war zone or at the epicentre of an earthquake, then your comms will most likely be disrupted!
But in less extreme circumstances, a VoIP solution will make your work connections more reliable. For a start, you have an instant back-up. If, by chance, the broadband dropped, you can switch over to your mobile network for basic tasks.
In fact, the resilience of the business broadband, makes such a scenario unlikely. Our support team can swiftly unearth any connectivity issues, using VoIP’s built-in diagnosis tools.
You can also make use of the versatility of VoIP. As your VoIP connects to multiple devices and locations, there will always be options available. In contrast, relying on a single phone line really does leave a business exposed.
6. Improved security
It is perhaps a good thing that most people have no idea how vulnerable their home broadband, mobiles and phones are. But who needs sleepless nights?
Serious telecoms fraud results in losses of $17bn a year. It is estimated that the value of phone fraud is over four times more than credit card fraud.
Using VoIP through a reputable telecoms provider protects your data and excludes hackers. At Rubix, we treat security very seriously – we know how important it is to businesses and organisations.
Some things are too important to be left to chance.
If you would like to find out more about how hosted telephony, VoIP and business quality broadband can help your organisation, please get in touch with our team now.
