Why Should I Move to VoIP?
VoIP phone systems are now becoming the most often chosen voice of businesses. Many small and medium enterprises are rapidly moving away from traditional phone systems to VoIP. It is because of the communication benefits that the VoIP system offers. In addition, the cost of maintaining landline phones is rising at a fast pace.
A good VoIP facilitates internet-based communication and these systems enable businesses to save 40-80% compared to the cost of landline. You can make local and international calls through VoIP without incurring extra charges. Nevertheless, many people still have some reservations regarding the VoIP system.
So if you are a small business owner wondering whether to switch to a VoIP system or not, we will tell you about all the things you need to consider. Firstly, let’s get a deep insight into what VoIP is and its differences with the landline.
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What is VoIP and how is it Different from a Landline?
Voice over Internet Protocol is a method to make calls via the internet. VoIP has become an integral part of our lives since the majority of the apps in our daily use, such as Skype, are an example of this technology. It has become a popular alternative to traditional phones and many companies find that VoIP is better than PBX phone systems.
The system came into existence in 1995 and has seen a rapid rise in its demand in the past decade. The best part about VoIP is it does not need any hardware, special routers, or installation lines like the traditional landline.
If your business has stable and reliable sources of internet connections, then you can easily use the system to place calls internally and externally. You can get the services of a reliable VoIP service provider, and they can set it up for you. VoIP vendors also provide number porting so you can use your old phone for VoIP along with your existing, established business phone number.
Difference Between Landline and VoIP
More and more companies are adopting VoIP systems over landlines. One of the key differences between the landline and the VoIP is the setup process. Setting up a landline requires a lot of hardware and new lines, whereas the Voice over Internet Protocol system relies on internet bandwidth.
It makes it easier and cost-effective for businesses to set up VoIP business phone systems. In addition to this, the VoIP system offers way too more features than a traditional telephone. Not only can you make calls locally, but you can also make international calls without incurring additional charges. You can also use VoIP for landline calls if needed as well.
Also, VoIP applications like Slack and Skype gives you the option to send voice notes, pictures, and a lot more.
There is a long list of differences between the traditional telephone and VoIP. But what is more important is to understand the reason behind the switch from landline to VoIP systems. Let's understand why you should move to VoIP.
Why Should I Move to VoIP?
Moving to VoIP will give you a lot of advantages. It will help you streamline your business communications processes. As a result, your employees can effectively collaborate. The typical office phone also lacks the additional features that come with the VoIP phones.
Let's look at the pros and cons of the VoIP system, so you can know if it is suitable for your business or not. It will help answer the questions that you have regarding switching to VoIP.
Pros of VoIP System
Like anything else, there are a few pros and cons if you choose to opt for the VoIP system. It is imperative to understand that in order to benefit from the Voice over Internet Protocol system; you need to make the right choice of VoIP providers.
It will help you reap the complete benefits of the VoIP system. Here are some of the benefits and perks your business can get by incorporating the VoIP system:
Cost-Effectiveness
Every business has an aim of becoming more cost-effective. It will help them to get a competitive edge over others. By switching to VoIP, your business can enjoy cost savings. VoIP reduces down the costs you incur when making calls through your landline.
In addition to this, international calls are way too cheaper through VoIP phones. All-in-all, it helps businesses save money when calling their clients or remote teams locally or internationally.
Since, VoIP relies on 100% bandwidth, as long as you have a stable internet connection, you won’t have any difficulty using the VoIP system.
Advanced Features
One of the best things about VoIP is that you can get many advanced features that the traditional landline can't offer. You can get the following features by using a VoIP solution:
- Voicemail to Email
- Auto attendant
- Call Forwarding
- Conference Calling
- And much more
It makes the communication between your employees easy as well. As a result, you will see less confusion and an increase in the overall employee productivity.
Ease of Use
If you want to start setting and using VoIP on your own, then you can as it is a simple task. The system needs a couple of steps to work properly, and then you can use it to make phone calls in the office or on the go.
Furthermore, you don’t need a lot of time to teach someone how to use the VoIP system. So, it will save you from spending too much time training your employees. All you have to do is show them how to use the VOIP system's many functions. It should be a gradual progression once that's complete.
Scalability
Small businesses can face times where the business will not be doing so well. It can be due to the economy or other factors. At that point, you will look for ways to cut back on costs. That is when you can scale down the VoIP phone systems usage as per your business requirements.
When things get normal, and you see progress, you can always scale up as per the needs of your business. If you are considering going for a VoIP system, you need to keep this benefit in mind. It can be crucial for businesses during times of recession or growth.
Superior Quality
Last but not least, the superior voice quality that you get from the VoIP phone systems is unmatchable for landline phones. The VoIP technology uses analog signals to convert the voice into packets.
It sends those packets to the other end, where they are opened on the receiver's side through which the receiver can hear a clear voice. It is a clear competitive advantage that VoIP has over traditional phones.
Cons of VoIP
Now that you have a complete understanding of the benefits of using VoIP services, let’s look at some of the disadvantages that the system has:
Security Issues
Cyber threats and attacks are a major problem for businesses throughout the world. Hackers can penetrate your system to gain access to key company data and sensitive information. It is a concern that comes along with VoIP as well.
VoIP system is vulnerable to viruses, phishing, and hacking attempts by intruders. Nevertheless, you can always choose a reliable and secure VoIP service provider for your business. You can find many great VoIP providers renowned for their security measures and in general, VoIP has more security features than cell phones as well.
Tracing Options
If you make calls through your mobile phones, it can be easy for emergency services to trace and track you down. However, that is not the case with the VoIP systems, which do not allow call tracing even for emergency calls.
It may be a problem if you engage in healthcare or a high-risk industry where emergency calls are frequent. Nevertheless, you can always ask your provider to program 911 services for your VoIP phone system.
Internet Bandwidth
If you don't have an internet connection, the VoIP service is futile for you. In case of a power outage and the unavailability of the internet, the VoIP will be as good as nothing since you won't be able to make calls through it. But if you have a power backup to keep your business up and running, this should not be a problem for you.
Why Should I Switch to VoIP?
If we look at and weigh the pros and cons of using VoIP network for your business, there is no doubt that the pros outweigh the cons. The revolutionary VoIP system works by sending voice and video communications over the internet and is now rapidly replacing traditional phones. It can do wonders for your small business by helping it increase its productivity.
As even household switch towards landline, your small businesses need to switch the VoIP system to stay competitive. Businesses are always looking for ways to cut back on their costs and increase productivity. So, if you are wondering how you can achieve those goals, the answer is through VoIP.
Nevertheless, before you switch or decide to make the move towards VoIP, it is imperative to understand your business needs. It will help you find out the services you need, and then you can choose a plan from the provider accordingly.
It will be a wise decision to discuss with your employees whenever you think of bringing new software into the system. You can brainstorm with your team regarding it as they will be the ones using the VoIP systems. VoIP is now becoming the talk of the town. Ever since it came into evolution in 1995, the technology is now evolving rapidly. The new features with mobility are making VoIP services and applications mainstream.
As mobile phones become an integral part of our lives, we can expect the demand for VoIP services to increase over time. When considering VoIP vs. cell phone plans, the cost savings can be substantial without sacrificing mobility. So, now is the time to get to know more about the VoIP system to leverage to enhance your business productivity.