Why Switch to a VoIP Phone System?

A quick guide to the benefits of VoIP

Most businesses that switch to a Voice over Internet Protocol system do so because of the significant cost savings.  If your business has a high volume of international or long distance calls, you can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly by switching to a VoIP system.  VoIP systems also have many features, some that are the same as those offered by traditional phone systems, such as call waiting, call forwarding, and voicemail.  These features are also usually less expensive with a VoIP system.

VoIP phone systems are so inexpensive because calls cannot be geographically originated.  If the call cannot be originated, the distance between the caller and the recipient cannot be measured, and no long distance charged can be assessed.  Many businesses that use cell phones often have taken advantage of phone plans that do not add extra charges when numbers in different area codes are dialed.  Similarly, using a VoIP phone system is a great alternative to a “land line.”
 
Since calls are placed over the internet, many large businesses take advantage of extension and call forwarding features to save further on costs.  Companies with offices in different cities can easily transfer calls to and from employees with the push of a few buttons, even when the employees are thousands of miles away from each other.  If a caller dials a company’s main number, he or she can be transferred to any employee within the system without having to dial a separate phone number.  

Employees that travel often can take calls at the same phone number, no matter where they are, provided they have access to an internet connection.  A popular feature called “Follow Me” works by ringing at different locations when the same phone number is dialed.  For example, a call placed to an employee could ring at her desk phone, her cell phone, and pop up as a call on her laptop computer.  Employees are more accessible, and there is no need to pay several different phone bills or long distance bills when an employee travels.

VoIP systems also provide many “traditional” features at a cost far less than that of an analog phone system.  Here are some options that might be included in a VoIP plan:

• Call Blocking – Phone numbers listed as “blocked” will not be routed to your phone.
• Call Forwarding – Calls can be forwarded or transferred automatically to a different phone number in cases where an employee is out of the office
• Caller ID – Caller ID works the same on a VoIP phone as it does on a traditional phone.  Callers do not need to use a VoIP phone to identified, they can use any type of phone.
• Voicemail – This feature also works the same as it would on a traditional phone system.  Calls that are not answered can be transferred to a voicemail account where callers can leave a recorded message.
• Faxing – Faxes can be sent and received over a VoIP system exactly like a traditional system.
  
• 3-Way Calling and conference calling – Users can speak with multiple people at once.

Advanced features are also available.  The following features will usually add to the cost of a system, but can be great tools for a business that uses them to communicate with clients or out of town or traveling employees:

• Hold Music or Information – Callers can hear music or recorded messages about your business.
• Outlook Integration – Calls can be sent from your Outlook email box.
• Find Me/Follow Me –A feature that allows a user to receive a call on any of several different phones.  Each different phone (desk phone, cell phone) will ring in a sequential order when a call is placed.
• Conferencing – Conferencing can be audio only or used with a web cam for video conferencing.

A VoIP provider will be able to tell you more about the features you might be able to use.