5 important business benefits of VoIP
It’s common knowledge that traditional analogue phone calls are dying out, something that’s being accelerated by the death of copper phone lines. Now even digital voice platforms such as Skype are becoming a thing of the past, with newer voice services playing a central role in the modern workplace.
New telephony systems based on proven communications protocols such as VoIP and SIP are here, and they’re improving business communications. Read on to learn about some of the key benefits of managed VoIP, and how it combines the features of a traditional telephone system with a range of quality-of-life improvements.
1. Productivity
While traditional landlines won’t be operating for much longer, switching to VoIP is more than just an obligation. VoIP is one of a range of new communications technologies that can improve the productivity of your business. VoIP utilities allow for instant, low cost communication from anywhere in the world, with users not being limited to your premises.
It is extremely uncommon for VoIP to have dropouts, lag, or other technical issues compared to a traditional phone system, particularly over long distances. VoIP software also commonly includes other useful communication tools, allowing you to share and collaborate on files. The quality of VoIP calls is also much higher thanks to the increased bandwidth of online telephony, making it easier to communicate, and cutting down on repetition and clarification.
2. Feature-rich
Modern VoIP technologies aren’t just limited to simple phone calls. The handsets and software solutions available now commonly include features such as conference calls, call forwarding, call holding, call hunting, and more. Some handsets even come with a video screen on the phone or phone dock, providing similar features to a mobile phone.
All of these features do mean that businesses need to do research to find the VoIP option which best suits them. However, almost any VoIP solution will offer more than traditional telephony – and any VoIP option still has all the features of a traditional phone system, so you won’t be missing out on anything.
3. Scalability
Where a landline is fixed and finite, VoIP is almost infinitely scalable. Your own customised voice platform can be amended and scaled as your business needs evolve, whether that’s adding or removing features, investing in new handsets, or completely changing location.
Unlike a traditional PBX, no additional expense is required to add or remove users, outside of hardware such as handsets. You can easily, conveniently and quickly scale VoIP to suit your growth, meaning that your VoIP costs as much and offers as much as you need it to, and no more.
4. Cost savings
Traditional phone lines are expensive to set up on premise, with a PBX often costing £10,000 or more. While this used to pay itself off in the long run, the advent of VoIP has meant this is no longer necessary. As long as you have a stable and reasonably high speed internet connection, you have access to quality internet telephony.
VoIP isn’t free in the way you might imagine online software to be, but the software represents most of the investment. The only money you’ll pay is for the features you need, and the handsets or headsets required to use it. Even this can be offset if you already have suitable hardware, such as high quality headphones and microphones.
5. Accessibility
Among the many benefits of VoIP, accessibility might be the greatest. A cloud-based VoIP service in particular offers the ability to make calls from anywhere, a huge bonus for businesses in the remote working era. WIth VoIP, employees can work from their smartphones, laptops or tablets, with no explicit need for special hardware.
This isn’t to say that a good quality headset or handset won’t improve the quality of calls, and lead to a better customer or client experience. But VoIP is a technology you can invest in in stages, testing the waters to see if it’s right for you. This also makes it ideal in a pinch if you need to make calls while on a business trip, away for meetings, or even on holiday.
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VoIP is driving efficiency improvements in the modern workplace, and resulting in a more productive, flexible and empowered workforce. To learn more about the benefits of VoIP, take a look at our Managed VoIP service, or speak to a member of our team today.