VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is not a new technology, although many of us are just learning of this internet-based communications protocol.
First used in 1970, VoIP uses your local area network (LAN) to send small digital packets over the internet to the recipient. Advances in the reliability and sound quality have encouraged end-users and businesses alike to cut the cord on the traditional phone-line and adopt the more versatile, and yes, less expensive telecom solution.
As we see it, there are nine reasons VoIP outperforms traditional phone lines aside from the cost. They are:
Scalability
Your business is not static. It is cyclical. Guessing each upgrade cycle how many lines you will need is frustrating and can be expensive. If you guess too high, you pay much more than you need to.
If you guess too low, you can stagnate your business growth. Additionally, legacy solutions have a limit as to how many phones can be connected – but VoIP does not. The possibilities are limitless when it comes to VoIP.
Agility
The key to gaining a competitive edge is moving faster than your competition. VoIP solutions can manage changes in volume and users within minutes and removes any ceiling that might affect your communications solution as you grow.
Mobility
In this modern work environment, employees are demanding more flexible work arrangements, including the ability to take and make calls from anywhere.
Statistics even show how flexible work arrangements also increase employee productivity, allowing workers to still connect even during a sick day or outside appointment. VoIP enables this type of mobility through a simple dashboard that allows you to choose which line will get the call.
Advanced features
VoIP is evergreen. Meaning it will always deploy the most advanced features on the market with no additional cost to you as the end-user.
Updates are automatically filtered and deployed to your location through the same lines the device uses to communicate.
Flexibility
Digital communications technologies like VoIP and Unified-Communications-as-a-Service have one huge distinctive advantage over copper lines: flexibility.
The phone number associated with the device is not tied to one particular device in one specific situation. Instead, several devices can be tied to the same extension, and you can decide which device should ring at which time.
Or, if you forgot to change your call flow and need your calls to reach you only on your cell phone and you have left the office, internet-based dashboards enable you to make those changes on the fly and from any internet-connected device.
Reduced complexity
In the golden days of business telephony, the effort and expense to install a PBX was costly – between paying for the certified individual to set up, install all devices, and do adds, moves, and changes throughout the span of the technology’s lifetime, to the simple cost of buying the equipment, paying for the electrical needs to run it and the space to house it.
Every interaction with the system required certified engineers. A new employee’s ability to communicate was dependent on the schedule of the technician to be able to add the user. But VoIP removes all of these complexities. The solution is mostly software-driven, instead of specialized hardware, and accessed with a simple graphical user interface (GUI).
Day to day management of the solution can be handled by administrative personnel, reserving your IT staff for the more complex needs of your business.
Security
A myth has surrounded VoIP and cloud solutions almost since inception. There has been a perceived security risk to a corporation’s data that has persisted, even though the myth has frequently been debunked. Recent studies have found that on-premise solutions are at the same amount of risk of a breach as cloud solutions, and sometimes even greater risk.
A survey by Alert Logic back in 2012 actually found that on-premise solutions were at a greater risk of compromise and data loss, with on-premise solutions being attacked 61.4% and cloud solutions only 27.8%. The fact is, as your service provider, we put your security at the top of our mind when devising and offering solutions such as VoIP and other cloud offerings. Our staff is certified and participates in frequent educational opportunities to learn about the latest cyber-security risks and protection strategies.
Quality
VoIP is not new and has been used in some form since the 1970s. It has recently gained popularity as the technology has grown and proven itself to be a serious competitor to the traditional telephone.
Because VoIP has been in use for almost 50 years, many of the original sound quality issues have been resolved. Thanks to innovations in sound compression and advancements in IP connections, VoIP actually provides superior sound quality as long as there is a high bandwidth and robust internet connection.
Business continuity
You may have heard horror stories about VoIP connections and outages. And while in those early years, these stories were warranted. Internet connections were wildly unreliable, and since VoIP ran over these connections, if they went down, so did your phone.
But now, internet providers have made considerable strides in the reliability and strength of their IP connections, making outages rare.
Add in cellular technologies as a failover, VoIP solutions can actually failback on the cellular 4G or 5G network and continue services in the event of an internet outage, meaning you remain connected regardless of the status of your internet connection.
It is no longer a matter of if, but when the copper lines that have serviced our telephones for generations will be phased out. Major carriers, such as AT&T and Verizon, have listed a sunset date for the maintenance of these copper wires to occur next year. Yes, in 2020, if a copper line goes down, the operator will not need to replace the line, but instead, transfer your service over to the digital solutions.
Start your migration today, and avoid the headache of a forced migration when you are least expecting it. Talk with one of our staff today to see how we can help you manage the transition and keep your business connected.