Small Business Guide to VoIP
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If you are looking for a new phone system for your office, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) may be the solution for you. Unlike traditional phone systems, VoIP systems use your office's Internet connection to send and receive calls. You will not be able to tell the difference between VoIP and a traditional phone system when talking on the phone. There is a big difference, however, in how calls are sent, which is what makes VoIP unique.
With VoIP, when you speak into the phone, your voice is broken up and transmitted in small digital data packets which are sent over the Internet to the location of your call. Your call recipients are not required to have VoIP in order to talk with you on the phone, so you do not need to worry about losing communication with anyone.
VoIP phone systems can be used in small or large offices, and are very cost-effective phone systems. If you are required to frequently make long distance calls, then VoIP may be the best choice for your business. Because VoIP uses the Internet to send calls, the location of the origin of the call in proximate to its destination can not be determined, in which case, long-distance charges can not be incurred. VoIP is also great for companies that require their employees to travel because their phone number can be mobile.
Business VoIP offers many great features at a fraction of the cost of other types of phone systems. If your business has more than one office, VoIP phone systems will allow you to cal anyone in your network by simply dialing an extension, regardless of whether they are located down the street or in another country. VoIP also offers standard features such as voicemail, call forwarding, and caller ID, and additional features such as hold music, softphone support, and outlook integration, to name a few.
There are a few things you should consider before installing a business VoIP system in your office, such as packet loss, what happens if there is a power outage, security, and calling 911. VoIP service runs through your Internet connection so if your network can not handle the added traffic, your calls can cut out or are lost. This can be easily avoided by having your service provider monitor your network's capabilities. Power outages are also a concern because your Internet requires power to function. Service providers can offer you options considering this matter. Internet hackers may be able to eavesdrop on your conversations, and you can also consult your service provider for information about how to keep your network secure. When calling 911, the proper information about your location may not be given, which means emergency services may not be able to be dispatched to you. To avoid this, you can either keep a traditional line open, or ask about VoIP's enhanced 911 (E 911) feature.
In order to install VoIP into your office, the most important thing you will need to have is a high-speed Internet connection. If you already have that, you will only need to purchase several things, including VoIP phones (which can be costly), or adapters, if you wish to use you current phones.