Everyone knows that a telephone system is a core component of a well-functioning business. Unfortunately, many businesses’ telephone systems haven’t advanced, but the way people do business has. If your business is paying a premium for its telephone system and isn’t getting the collaboration benefits needed to stay competitive, the answer might be VoIP.

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, a telephone system that runs on your organization’s Internet connection, not the antiquated phone lines. It can be run off a dedicated server in your business, but it is often run by a cloud-based server. Using the cloud model, you pay per line, and the service provider assumes the responsibility of hosting your business’ telephone system and maintaining the underlying infrastructure (as well as providing support). 

What Are the Benefits of VoIP?

Beyond separating yourself from the phone company, having a communications platform that uses the Internet can benefit an organization. Firstly, switching to a VoIP platform eliminates the antiquated landline system businesses have used for decades; we’ll explain how this benefits businesses later in the article.

Another massive benefit for businesses is the flexibility of a VoIP solution, especially with hosted VoIP. Since a business pays a small monthly fee per line, it can add and subtract features to better manage costs and provide communication and collaboration tools to fit every individual employee’s needs. 

Finally, VoIP call quality is often on par with or superior to traditional landlines, especially considering that many VoIP systems provide mobile support. Through an app, every worker can have their business phone number routed to their personal smartphone. This feature ensures that all employees have access to a telephone number regardless of location, making it an essential tool for companies that use remote teams. 

What Are Some of the Features You Can Get with Hosted VoIP?

As we mentioned earlier, VoIP is a feature-rich platform. It’s also extremely customizable. In all, dozens of features can be available with a VoIP platform. Let’s look at some of the most important features a VoIP platform can provide.

• Auto attendant - This feature is a system that answers your calls and gives callers options to route calls properly.
• Text messaging - Giving your staff the ability to send work-related texts is a godsend in many situations. It’s an essential feature for organizations that want to unify their communications platform.
• Call forwarding - This feature allows organizations to redirect calls, reducing the likelihood of missed calls.
• Call recording - Being able to record calls can have many benefits, but most importantly, to enhance customer satisfaction.
• Video conferencing - Being able to communicate with multiple people via video successfully is a huge benefit.

This is only a taste of what is available through a VoIP platform. If you would like to learn more about VoIP and how it can significantly benefit your business, give us a call today at (415) 295-4898.