Breaking Down the Wonderful World of VoIP

VoIP is a type of phone system which was designed ultimately for businesses. It was initially developed in 1995 as a solution for saving money when making long distance and international calls. It is an acronym which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It can be defined as “a technology or set of standards for the delivery of telephone calls and other voice communications over the Internet.” (Webopedia)

When using an internet phone system, you’re using your internet and its’ connection, to make and receive calls by sending voice data in packets across the IP. It offers more flexibility and communication features for your business and employees to utilize. The lure of flexibility is always a very advantageous feature, but it’s only the beginning. You’re able to plug in and work from literally anywhere in the world, and on any device capable of connecting to the internet. This is one of the advantages over using the standard, old analog lines, which confine you to your office desk. You can now take your work with you, virtually anywhere in the world.

With this flexibility it’s extremely important to ensure your internet connection is very reliable. If your internet and/or provider do not offer a strong connection, you may experience choppy or poor quality voice.

Though VoIP has been around for nearly 25 years, it has taken time to evolve to what it is today. It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that telephone equipment companies really started noticing the increase in cloud phone systems in the corporate arena. It’s popularity grew because of increases in speed, lower costs and better quality. Therefore, Voice over internet features and capabilities were added into switches.

What is a “switch” you might ask? Think of a switch, also known as a Central Office, as a hub which all calls travel to in order to call the correct phone number. Back in the day, human operators once worked these switches manually, plugging phone calls into other lines, connecting people across the country. Now a days, everything is done electronically. Every city has at least one switch that transfers calls. If the city is rather large though, chances are they have multiple switches.

So now that VoIP features were making their way into CO’s, broadband Ethernet service started to take off, which only continued to increase it’s popularity. It promoted better connectivity and call quality. This really started to lure business owners to transition from their old analog lines to the wonderful world of VoIP. Using internet based phones gave you fun and fancy features. Such as music on hold, transferring and conference calling. All these were now a possibility. It made even the smallest business, look mighty large using this technology.

VoIP has become such an important tool for developing and growing businesses, especially smaller ones. It’s a wonder why some have resisted the change. There are so many convenient features that are fantastic for owners and their employees. You no longer need to be chained to your office desk in order to receive customer calls or communicate with fellow colleagues. In fact, one of the best benefits of these systems are there internal communication system.

VoIP phones allow you to intercom and page fellow colleagues in your business group from anywhere, and for free! If you have a working internet connection, you can communicate with your employees and customers virtually anywhere. Implementing an internet based phone system throughout your business will also allow you to take calls from your smartphone when you’re on the go. No call left behind!

On an employers standpoint, through a VoIP solution, you can reduce the cost of your overhead by making a virtual office for your employees. It can be an extremely helpful for startup companies and small businesses. Now, you can have remote employees, which help cut costs all the way from office space, to office supplies.

The convenience and lowered costs involved with hosted phone system and its’ services have driven businesses towards replacing their antiquated systems. Enterprises are realizing that they can have easy access to so may productivity apps, contact centers, and so much more. As the telecom world continues to evolve, so do the demands of mobility, video conferencing and flexibility. The power of Voice over internet phones has made this increasingly attainable, affordable and popular with companies everywhere. It’s no wonder the Wonderful World of VoIP is Bubbling at the seams!