Benefits of Using a VOIP Phone System in Your Business

A telephone service alternative that has been growing in
popularity over recent years is Voice Over Internet Protocol service, more
commonly known as VOIP. A number of popular brands of VOIP service are already
on the market, providing telephone service to individuals and businesses alike
for flat monthly fees regardless of local, long distance, or even international
usage. Most major VOIP providers even allow you to utilize standard telephones,
and you are able to call any phone that you would be able to reach via a
telephone that was connected to a landline public telephone system.
Defining VOIP
There are actually three different types of VOIP service which are commonly
used, though the type that is most commonly used for business purposes is VOIP
that is accomplished through the use of an analog telephone adapter (also known
as an ATA.) The use of an ATA allows you to use a standard telephone for your
VOIP service (instead of the specially-designed "IP Phones" that are used with
one of the other forms of VOIP and must be plugged into a computer router, or
the microphone and speakers which are required for computer-to-computer VOIP
service), and you simply plug the phone into the adapter instead of a wall
telephone jack. The ATA converts the analog signal into a series of digital
packets which are sent over a broadband internet connection, where they are then
distributed to the appropriate telephone exchange in order to complete your
call.
Advantages of VOIP Over Standard Phone Service
The advantages of Voice Over Internet Protocol service are many, and it is
because of this that a number of businesses are choosing VOIP over standard
public telephone access. Most VOIP providers include common premium telephone
services such as caller ID, call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling,
and voicemail free of charge with a monthly subscription, and charge only a flat
rate for all calls placed within the month instead of separate local and long
distance charges. In most cases voicemail can be checked via the internet as
easily as e-mail, and messages can even be saved and sent as e-mail attachments.
Because the ATA that most VOIP providers use simply plugs into a broadband
internet connection, business travelers can even take an ATA and telephone with
them to hotels or other locations and still have access to their business phone
and VOIP service simply by plugging in to an available connection. Software
known as a "softphone" can also be installed on any laptop with a microphone,
speakers or headphones, and a wireless internet card so that VOIP calls can be
placed without the need to travel with an ATA and physical
telephone.
Choosing the Right VOIP System for Your
Business
There are a number of Voice Over Internet Protocol service providers who
could compete for your business, so it's important that you choose the right
service provider for the needs of your business. Stop to consider the size of
your business and the services that you will require, and begin shopping around
to see which provider offers you the best deal on the features that you want.
Make sure that you are watchful for gimmicks or services which require
additional provider-specific hardware to be purchased in order to expand your
service; ideally you should be able to include existing business phones in the
network with little or no difficulty. The VOIP system that you choose should
feature all of the telephone services that you desire, an easy method of
upgrading your VOIP network with little or no additional equipment, and a
reasonable rate for all of your local and long-distance calling. Check to see
what features different providers offer for travelers if you plan on sending
phones and analog adapters with individuals on business trips, or if they have
wireless handsets available that work like cellular phones anywhere there is a
WiFi signal. By asking questions and comparing service providers, you should be
able to locate the VOIP system that best meets your business needs for a
reasonable price and very little trouble.