Do you or your business use a traditional phone line? If so, you are most likely frustrated with long-distance charges and being tied to your office phones. With landlines, those two things are pretty much unavoidable. Luckily, there is a way to avoid such issues. All you need to do is start using a cloud phone service provider, such as Yeastar or RingCentral Office.
Cloud phone service providers use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. To make it work, you need to have a VoIP telephone and make sure that you have access to a broadband internet connection. Then, if you meet both of these requirements, you will be able to make and receive phone calls from wherever you want!
Moreover, VoIP apps can provide your employees with unified communications features, such as connecting with instant messaging apps or fax machines. Other useful features can include call recording and call forwarding, voicemail to email transcription, and video conferencing, among other things.
If you want to learn more about VoIP apps, you are in the right place! We prepared a short guide to their upsides and downsides, their features, and what you should look for in a VoIP provider. Take a look!
The Benefits and Drawbacks of VoIP
When it comes to cloud-based phone systems, they can be extremely beneficial to businesses of all sizes, from a call center to customer service and small companies. But what exactly are those benefits?
Well, first of all, the international long-distance rates can be as low as only a few cents per minute. As a result, using VoIP services can reduce your phone bills by more than 50%! Secondly, such apps are easy to use and don’t require you to install any extra wiring. Even if you have never used VoIP apps before, getting used to a cloud-based phone system should be relatively easy.
Next, the call quality that VoIP can provide you with is much better than what a traditional phone system has to offer. The audio is neither muffled nor fuzzy, which can make business calls a whole lot more pleasant for both you and your clients.
On the other hand, a cloud-based phone system does have its drawbacks. Most importantly, it requires a fast internet connection. So, if you are still using either dial-up or satellite-based in your office, it isn’t going to work as well as it should.
Other than that, if you ever need to call 911 from a VoIP phone, you will have to tell the operator exactly where you are. They won’t be able to track you because when you call a public safety operator through a VoIP app, it will always default to sending them your company’s mailing address.
Moreover, getting a VoIP system will most likely require you to get rid of your old phone handsets. Since it doesn’t use the same analog signals as they do, you will have to buy a VoIP telephone for every analog desk phone in your office. As a result, the initial costs of switching to a business VoIP provider can be relatively high.
The Most Popular VoIP Features
VoIP apps are actually based on the concept of Unified Communications, which is all about providing your team with a fully integrated communications platform. As a result, they can get things done faster and have no difficulties with staying well-organized!
The best VoIP providers can offer many useful features that both you and your employees will surely enjoy using. For instance, they have developed apps that can be used on both your mobile phone and your computer. The best ones allow for voice calling, screen sharing, conference calls, and text messaging, all of which contribute to a vast improvement in business communication.
On top of that, a VoIP phone system is an excellent investment in the safety of your data. Many providers use VoIP technologies such as SRTP or TLS, which scramble call data. Doing that makes eavesdropping on your business’ telephone calls nearly impossible.
What Should You Be Looking For in a VoIP Provider?
Before choosing a VoIP provider, figure out what your needs are. Consider your current resources, video conferencing needs, as well as expected incoming call volume. Doing all of that will make choosing the right VoIP plan much more manageable!
Moreover, the best business VoIP providers usually have multiple data centers, excellent customer reviews, and live support available around the clock. If your chosen VoIP provider can’t offer all of these things, you might want to look for another company.
Conclusion
To sum up, using a phone system based on VoIP technology is much better than using a traditional phone line. Not only is it cheaper and more reliable, but it also gives your employees lots of flexibility and has the potential to boost their productivity.
Many businesses have already put their trust in this technology, and they weren’t disappointed. Amidst a global pandemic, it allowed for timely completion of their goals, as well as integration and a great atmosphere.
So, do you feel like your business could really benefit from investing in a VoIP app? If so, start looking into different VoIP providers right now! The faster and more well-informed your choice will be, the more it will allow your business to grow!
