Have you been thinking about making a switch from your existing phone service to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system for small businesses? If so you are making a decision that can bring significant savings to your company. These business telephone systems services are used extensively today by companies for highly efficient and affordable communication services.
The VoIP systems of today are sophisticated and powerful enough to provide businesses with dependable hosted phone systems that can also be accessed through the mobile devices of your employees. The savings possible are also significant – even in the 20 to 60 percent range as compared to traditional landline phone systems.
How Does VoIP Work?
There is one specific and very important way in which VoIP differs from landline. VoIP does not use phone lines – the services hosted and conveyed through your Internet service line. This may occur through a T1, DSL, or PRI circuit. Many times with these business telephone systems it is not necessary to have new Internet lines installed. It simply benefit from the existing broadband Internet service you have.
Hosted Networks
You can utilize hosted or self-hosted networks depending on your requirements. The hosted network, the VoIP provider handles all of the significant work off-site, including the routing of your calls to your software clients and phones. A self-hosted system may be more appropriate for large businesses with more complicated connections.
New Phones
With the installation of a VoIP system, you will need to replace your old phones. Your new VoIP system operates through digital signals whereas your old landline service operated on analog signals. You may need to replace your phone hardware as well. The majority of VoIP systems operate on phones enabled by SIP.
Service Quality
The quality of your phone service will match the quality of your Internet connection. You made experienced episodes one Internet speed slowed down due to the number of people accessing the service at the same time or during peak demand time periods. It can be highly beneficial to have a high quality Internet service in order to ensure VoIP services function at top efficiency as well.
Cost of VoIP Business Telephone Systems
The number of lines you have set up will also dictate the cost of your VoIP phone service. You may be looking at a charge of $15-$40 for a single line service. The more features you have, the higher the cost may be as well.