The Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication system is about networking and communicating in today's online world efficiently. It is especially beneficial for businesses and any country and business that has access to broadband Internet or Wi-Fi can benefit. The benefits in using VoIP include being able to reach clients or potential clients, business partners, other companies and coworkers through various channels and cost-free. Good communication is key to maintaining business relations and keeping the company afloat.
The Federal Communications Commission VoIP description pretty much explains what VoIP is and how the service is used:
"Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. Some VoIP services may only allow you to call other people using the same service, but others may allow you to call anyone who has a telephone number – including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. Also, while some VoIP services only work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, other services allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP adapter." (FCC website, "Voice Over Internet Protocol, Frequently Asked Questions", last updated February 1, 2010)
There are obvious advantages of this form of telecommunication, giving employers and businesses a way to stay in touch and be constantly connected with co-workers and clients. The voice signal travels to whatever medium you are connecting with. It responds to changes in the transmission. The FCC outlines these methods and advantages over standard telephone lines:
"VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter. In addition, wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly."
Often businesses have to pay for both broadband connections and traditional telephones lines for their employees. With VoIP they may get away with just one service since it uses the broadband with no telephone lines required. Saving money is outlined as a feature of VoIP by basically every article you'll run across related to the service. Here VoIP-News explains just how much you can save:
"Save a ton of money. It's no secret that VoIP calls can cost significantly less than those made from a landline, especially if they're long-distance. But some services, like Skype, are completely free if you call another user. Other savings include no roaming charges and increased employee productivity." (VoIP-News website, "30 Ways to Use VoIP That You've Never Heard Of", by VoIP-News Editors, May 20, 2008)
You see? If you have been using Skype, Apple's FaceTime or other online-based communication technologies, you are already ahead of the pack so to speak and a VoIP user. For those who haven't and are still tied down by land lines here are some other means VoIP can be useful for you as a business owner.
Telephone Power-Outage Problems Solved
If a telephone line is interrupted and the phone needs to be moved to another line, VoIP can help make this transition easier. This is a remedy for a headache many businesses experience regularly in areas where there are many power outages due to lightning, earthquakes, or electricity problems.
VoIP is also useful for workforces dealing with constant fire alarms and evacuations. Managers may also need to reach a sick employee who isn't at the office. They may not have been notified he was not showing up to work that day. With VoIP, managers are able to reach the employee easily via fax, and even through a local power outage. The power outage may shut most other forms of communication off. With VoIP they can move their communication equipment to an adjacent office building.
Conference Set-Ups
Being able to set up conferences and meetings has been one of the biggest blessings companies can thank VoIP for. With this system, they can reach a wide range of business partners or clients. They can have the pleasure of working with people in a single company from different departments and on different floors of the building. They can do this through VoIP by setting up a meeting with them hassle-free. They can participate in phone-call conferences even when out of the office.
Being Able to Multitask with Clients from One Desktop PC
Business owners, CEOs, and managers can now sit in front of their PCs to not just read online messages through e-mail or other means like social networking, but use their desktop PC as a central hub for all messages. This includes faxes and voice messages, formerly reserved for answering machines and telephone voice mail.
Saving Time and Frustration when Trying to Reach Staff Members
Many workforces and businesses are full of busy people who are always on the move, so even if they have a cell phone it isn't always easy to reach them. Often they are using the cell phone every time you try to call. This makes them hard to reach and locate. With the "find me - follow me" functions of VoIP, this lag of communication time is greatly reduced. When you have only a split minute or two to get an idea across before the competition gets the first word out, time is crucial. With VoIP you can reach the people who needed to be reached, right away.
As you can see, for a business owner, it is hard to recommend a modernized telephone-communication service over VoIP. VoIP will certainly solve a lot of headaches for companies and will continue to help businesses run their operations as efficiently as possible. We live in an endlessly expanding frontier of digital communications that is being integrated into our daily lives. We need to be up to speed faster than ever when news breaks out or a new product is released. If we are not up to date and communicating efficiently, our competition already has an edge. Traditional systems, like telephones, have to be taken into the digital age to stay current.
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